One thing? Not exactly. Instead, it goes something like this: 1. Ok, get in the car through the passenger door. The driver’s door is essentially cosmetic. 2. No, the steering wheel is not removable. Suck in your gut and slide over. 3. Turn the key to on. 4. Hear that sound? That’s the electric fuel pump. The reason you can hear it because the car is not running. When you hear this sound, it means you should start the car or turn off the pump. For now, turn the key to off while we go though some things. 5. The choke is way over there in front of the passenger. Don’t touch it. 6. You must make sure the car is in neutral before you press the starter. 7. That button is the starter. 8. You must make sure the car is in neutral before you press the starter. Yes, I know I’m repeating myself. 9. This is an early Ford transmission. What you think is first gear is actually reverse. What you think is second is actually first. Second is where you expect third, and third is where you expect reverse. Now, before starting the car, row it through the gears and call each out as you do it. 10. Do that again. 11. Do that one more time. 12. You’re not driving this car until you repeatedly show me you can do this. Try again. 13. And again. 14. OK, we’re done. Get out of the car. This may explain why other than me, the only people who have driven my car are my brother and @Hitchhiker ...
Depress the pedal to the floor, TWICE, no more no less. Crank the engine and it WILL start. Either no one presses the pedal all the way to the floor, or furious pumping occurs when the engine doesn't start after half a crank and is now flooded. If you can't follow simple startup instructions, no way in hell are you driving it.
When my 48 had the Camaro subframe and automatic in it it was "be careful of the brakes" A buddy ran to the parts house in it from work one day to get a part for his truck we were working on in the school shop and came back saying "I see what you mean by the brakes". It took a very gentle touch or you had better hope your seat belt was real tight. I'm not sure if he nailed it on the way to town or not, but it just hooked up and took off straight in those days. My wife drove my 51 Merc to work every day for a couple of years as it was our family car at the time but my dad never wanted to drive it because a couple of the gauges didn't work.
Gene...that's 6 things and including the truck it's 9...... ...just kidding...The 'One' thing was overwritten in many of the posts truly there is a lot to know...
That little black knob-pull thing is the choke. You have to pull it when the engine’s cold - then push it back in. See that stick thing coming out of the floor? You use it to shift your own gears. Oh yea, you also have to push the extra pedal over there on the left when you shift the gears………..Maybe I should drive.
I just think of all those little quirks as a theft deterrent. Used to have an old BSA that had such a complicated starting ritual that even I couldn't start it if I'd been drinking.
The 727 Torque Flight is a manual shift, it is not fully automatic, you must start in first or second and shift to third. Oh.........and the brakes are not like the ones on your modern ride, even though they are disk. BTW autoworx1, I think this is one of the better questions ever asked on this site.
Hello, When I got knocked out for 10 minutes in a varsity football game against Compton H.S. in my senior year, I was “in and out” sitting on the bench, trying to see who was who. The cheerleaders kept coming over to give me some water and put a wet towel on my neck. The coaches were worried, but tried to cheer me up by telling me I knocked down two guys and tackled the tailback in the backfield. Before the tailback's knee came up and knocked me in the helmet. The whole bench saw and heard the collision. I was out. I had stopped the last 4th down play that would have given the opposing team a foothold to the end zone 5 yards away. Someone on the other team missed an assignment. I was able to cross over from a linebacker's position and get right into the backfield for the game clinching tackle and obvious knockdown as a result. But, on the bench, because I was groggy, I waited to board the bus for home. On the way, I was helped by the younger teen that was my backup position player at tight end and outside linebacker. He took care of me and made sure I was not sleeping. My eyes were open, but I was drifting in and out, as any knock on the head would do to anyone. I was groggy after the school bus came back to the locker room in Long Beach. So, my friend offered to take me to the hospital at the coach’s insistence. But, my friend did not have a car, but had a driver’s license. So, I told him that we could go in my 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery, if he knew how to drive a stick shift transmission. He had a smile from side to side at the thought of driving the sedan delivery. After the next two hours of hospital tests and x-rays, I was declared ok to go home, but not drive. So, I told my friend that he could take me home and have my sedan delivery to get back to his house in Bixby Knolls. He was delighted at the thought and put that notion to the idea that I was knocked silly in the football game. My parting words to him on that late Friday night were: “Have fun and come and pick me up on Monday morning for school…” It was the ONE THING I told him, as he drove off in my Flathead powered, 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery. What did he do for two days and nights of the weekend? Who knows? I did not care, since I was in “Dreamsville,” as I slept off and on for the whole weekend. Have fun... Boy, did I ever have some fun that night... conscious/unconscious effect with dizziness and blurred vision... all without any extra additives or drinks. Ha.. What a crazy world to see through unfocused eyes... YRMV
The only thing I have to tell someone is, "Don't drive my car!" Can't say I've ever let anyone drive my hotrods.
Do you know how to use hand signals ? Hit 3rd then back into first from a stop or you'll grind the gears. That little prism on the dash, that's for seeing the traffic signal when the visor is on. Seat belts, none of those either. Pump the brakes up before you get right up on your stop, it's a single pot master, you want to make sure you have good pressure before it's to late. The rpms are through the roof at anything over 45, don't worry about that it's been that way for 60 years and still going. Have fun !