Have you ever driven a manual transmission that was located on the steering column?

[tk2kewl]

Poll question: Have you ever driven a manual transmission that was located on the steering column?

[reyd reid reed]

1. Yup. I had a Ford Maverick for a while...

God, I hated that car.

:scared:

[cwydro]

2. Yep

Three on a tree!

My dad's old truck.

[tk2kewl]

8. I had an old Dart like that

:D

[AllegroRondo]

3. no, but i've seen it done.

looks very odd.

[trof]

4. Before '4 on the floor', we had '3 on the tree'.

First car I ever drove was an old '48 Buick with stick shift.
I was around 12.

[MissMillie]

5. once

back in the early 80s, I test-drove a used Pacer that had the stick on the steering column. Strange stuff.

[tk2kewl]

26. The Pacer was pretty strange all by itself.

:wtf: :shrug:

[MissMillie]

37. call me crazy, but I thought it was neat looking... then again

I'm driving this these days.

[Zavulon]

6. Nope. I don't feel like I've lost out on anything, either.

I can drive a standard, but would almost rather walk. A standard on the column would be especially irritating.

[guitar man]

7. grew up on them

first car I had was a '68 Rambler with a 6cyl and 3 on the tree. Then I had a '62 Chevy Impala, same thing. In fact, I currently have a '65 chevy pickup I'm restoring that has a 3 speed column shift.

[eyepaddle]

9. A roommate's dad had a GMC truck like that

for towing stuff and working around the property--I just HAD to take it out for a drive. It was fun, a little differnt, but I do not remember the gearing pattern.

[guitar man]

10. reverse

...is towards you (back) and up. First is back and down. Second is forward and up. Third is forward and down.

[eyepaddle]

13. Yep, that sounds right;

believe it or not, I didn't have any problems--and I was diriving it around Minneapolis! :)

[guitar man]

15. it's not hard

the best way to visualise the pattern is, if you're sitting in the passenger seat looking at the column, it's an "H" pattern with reverse at the top left.

[mikeytherat]

11. Hell, yes - a "three on the tree."

'73 Ford F-150. When Mrs. Rat (who is also a manual-shift only type) drove it, she had to slide off the seat to put the clutch in (Mrs. Rat is somewhat "vertically challenged").

mikey_the_rat

[YDogg]

44. Exactly. Three on the tree. Maybe we drove the same Ford, yo.

:hi:

[NewWaveChick1981]

12. Yes. My grandmother had an El Camino that had three on the tree.

:) She still had it when I learned to drive a 5-speed, and she let me drive her El Camino. It was a lot of fun.

[Oeditpus Rex]

14. My dad loved Ramblers

And I drove a couple of 'em.

One, a '64 Classic wagon, had a clutch so bad that if you dumped it, the car would just sit there and shake.

He taught my sister and me how to shift when we were like 7. He'd work the clutch and we'd shift. :7

[Hangingon]

16. Absolutely

I had a 1950 Chevy in high school and also drove my dad's 1954 Ford pickup. Both had three speed column shifts. All my friends had them. In college, I had a French SIMCA and a FIAT (Fix It Again Tony) with 4 speed column shifts. I like driving standard shifts and wish I had one still.

[Jokerman]

17. Yes - How about an automatic with the selector on the dash?

First vehicle I drove was a truck with the shifter on the steering column.

I also owned a Corvair with the auto selector on the dash.

[Goblinmonger]

18. One of my friends in high school

had a corvair with the push-button selector.

Thanks for bringing back the memories.

[tk2kewl]

19. I love Corvairs

I was going to post another poll for pushbutton transmissions. My first car was a '65 Corsa 140HP Convertible.

[Jokerman]

20. Sweet!

I used to own a '66 Corsa Convertible. Unfortunately I bottomed out and destroyed the oil pan earning it the nickname "The Chevrolet Valdez"

[tk2kewl]

22. was yours a 140 or a turbo?

140 HP - 4 Rochester single barrel carbs:



180 HP Turbo:

[Jokerman]

25. 140

I remember rebuilding and tuning the carbs - that was a challenge. I had to order the rebuild kits from a place that I think was called Clark's Corvair Parts.

[tk2kewl]

27. Clarks had everything.

I think they still do. Somewhere in New England, right?

[cloudbase]

21. I learned to drive on one.

My father would only buy bare bones cars-we'd almost have to beg him to get one with an AM radio. This was a '67 Chevy, three on the column and a straight six.

[tk2kewl]

23. great motor.

I had a friend with a Nova with a straight 6 and I owned a couple of Chrysler slant 6ers in my day. Two of the best engines ever produced.

[ileus]

24. 79 and 86 Chevy CK-10's

both my fathers trucks.

[Schema Thing]

28. damn, we're an old bunch!

but yeah, I have.

[Arkansas Granny]

29. That's what I learned to drive on, actually. A 1949 Chevy 2-door coupe.

[skygazer]

30. Three on the tree - learned on one

Fond memories.

[stirlingsliver]

31. Valiant Had Buttons On Dashboard

I drove a car (my brother's) that was a Dodge Valiant (I think)

It had buttons on the dashboard.

You punched the "D" button to go into "Drive".

You punched the "R" button to go into "Reverse".

[buddhamama]

32. yes,once, it was the first time i drove a manual car

i am more comfortable with the stick on the floor than the three in a tree. :)

[ET Awful]

33. Yup '69 Ford Falcon.

:)

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

34. Sure, many pickup trucks.

And, one of the cars in the high school driver training class had "three on the tree". And well-polished gear teeth.

[Kali]

35. Got my license in a 64 Ford station wagon.

3 speed on the column. It had positraction too - it was a GREAT sand wagon. Party at the Salt (river) MAN.

PS I have a Lakewood - make an offer!

[seemunkee]

36. For many years

I have had a couple of work vans that had column shifters

[GoneOffShore]

38. Oh yes,

A 1939 Oldsmobile sedan, 1951 Chevrolet, 1962 Chevy Belair, 1963 Chevy Belair, Ford pickup truck unknown vintage, Saab 93's one a right hand drive, a Renault.

Present car is a 2000 Saab 93 Coupe with manual.

[Nicole]

39. Yes

A Chevy truck.

[MadHound]

40. Yep, three on the tree, 1955 Ford F150 truck

I'll even go you one better, I've got a '49 DeSoto, where the only thing that you have to do to change gears is let off the gas, push in the clutch, and let it back out. Hydrostatic transmission is a cool thing. Also, the light illuminating the speedometer changes as you increase speed, red to yellow to green.

It also has a push button starter, turn the key, push the button. My '51 Chevy 3600 truck has the push button on the floor.

I love old cars, and if I had more money and space, I would probably literally have hundreds of them.

[BOSSHOG]

41. My first vehicle - A 51 chevy Pickup - Epitomy of Classic

and a 68 Chevy Nova four banger. My dad and grandad had trucks with manual transmissions and three on the column. I drove them often.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

42. yeah, an old ugly Renault hatchback in the 70s.

I have no idea what the model name was, but it had fabulous leather seats you could have taken out and used in your living room!!!

[NMDemDist2]

43. i learned to drive in a '58 Volvo that had a 4 speed on the 'tree'

and extended H pattern

you had your normal R down to 1, up to 2nd and down to 3rd, then you kinda just threw it up and out for 4th

interesting way to learn :rofl:

[Lautremont]

45. Learned to drive on a big ol' three on the tree Econoline van.

[Rabrrrrrr]

46. All my cars have had the transmission in the engine compartment.

Though I've had cars with shifting levers on the floor and on the steering column.

[jobycom]

47. No, but I've driven a CAR with a manual transmission whose SHIFTER was on the steering column.

Okay, really it was a truck.

[Rabrrrrrr]

49. Did you read my post first?

:spank:

:rofl:

[jobycom]

51. Face it

As different as we think, we think alike! :rofl:

[Breeze54]

48. Yes! That was the first car I ever drove

Chevy Impala

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

50. Yep. My dad's restored '46 Plymouth Convertible.

His is yellow.

Also has a '59 Plymouth Fury with push-button transmission.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

52. In Simulator Class, years ago

But most of the simulators were broken...

[Jade Fox]

53. Many moons ago......

I remember kind of liking it.