REQ: Overdrive Info for early '50s Straight Eights...

Posted by Allargando DiFortissimo On 2009/3/14 22:09:13

Howdy all,

My first post, so be gentle with me.

I'm currently looking at buying an early 50's Packard straight-8 3-speed manual car. There are a few to choose from and all are rough with weeds and/or briars grown up all 'round them.

Anyway, the question is this:

How do I tell whether one of these cars has the Borg-Warner overdrive option? I've been a mechanic in years past, so I know enough to climb under the car and check... only I'm not going to be able to do this because of undergrowth. I'm going to have to check a few cars from within the interior and discern whether they are O/D equipped.

If I have to, I would be willing to buy two cars if that's what it takes to get a decent body + an O/D unit.

In other words: Where was (is) the overdrive "button" located on an early 50's column-shift 3-speed car?

And while I'm being a bother, did these cars have a synchronized 1st gear? For several decades, it was fairly common (among cheaper cars) to leave the syncro off 1st gear to (ostensibly) save money. Since a Packard wasn't a "save money" type of car, I was wondering if perhaps it had a 1st gear synchro back in the early 50's.

If I can get the car, I reckon I'll find out soon enough!

Thanks,

Allargando DiFortissimo Jones (or simply, "jrc")