"Push gas to start" starters.

Which cars had the starters hooked to the accelerator pedal? I have an old delco remy push starter lying around my garage and I want to find out what's its for so I can put it in the right hands. No pictures as of right now but I can put some up tonight.

 

I think tri-5 Buicks had pedal start.

 

My 53 Buick Special had it, and a friends 51 special did also, both straight 8's...Alan

 

The Buicks had it, but it wasn't a button on the floor--it was a switch built into the base of the carb. Matt the gas pedal, and the linkage opens up the butterflies, and the vacuum switch engages the starter. I'm not real clear on the internals of the switch itself, but it isn't a floor button.

-Brad

 

My '56 Buick Special had one. Small check ball in a vacuum channel in the carb base would relax and make contact, allowing the starter to operate. When car started, vacuum would suck the ball away and disengage starter. They work great when not gummed up.

 

'38 Buicks had them, usually led to a flooded engine.

 

My 37 Buick also had one.

 

My 56 Buick Special had a key start switch mounted under the dash by the previous owner. I did not know about the "push to start" feature that originally came on the car. I found out about this unique starting arrangement when working under the dash my shoulder pressed the acelerator pedal and the car started! Nearly put my head thru the dash...

 

So these were buick components only? How do I find out what year it was from? Trying to support my 56 fees.

 

'39 Chevy cars had 'em. Don't know about the trucks.

 

I think some of the mid 40's chev cars/trucks also....

 

53 Packards.

 

Buick still had them for sure in '59. I think '60 did as well. This might have been the last year?

 

1933 Chevrolet Masters had the Starterator.
It connected to the manifold vacuum.

 

Our 48 and 53 Packards had them.it is a switch that screws into the carb.We have a car that the switch was broke and someone put a push button switch on it under the dash.

 

does it have a part number on it?

 

Seems like my roommates from the old days '57 GMC pickup had one.

 

Not hooked to the accelerator pedal (or as we older Southern guys would say "foot feed"), but 6 cylinder CHevy/GMC trucks up through '59 had a foot operated starter switch beside the foot feed. You put your foot halfway on the foot feed and halfway on the starter pedal to start it. The V8 Chevy and GMC trucks had the starter switch integral with the ignition switch. Fords had a foot operated starter switch up through '36, went to a starter button on dash in '37. For what it's worth here in the south, we don't push, press, or depress pedals, we mash them. I remember as a kid, my father teaching me to drive, saying, "Son, mash your foot feed a little or we ain't gonna make it up this hill."

 

If the starter has a mechanical linkage that engages the drive gear and then pushes a switch to run the starter motor, it's probably a early 40's-mid-50's Chevy inline 6-cylinder truck starter. (216/235/261) It should attach to the bellhousing with two 1/2" diameter bolts.
Jerry

 

You're right. His was a 6 and I seem to remember the starter button being off to the side. It was the first vehicle I ever saw like that.

 

worked on a 37 buick that had it.

dads 40 chevy had a foot operated button.. but was sepearate from the throttle..

I thought that the 39 chevy had the same thing

are you sure what you have isnt a chevy part??

 

I am not sure, thats why I posted. I forgot to grab it out. Tomorrow morning I will get the pictures.

 

pre-war Dodges had a foot actuated starter. Small "pedal" located above the foot feed. With practice, you could use your heal on the foot feed and the ball of your foot on the starter pedal. kinda cool

 

I almost bought a 60 buick that you had to mash the gas to engage the starter, at age 16 it was the strangest thing i had ever seen!

 

i still love the old stomp starters, like in my 46 internationl , still works, gotta realy stomp that sucker to get it down to conect the contacts inside of it, makes it hard to steal, lol . turn the key, pull the choke , pump the peddle , push in the clutch and stomp the starter, hahahahahah, i'd love to see onve of those car jacking thugs
jack my ride! hahahaha.

 

I think you're right, I had a couple of early 50's Chevy trucks. One a pickup, one a panel, (wish I still had them, especially the panel)...Anyway, both had foot starters that not only cranked the starter it also engaged the Bendix (that's what we called them then).

 

This is off thread topic but the foot starter reminded me of my 56 Studebaker with a hill holder clutch. when you "mash" in the clutch, then "mash" on the brake it would hold the brakes untill you released the clutch....it was outstanding on up hill starts.