3 speed with synchro first

When did three speed trannies get a synchronized first gear? The question came up among a group of gear heads. All agreed it was probably mid sixties but no one had clue exactly when and which manufacturer offered them.

Anybody know?

Bill

 

Cheap cars like my wife's 70 dodge dart still had non-synchro.

Chevy used non-synchro in most of them thru 66, but they had an optional "heavy duty" 3 speed with synchro low (I think) long before then.

 

I have one from a 67 Cougar that I modified with a Jeep shifter, works great rolling to a stop an no grinding into 1st gear. I have had it for sale before but no one seems interested in a 3 speed anymore.

 

Packard, 1930's?

 

Ford came out with a 3 speed with a synchronnized 1st gear in '63. GM even used them on some of their models.

 

That would have been the 3.03 3-speed that they ran behind the V8's. The little 2.77 3-speed they ran in the Falcons behind the little 6 cylinder motors was non-synchro from 1960 on (at least through 1966 but I think later)

 

Our '30 726 didn't... but then 1st gear was more of a stump-puller

 

Pullin' stumps with a Packard...now that is logging in style! ..and I have the feeling you probably could if ya tried it...not that I'm SUGGESTING it of course

Allot of the big early cars (pre-1920) were turned into service trucks and wreckers for this very reason.

 

I was wrong, the heavy duty trans I was thinking of was non-synchro also.

But the T16 full synchro 3 speed trans was used in big block Chevys in 65, and some Pontiacs in 64.

most GMs got synchro low in 66, most Mopars in 69 or 70, AMCs around 68, Ford around 64, or 67 for the smaller cars.

 

The T-16 was the Ford, wasn't it?

 

My '37 box is full synchro.

 

No, the Ford was the Ford. It was a top loader, the T 16 was a side loader as far as I can tell.

The T14 and T15 were like the top loader Ford

 

Had a '67 Chevelle w/ the HD optional T-16. It's a T-85 with a syncro added to low gear.

 

I know the 63 Corvette with 250hp 327 base model had an all sychro 1st gear.



Ago

 

My Dad when I was growing up always drove Chevy pickups,the 64 &65 he had weren't but the 66 he bought new did and it was a six cylinder.

 

V- 8 Bob has it correct . You could buy any Chevrolet in late 64 with a synchronized 1st. Course the gear box was ford made , I had two different Bel Airs , one 65 and a 66 both same .............. scrubba

 

1966 Chevy cars had a synchro low Saginaw.
All Mustang 3-speeds were full synchro.
Mopar got a synchro in 1970.

 

65 Chevy's had them, we used to fake a forward motion down shift like a 4 speed back when I was was kid fooled lots of people thinking we had a 4 speed well I think we did anyway.

 

MY 66 F100 has a non synchro first gear.

 

64 rings a bell, bought a new 65 Falcon with a full syncro 3 speed. Have a 64 Falcon toploader 3 speed with syncro low.

 

interesting...chilton says the top loader 3 speed (3.03") Ford trans was used in non-Chevy GM cars from 65-70. They also show the 2.77 non synchro being used in the early Mustangs.

 

I had a 74 Dodge van with a non synchro 3 speed.Same for a 71 Duster. Both had the slant six.............Maybe the trannys were swapped before I bought the vehicles?

 

1963 Ford 3.03 toploadeder 3 speed was the first full synchro for domestic passenger cars. (not used in falcons in 63)

 

My 57 3-spd o.d. in Rusty had synchro low in o.d. Or maybe the tranny was newer, who knows I tore it up anyway. ~sololobo~

 

My '66 chevelle had a 3-speed syncro in first

 

My '65 Belair wagon had a non-synchro 1st gear box in it, pretty sure it was original to the car. This was behind a 283.

Bob

 

Sorry to drag up an oldie, but found it in a search. I have a '63 Bel Air 6 cylinder with a 3 on the tree non-synchro 1st. I also have a Saginaw 3 speed out of a 68 or 69 Nova 6 cylinder that has a sychro 1st gear... will this slightly newer (Fully sychrononized) 3 speed directly swap out using the same shift linkage, etc. thats already in my car, or will i run into issues with location points on the trannys, etc. If it's a simple matter of dropping out one 3 speed and replacing it with another that has a sychro in 1st I'm all about it... but don't want to mess with it if nothing is going to interchange.

 

I don't recall when they changed the length of them...some of the early 3 speeds were short. Also the spline would be coarse, so you'd need a different yoke anyways. and the shift linkage is not direct bolt in, the levers are in different places.

I suggest you get under the car and look at your existing transmission, and see if it looks like everything is in the same places as on the one you'd like to install. Then you won't be relying on others to tell you stuff that you can actually see for yourself

 

1963. I remember seeing ads in the magazines referring to it as a 3 1/2 speed transmission due to the syncro first gear.

 

<= my Buick has all syncro 3 speed from factory.