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

Posted by Rusty O\'Toole On 2009/3/16 17:09:22

Up until 1962 all American cars had non synchro first gear. This was not a big deal because the engines had so much torque you never needed to gear down that low.

Ford had the first all synchro 3 speed.

With a Packard straight eight you can skip first gear entirely most of the time. A lot of lazy drivers used to start off in second, short shift to 3d and leave it there for the rest of the day. A Packard in good condition will pull away in 3d from a slow walk all the way up to 90 - 100 MPH without a sound.

Didn't Packard have a model with a big red clutch pedal called "Electro Motive Drive?"