Vintage shots from days gone by!

Dang that is one serious gun tractor!! Sure beats the shit out of our Mack's!!

Doc.

 

WandyHarry: dad, my sister and brother "helping " with a jag head.
About 1963

Norby: not enough of this going on today.

Jimi: Norby, truer words were never spoken, bro! I thought the same thing soon as WandyHarry's pix popped up. Unforunately, not only accurate but sadly poignant.

After 50,000 posts, Gary, YellerSpirit, RaceRon, Don -- SO many folks! -- just keep finding amazing pieces of the past that bring our history to life and relevance AND posting entertaining, informative commentary. Somebody(ies) commented that this thread is addictive. Ain't it the truth?

Allow me to cast a vote for these 2 pix of gearhead dad indoctrinating the youngsters into the INSTANT CLASSIC hall of this thread! Thanks to Ryan, Kevin and ALL contributors who work to keep it coming!

 

Mike, my memory sucks anymore, but I seem to recall a thread on this last year or, maybe, 2010. And I do believe somebody asserted that a Borg-Warner 4-speed was an OPTIONAL offering that year by GM. (Obviously, lots of 4s have gone into '57s since then, but that's irrelevant.)

At least a couple of four-speeds, I believe, had been issued as early as the '20s, but you're really talking about the post-WWII era, I think, and strictly American-made. As for WHY four-speeds were not commonly available before the later '50s and early '60s, all I can do is GUESS that manufacturers tended to keep making standards to the standard three, while putting their real R&D energies and resources into improved automatics. If so, such an approach would have made sense for the MASS market while leaving guys seeking real speed out in the cold. Just my 2 cents, bro.

Whatever, thank goodness for the sake of hotrodders, the trend changed relatively suddenly.

 

DueceDon: My start in gearheads!
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Awesome pic, Don! My dad had a Whizzer. Anybody know WHEN the first ones were? Also, was any other company making a competing unit? Thanks!

 

<HR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #e5e5e5; COLOR: #e5e5e5" SIZE=1> <!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->
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In the late 50th century
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Really?
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Darn tootin'! And in a gallaxy far, far away!

 

Really, folks! Ya have to hand it to the guy, managing to look flat debonaire in this contraption!

 

On the icey streets of Mass, no less. Can you imagine backing a trailer with this?
Chuck

 

"And I do believe somebody asserted that a Borg-Warner 4-speed was an OPTIONAL offering that year by GM."

Only for Corvettes in '57 and '58, the big cars in '59. Any big '57-8 cars that someone may have seen with 4-speeds have been retrofitted no matter what the owners may claim. Many were done by dealers back at the time who installed the Vette 4-speed transmissions.

 

The 58's for sure had factory installed 4 spds. Guy in high school got one. Black 348 tri power with a 4 spd. He thought the engine was not right so he blew it up on purpose. The 57's could be ordered with 4 spds but they came with the tranny in the trunk. A friend on here worked at the dealership and put a few in.

 

Could these mean anything? They did to me years ago.
Normbc9

 

There was at least one auto maker in Chicago that put four-speeds in all its cars back in 1948. I guess they were ahead of their time

 

Yeah, and the personnel who had to ride it too.

 

This really isn't that old of a photo...I took it back in the 80's I think. It's from The Herschell Carousel Museum Factory in Tonawanda, NY. A very cool place, that just happened to have two A's parked in front.

 

Thanks, TuckerFan. LOL. I didn't want to mention any makes prior to 1950, because I'd have to go dig for hours even to make a basic point. In point of fact, the 4-speed Cord trannies slipped my mind!

Brings up an interesting question (at least to me): Did all of the '36/7 Cords use the electric assist, or were some sold with straight stick-shift? Maybe other H.A.M.B. Cord afficionados will also join in on this.

By extension (of course), I'd need to ask YOU as our resident Tuckerfile if Preston converted all his Cord trannies to stick-shift, or did he ALSO use a semi-auto assist? May seem obscure, but WHEN will we ever examine this issue again?

 

It's easy to date this one...that's me eyeing up a headlight for a future project. My mom is now closing in on 90.

 

I work for a sign company that's been around since the early '50's. Here are a few old photos I dug up.

Wally

1951 F1 - "Lucille"

 

Or its beginning as a bad a** slammed hot rod!

 

...

 

I have a similar picture with a bunch of Corvairs parked out front...go figure?

 

For information and history about the old Whizzer Motorbikes, check out www.whizzermotorbike.com
In the little red box on left side, go to History. Very interresting information about the Whizzer Company and defence war board letting them keep on making Whizzer motorbikes during WWII for defence workers to buy, to get back and forth to work. Russ

 

Sorry, that is absolutely incorrect. There were no factory 4 speed 57's or '58's. Corvette 4 speeds in the trunk do not qualify as factory-installed 4 speeds.
We have been through this a bunch of times on one of the Chevy forums and this has been nailed down as the truth. What another guy you knew had doesn't qualify. No one has been able to prove that they personally ordered and purchased a full-size '58 with a factory installed 4 speed. There are all sorts of "I knew a guy...." stories.

 

Nothing like repeating!!!---See what happens when you are 80????----HA!

 

Yes Jimi Shemi, there was a competitor named the "Marmon Twin" it was a 2 cycle instead of the Whizzer 4 cycle motor.
The Whizzer kit for bicycles became popular during WWII because of gas rationing & saving the car for limited use.