Technical Has anyone ever set up their 3 on the tree shifter to work with a 4 speed?

The bodywork is slow going on my 50 Chevy and I've had plenty of time to think about the direction I want to take with it. In the cards I have a GMC 270 for motivation and a Saginaw 4 speed to get the power to the '57 Chevy rear end. I really like the aesthetics and feel of the column shifter and would like to keep this if possible. Has anyone successfully linked their column shifter to a 4 speed? What needs to be done? What are the challenges? Thanks

 

Had a 64 Opel with a four speed on the colunm when I was stationed in Germany. Its a proven fact than anything the Germans can do we can do better!

 

Saw it done in an old ecnoline van years ago, had a little shot shifter sticking up out of the floor for reverse. kind of hokkie.

 

In your situation, I'd just use a 3 speed transmission. Usually folks give away Saginaw 3 speeds. It's not like you're really gonna win a lot of races with the car, so why make life complicated with the 4 speed?

 

Some Chevrolet van's in 67 & 68 offered a 4 speed column,I have a pal that has one,He told be it was a 4 speed and I bet him 20 bucks it wasn't,I lost. HRP

 

X2^^^^^^^. I saw one when I was pumping gas as a kid in 67. The shifter handle of that Chevy van had the 4 speed pattern cast into it.

 

Yes, just do that^^^. You could just add a FLAPs solid core push/pull cable under or on the dash for Reverse. Shift into neutral pull the knob, Reverse. Simple.

I love my 3sp+od on the column and may convert a 4speed to 4 speed+od and do the same cable route for Reverse.

 

Its been done in a lot of cars in our area,
no biggie, hidden cable for reverse.

 

Depends on the throw but it could be done using the original H pattern for the 4 speed and a separate lever/pull for reverse. You would have to throw it into neutral before you could hit reverse and then in theory you could use something along the lines of an e brake handle for your reverser. Nope haven't done it but no reason that you shouldn't try it.

Borgward had a column shifter 4 speed in about '59.

Or you could run with @squirrel 's idea and just snag yourself a Saginaw 3 speed and be happy.

 

Saw it a few times when somebody had a Chev 4 speed car that ran hard, but didn't want it well known ... the reworked 3 speed linkage was used almost as is, and an OD cable hooked to reverse.
Looks funny at a stoplight when the driver stuffs it in reverse (on column) & nails it ...

 

Whats the point? Of course it can be done but why not use all that ingenuity on something useful?

 

Do it, find those old Chev part numbers and run it. Column shifts are cool, Mercedes and Peugeot had lots of them. I wonder if one of the Chevy collector's sites could find you the part numbers, illustrations, or even the parts?

 

I agree, go for it. Nothing kooler than a column shift.

 

Depends how much reversing you do. I run errands in my heap, in and out of parking spaces constantly.

Coolness, yes, practicality, 4 on the floor.

 

I've done it with a 3 speed Hurst floor shifter on a saginaw 4 speed. Welded another Hurst handle to the reverse lever. People use to ask me if it was a 4 wheel drive.
I wouldn't use the chevy van shifter parts until you looked at them. I've heard they're a complicated nightmare. Worked with a guy who disassembled his to do a motor swap...couldn't figure out how to reassemble it so the van sat for years.

 

If you do this, make sure you cannot be in two gears at once. That will make the floor shift idea seem a much better solution when you are rebuilding the gear box.

 

I had an old car magazine that had a 32 coupe that used the column shifter with a four speed. The reverse was a lever on the floor.

 

Why not use an over drive If you want 4 gears.

 

Did that many years ago with a hotrod 51 chev inliner. 4 on the column with reverse lever on the floor. Yes you can have in two gears at the same time!!!! It was cool but eventually went to a proper floor shift.

 

I know Mercedes did it well into the sixties. No idea how they did it, but it would be worth researching. I'm guessing they had a more elegant solution to reverse than a separate lever.

 

I already have a nice rebuilt Saginaw 4 speed and new clutch. That's where the idea began. Thanks

 

I used to own a Borgward that had a 4 speed on the column. The Germans always did some different things.

 

My 63 fairlane wagon has a three on the tree with cable operated overdrive.Dont know if that could be adapted or if its worth it.

 

You might check out Tubmans post On early hemi 4 speed transmission help He used a solenoid and spring to move the trans lever.

 

^^ I was thinking the same thing, a button on the column lever. No need to move your hand off the lever. Hold down to stay in R. Could even set up a safety switch so it had to be in neutral first.

 

There is a HAMB member from France who goes by the name Schoum built a 29 ford roadster body and also made his own 4speed column shifter the whole build is amazing check it out.
Doug

 

A friend of mine over here adapted a 4 speed muncie to original column change in his '55 chev. He may see this thread and comment.

 

OP in opening post explains this.

 

Good idea!

 

Very cool. That's thinking out of the box.