Technical Have you pulled a straight drive transmission and replaced it with a automatic

When I first had my wagon with the automatic in HS I hated the fact it wasn't a stick and it had a bench seat (all the cool cars had buckets). Then in my senior year I tore up my right knee in a wrestling match and had to have surgery. I was in a cast from my hip to my ankle for 6 weeks. So after I got out of the hospital I proceeded to stretch my right leg cast and all across the bench seat and drove with my left foot for the gas and brake. So until the cast came off the automatic was OK. Just around graduation time I started the conversion to a stick. First a full syncro 3 speed and later a 4 speed T-10.

 

Is this some colloquialism from South Carolina? I have to admit I have never heard the phrase. To me, it really does not make sense. A manual transmission is shifted manually. I do not like the term standard transmission, but it somewhat makes sense. It was the transmission offered as standard equipment back when you could purchase a car with a manual transmission as opposed to the optional automatic transmission. Not trying to bash on you, I just like to understand the usage and maybe glean some insight into the origin of the phrase.

 

I have no idea if the term is strictly a Southern phrase or not, I have heard and used the wording my entire life and hundreds of time here on the Hamb, this is the first time anyone has questioned the origin.

I assumed everyone knew what I was trying to get across. HRP

 

Thats Kool Danny, hey them Englishman across the pond call em "gearboxes"up here we call certain people "gearboxes"....lol

 

It is ironic to me, but when I was young and had my Buick coupled to a 3 speed, I really didn't think I was going to have a life until I got a 4 speed. In hindsight, I have come to the conclusion that there is absolutely nothing wrong with a 3 spd. The big problem back then, was that most 3 spds could not handle the extra horsepower, and all the magazines back then were selling us the idea that the new 4 speeds were stronger. The 4 speeds could handle more power, but one of my friends back then, still managed to break the aluminum tailshaft on a T-10.
For everything but the strip, a tough, all syncro, 3 speed with a Hurst dual pattern shifter, would meet my needs. Attach a Hone-O-Drive on the back of it, and I would be in hog heaven.
Bob

 

I've changed out a couple, an OT 68 Firebird for a friend, went from a Turbo 400 to a T-10 4 speed using factory parts from a Firebird and a Camaro. Other was an OT 73 Pinto, went from a C3 to a 4 speed, again using all factory parts from a wrecked 76 Pinto.

My Lincoln was already changed to a Turbo 350 when I got it, they torched the clutch pedal off at the pivot. I'm changing it to an AOD, if I ever get time to take it to the trans shop to get rebuilt. I've got most of the stuff to put a 3 speed in, bell housing, clutch, pressure plate and a long tail top loader 3 speed, but the flywheel I have is 28 oz, and my motor takes a 50 oz, so it won't work. Still might do it, but would need a good shifter and flywheel and a new hanging clutch pedal assembly. Figured up the prices on all that , and even with rebuilding the AOD it was cheaper than the manual.

 

300 Series 64 Malibu factory 3 speed to Aluminum Glide
My 56 (avatar) factory Glide to 4 speed
Girlfriends 56 factory 3 speed to TH350

 

Hey Danny, I think you've forgotten a long thread from a few years back about the terminology. Straight shift, stick shift, straight drive, manual, and every other combination saying the same thing. As I recall, people were very opinionated about which was appropriate ( On the HAMB???? REALLY???? ), but I guess the thread finally died.
I know what you meant, and I'm a Southern boy, too, so I don't know what them boys are talking about.

 

Around here it was slushbox or stick ...

 

Oh , I can't take it any more , I'm going to bed !

 

Back in the 60's a guy was towed into the shop in a 56 F100 with a stock broken 3 speed. The whole truck was fairly clean with 60K miles. I gave him a price to fix it, he thought a few seconds and said he would sell it as is. He didn't really like it anyway. I said how much, he gave me a price, I said sold. At the time we needed a push truck for the race car and I figured that would be as good as any.
I didn't have a replacement 3 speed but I had a 58 Fordomatic that needed rebuilding and several ideas. I farmed the rebuild and commenced on the truck. Pulled the old brake master cylinder and pedal out and filled the holes. (Hanging pedals) Pulled the clutch linkage and pitched it. Put the brake assembly in where the clutch used to be along with the wide pedal. (I drive an automatic with left foot brake) With the wide pedal anyone could drive it as they normally did. I put an appropriate push plate on the front and we had a fancy push truck. Oh, I forgot to mention, this truck had a 312 T-bird engine with 3 2's on it.

 

I am fully in favor of doing whatever it takes to keep you driving your car, and and a smile on your face.

I have CNC and manual mills, and can adapt about anything to anything else.

 

So... automatic mill
And... straight shift mill

Edit:
I still didn't get it right, Danny.
Straight DRIVE mill.

Stick shift mill around this neck of the woods.

 

Correct.

 

I’ve converted a bunch to manual trans but none to automatic.

 

After breaking a trunk full of Muncies behind a big block in an O/T Camaro I put a turbo 400 in it.
It was a drag car and all of the fancy clutches and replacement transmissions weren't available back then.
I used to be really good at rebuilding those Muncies. Not as good as a guy from Colorado springs.
We would have contests to see who could take one apart and then reassemble them.

 

Heres my swap to the fabulous A904/999 lockup trans.
Had a truck T98 Acme 4 spd with bull low and flathead 6 prior.
Swapped in LA 318 and 904 to replace.
Already had a Mopar 8 1/4 with 3.23 gears.
To date, " no regrets"....

 

STRAIGHT DRIVE TRANSMISSION

A column shift works through a complicated linkage, but a straight drive (aka 4-on-the-floor) connects straight to the transmission.

 

When my sunliner gets the Y block again I am seriously thinking about going with a manual trans.

 

I am about 70 miles from HotRodPrimer and we call them straight drives. In the 60's that is how my mom and dad referred to them.

 

I don't think so, I grew up more than 700 miles away form South Carolina and that's what we called cars with 4 speed transmissions.

 

straight drive sounds odd to me here in sunny California, this is the first time I ever heard it.

 

I’ve never heard of it either, so I assumed that it was an USA type of saying.
And yes, we could figure out what you meant.

we called them “4 on the floor” or “3 on the tree” for column change.......

 

How's the new car going to have sentimental value if the first car's original back seat isn't swapped into it?

 

I always heard a manual transmission referred to as a straight shift, on the column or in the floor. In the floor was generally called a stick shift, unless it was an automatic transmission. Trucks with multiple shift levers were called twin sticks, multiplex, triplex, or goddamnsonofabitchinghardtoshiftmfukingpiecsesofshit!

 

My ranch wagon started life with 3 on the tree and I had no problem with leaving it that way I didn't want a automatic transmission.

A good friend of our's who had passed away had a mustang that he recently rebuilt the engine & transmission and his wife offered it to Danny and he needed a engine for my wagon so he bought the car, Danny removed the engine and transmission and I ask could we use the 5 speed instead of the column shift 3 speed, he made it work and I couldn't be
Happier with it.

Btw, my daddy was raised in South Georgia and I never heard him say anything but straight drive transmission when referring to any car or truck with a transmission other than a automatic.

 

Back in HS; another kid talked me and a buddy into switching out the 4 spd in his '59 Impala for an automatic. Whole deal, steering column, radiator, etc. Learned a lot, including how heavy an iron 'glide was when laying on a garage floor lifting. Often wonder if at some point in time someone discovered his red 348 3x2 Impala was supposed to have a stick trans or if the car was gone before it became collectable.

 

I converted 3 from automatic to manual. A 56 Ford (my first car in '66) and two OT Fox bodies

 

I made my th-400 like a stick with the Hurst Autostick I shifter. I put them in all my old cars. It bolts to the transmission and has direct linkage to the transmission. When driving the shifter shakes like a four speed and you can feel all the vibrations. The shifts are mechanical and positive just no clutch pedal. What I do like is how fast it is being connected to a 454 and no more worrying about idiots on your rear bumper while pulling out on a steep hill..

My favorite is the three on the tree..

 

"Clutch-o-matics" always intrigued me. An automatic transmission with a clutch. Has some benefits. Such as no need for a high-stall or lock-up torque converter.