SIGforum
It's 1951, You need to learn how to drive a automatic transmission.

This topic can be found at:
https://sigforum.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/720601935/m/9390028125

August 17, 2026, 01:31 PM
rizzle
It's 1951, You need to learn how to drive a automatic transmission.
Seems I always learn something on these old clips.
I never knew, or completely forgot, that you could push start a PowerGlide.
About 10 minutes long.


August 18, 2026, 01:11 PM
egregore
quote:
I never knew, or completely forgot, that you could push start a PowerGlide.
That was before either of our times. Big Grin (I'm old enough to remember the aluminum-cased Powerglides.) However, this and some others of the period had a drive (propeller) shaft-activated rear pump.
August 18, 2026, 02:47 PM
rizzle
It's been somewhat warm outside here, been on a old video binge lately.
Kinda makes me want one of these old rides, but with the garbage fuel now it would have to be converted to fuel infection Smile.

Would be a lot of work to convert the 6 volt to 12V then add the fuel system. Would not want to go with modern engine swap. keep it simple. Still prolly cheaper than a new car. But anyway, if I post an antique vid once in a while hopefully you'll forgive me Smile.
August 18, 2026, 04:26 PM
egregore
An actual Park position in automatics didn't appear until some time in the early '60s, relying on the parking brake only. And a number of them had the shift pattern in different places. The "prindle" (P-R-N-D-L) shift quadrant was not standardized until c. the mid-'60s.

I've had exposure to antique and vintage cars most of my life, as, A, I worked on cars for 40 years so I got to see a lot of 1960s and even a few '50s cars, and B, my brother had a number of them that he restored.
August 18, 2026, 04:43 PM
rizzle
My dad restored old cars, I blame him for my career in turning wrenches. I'm a life member in both model T Ford clubs. Sold my '12 Torpedo few years ago, T's are not practical to drive nowadays, none of the old stuff is, too slow to keep up with traffic.
Been around old stuff like a 1910 Sears, '14 Maxwell, '23 Chevy, 09 Packard model 18.

Link to a picture of it:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/354966119751


All that stuff is gone and sold off now, good memories though.

Getting an itch for the somewhat newer/older rides now, 1950's stuff.
August 18, 2026, 05:28 PM
1860ARMY
quote:
An actual Park position in automatics didn't appear until some time in the early '60s,


My automatic 54 Belair had a park position that worked like any other automatic I've driven.

60
August 18, 2026, 06:08 PM
sigmonkey
Yep.
Buick Dynaflow introduced the "Park" feature in '48.




"the meaning of life, is to give life meaning" Ani Yehudi אני יהודי Le'olam lo shuv לעולם לא עוד
August 18, 2026, 06:40 PM
egregore
OK. There were still other "park-less" automatics.

Come to think of it, the family car c. 1970 was a 1957 Plymouth Savoy, and a beat-up one at that. (When my father drove me to school in it, I scrunched as far down in the rear seat as I could and hoped nobody noticed.) I recall it having push buttons on the dash and possibly a slider lever or switch to put it in Park. I believe these would have operated push/pull cables, not electric.