That's all my Dad would buy when i was a kid. A '50 Merc., a '55 Ford wagon, a '61 Ford wagon, and a '64 Dodge wagon. I learned three on the tree when i was 11 in the Dodge and later drove it to high school. I loved the three on the tree even with the non syncro first gear, I could get it into low by matching engine speed to trans with no clutch and didn't have to stop to go to first gear. Always kept my hand on the shifter through second like my Dad did.
Both my 51 Chevy and 53 Chevy still have the factory 3 speeds in them. Neither have ever been rebuilt and both shift like butter. I personally love them. Nothing feels more like driving an old car than sliding through the gears on a non synchro three speed!
My 62 Vauxhall Cresta has 3 on the tree and shifts great thats what gives these old cruisers character, going to convert soon to 4 speed with O/D (on the tree of cause )
My '67 chev pu has the original 283 and 3spd on the column. When I went to get new tires the young associate (late teens early twenties) ran out to get my truck, and I watched from the lobby of the tire store as he looked up then down at the shifter and the clutch pedal. He finally gave up and came in and asked, is that truck an automatic or manual transmission? He had never seen "3 on the tree". The manager and I got a good laugh out of that one.
Roddiniron- That's exactly what I was thinking. Dumb enough to try and steal a car is most likely too dumb to drive a column shift.. My Famous Uncle swears he would have to hum a waltz to drive his old Chevy truck. First gear, push in clutch, one, two, three! second gear, one, two, three! Kinda interested in the 4 on the tree with reverse under the seat. That'd be different/cool.
I think it should be part of the drivers exam. Today,s kids think driving is easy, just place lever in D, hit the GPS and start texting. Easy. Not like driving around town, turning a left intersection corner while steering with one hand, shifting with the other while hands and feet are in synchronized coordination and your butt is sliding across the seat towards the passenger side. Now thats driving!
My 50 has the Borg with manual overdrive, I absolutely love it! Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
My 57 fuely BelAir is a 3spd on the column and shifts very well--linkage and bushings all tight and correct--wife ran it at the drags a lot of times and had no issues. We also had a 55 with a 3 spd and OD which we drove for quite a few years--no problem. A while back I had a 40 with a column shift. One day my son stopped by and wanted to drive it. Wife and I watched as he got in and began looking at the shifter--wife had to go show him how it worked. Times sure have changed.
Many of us from the early days have shifted 3 on da tree, I learned to shift one on hyster forklift ! That thing was a blast to dangle around the Magna international stamping plant !drove a few cars and pu from the 60's to early 70's , generally installed in lower performance vehicles then, but not always ! I would guess if they were any good they would still be using them in new cars ! It would be a fugly mess to see some of the younger generation try to dangle text messages , emails etc , while shifting a 3nt trans, standard steering , manual brakes and bias ply tires ! That would be a sight !
I swapped the 3 on the tree out to an auto in my 58 ford a year ago...now it's boring to drive, I'm going back to the 3 on the tree this summer. If adjusted right and don't try to speed shift it, they work great. -LUKEY-
Three on the tree is what I remember as a kid and that is how my 55 Ford is....If you have a car with a three on the tree...stop speed shifting these cars...be a care taker of original cars for the future...
Back in the day, they called it "standard" transmission. That means that most every car had one. Do they suck? Hell no!
All 3 of our cars have 3 on the tree and inline motors - some hate it, we love it. No need to change and be like everyone else. My 48 is still 6 volt. Why change if it works.
Right on! Can't beat a fresh, good working column shift - and they let your girl sit closer then those floor shifters!
There's nothing wrong with a three on the tree ,the only problem that everyone agrees on is they get sloppy after 100xxx + miles well I would classify that under any normal repair like brakes or a clutch stuff gets old after a while a 4 on the floor will get sloppy too ,the only negative really is no speed shifting but then agen in my car (47 Buick) it isn't going to go any faster with the shift its made to cruise , So my opinion buy it and enjoy it the older cars are disappearing at least you can say you had one
im trying to replace mine now do you have any picture of how you got the bushing out? I have removed the pin and washer but my bushing is in the part of the collumn and i dont know how to get it off
I love three on the tree as well. My 1950 3100 has one and it shifts like a dream. The thing I like most is that my son can sit in the middle and the shifter is not in his way. I also learned to drive on one. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Still running the 3 in the tree in my truck, sloppy but it works. Was locked up solid when I got it but that was just untold years of mung and petrified grease, a good cleaning was all it took to get it working, would change it for a narrow pattern full synchro but those seem to be pretty scarse around here
7 yrs later after my post on this thread, 2 cars on the tree and 2 a/t (the ones that are on the road). I taught myself to drive one on my '60 Elco in the early 90's and haven't been with out one since. Funny, I only learned to drive a manual trans a few years earlier on a tow truck. The Elco was my second car and my first manual trans.
Both, the 55 210 and the 40 Ford have a three- on - the-tree- shifter and I guess in my earlier days it would have been lame in my opinion--- now I think it´s pretty cool- a matter of getting old, I guess, haha
I've had several 3 on a tree, 3 with B W overdrive. LOVED THEM. Old & worn just made em faster to shift.
The Jalopy Journal
