[AMC-List] Another Re; E Stick, now Drivers

["John Elle" <johnelle@xxxxxxxxx>]

The Dodge fluid drive was as described, the Desoto version was a
semi-automatic. It seemed to be reliable as I remember just clunky. You
used a clutch to put it in gear from a stop OR it only had two forward
directions available on the column shift. Low which was the 2nd gear
position or second and high which was in the 3rd gear position and if
you needed to shift from low to high you had to use the clutch. But if
you drove it in high all of the time you just needed to clutch to put it
there. Once moving which was a simple as stepping on the gas to shift
from 2nd to 3rd you simply let up off the gas pedal and it would shift
automatically. It would also down shift using a passing gear type of set
up or automatically shift back to 2nd when you came to a stop. I really
had no problems with the transmission on the one I had nor do I remember
it being problematic. It was not a performance set up though. 
Also as far as I can remember, most over drives were free wheeling above
a certain miles per hour, thus you could shift the manual transmission
by simply letting off the gas from 2nd to 3rd and back as the over
drives (I remember anyway) worked in 2nd and 3rd. 
Another variation was the complete non-synchromesh or commonly known as
the Crash Box. To shift that set up on the move you had to become
proficient at a skillful 2 step dance of operating the clutch in double
clutch mode for down shifts and matching engine and road speed for up
shifts in order to shift anything at all to get it into gear with out
grinding or crashing the gears. Thus the knick name crash box. But once
mastered well you could shift with out the clutch at all once moving. I
drove one of those for many years. 
As far as automatics go, there were a number of automatics and
semi-automatics from the late 30's on. Gm as mentioned with the
Hydramatic and Buick's Dynaflow  were all late 30's I believe. Ford even
marketed one in 1940 or 41 but all sold cars were recalled and the 3
speed re-installed. Chrysler and other independents (Such as Hudson) did
the semi-automatic route and as mentioned over drives could be driven in
a semi automatic mode. 
Not sure when the infamous B/W automatic was first seen, probably the
early 50's as used by a variety of people and a number of pre-selector
transmissions were around as a semi automatic dating from the early 30's
such as the one used by Cord and I am sure others. 
John Mahoney's Packards from the so-called modern era is or was as I
understand it the only independent to develop there own fully automatic
transmission in the 50's and was used by Nash and Hudson on the Packard
derived V-8's I believe but it was a 2 speed automatic with a lock up
torque converter used as a 3 speed automatic and some what problematic
at best I believe. 
All of these were efforts to eliminate shifting. An exercise relating to
be an uncouth  chore (which lead to the first Corvette being a 2 speed
powerglide) which was also the reason why most if not all of the early 3
speed manuals had a non-synchromesh low. Who in their right mind would
want to shift to low on the fly? And it was also cheaper. Performance
oriented 4 speeds were really late in their introduction here in the
land of expressways and 5 and 6 speed manuals almost non-existent. 
Now I see ads for 8 speed automatics! What a change and a far cry from
Buick 1 speed Dynaflow , the original and only slush-o-matic.
Now there is a big push to get the snowmobile variable speed automatics
out in the market. So far not overly successful. Audi, Saturn and others
in the last couple of years (now no longer offered). The Dutch Daf in
the 60's or so and one of the offerings in the Daimler Chrysler line up
in the last couple of years. 
What next? A hole in the floor for a flintstone version of mystery
drive? 
Have fun. 
John
PS  A number of those would be pure dangerous to place in the hands of
the un-initiated in a drive it your self format.
 
 
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