I was going down memory lane this evening wondering when I last shifted on the column. That led me to wondering when the big three last made new vehicles with on the column manual shifting.

According to Autoweek, The big three stopped in the late eighties. No surprise, it was the truck market. 1985 for Dodge, 86 for Ford and 87 for GM.

I spent the summer of 85 driving a new Ford on the job. Basic truck with the 300cid and four on the column. 4th was overdrive. It had a kenwood cassette deck and A/C. I was young and dumb and making good money setting up mobile homes after delivery. This was in northern TX, we would level the unit, remove the axles and drill the strapping anchors.

My last memory is tuning up a car around 1997, for one of the old ladies at church. I think that was the last time I drove a manual column shift car. Some times at night, instead of counting sheep, I shift gears. Is there any hope for me?

How about you?

 

I have a 73 Econoline Club Wagon with a column shifted 3 speed standard. Good van, was my Dad's since new. Working on the carb now.

 

The last time I drove a manual shift on the column was yesterday in my 1962 Rambler. It's a manual 3 speed with overdrive. I'm old enough to remember when AMC called themselves one of the big four.

 

66 Ford van delivering patio furniture in High school

 

Last time I drove a manual on the column was back in the early '80s, drove a friend's late '70s Ford pickup w/ 3-on-the-tree. Every once in awhile the linkage would hang up and you'd have to pop the hood and un-bind it. I never understood why a floor-shifter was "optional" when it had to be cheaper to build without all the complicated linkages a column shift required.

 

First, and last, time I drove a column shift car was my Dad's new 290 cubic inch V8, 3 speed on the column Rambler Classic station wagon. He bought it new in 66 and I learned to drive in it in 68.I haven't driven one since.
I also took driving lessons from my older brother in his 64 Comet Cyclone K code 4 speed car. The wagon was actually pretty quick but I much preferred my brother's Cyclone.

 

Picked up a 63 2 door Impala about 10 years ago, 327 3 on the tree. I had forgotten how large they were on the inside with a bench seat.
Still it was fun to drive, floated down the road.

 

On Saturday, '41 Buick Special.

 

man good 20years at least 66 tempest 326 3 on the tree.loved beating that car.

 

A 57 Chevy Nomad wagon. I had it when my wife and I married. Sold it in 1968 for $650.

 

My van will do that. It tries for 1st and 3rd at the same time. It is fun with a 302 8 and 4.11 gears once it's in top gear, though.

 

Never drove one. I would like to try it sometime, though.

 

The only time was 60 years ago on a summer job at a golf course, I drove the 1948 Dodge pickup a few times to haul gear from one end of the course to the other. It was a beautiful old truck, even then. It was used only in the summer and never on roads.

 

My last memory was 1981 when I bought a 1954 Ford pickup.

 

My sister's '65 Beaumont convertible in 1977. 230 I-6 which was only running on 4. It was tricky because in addition to dealing with the no-synchro low 3-speed, you had to keep the revs over 1500 at all times to keep the oil pressure light from coming on.

 

yesterday I moved my 40 chevy business coupe around ... w a '59 235 and original trans w /3 on the tree ...
moody goin into 1st tho ... grease was cold .... its my first car got it in 74 ... put 30,000 on it in high school

the 57 sedan delivery is three on the tree w overdrive ... that overdrive is cool ... you can almost come to a stop in 3rd gear... ok 15 mph
without using the clutch its a weird feeling no compression slowing down feel ...crazee ..........lightly step on the gas and off you go ...
as long as its not up hill ...

Scott

Scott

 

In the mid '90s, I had a 1977 Chevy Suburban parts/dog hauler that was a three-in-the-tree. I bought it at a local swap meet. I had no idea you could get that in a Suburban. I've never seen another, before or since.

 

I had forgotten about the manual shifter in Dad's Rambler hanging up basically in the neutral position during the first to second shift. Scared me to death the first time it happened because I could just imagine he phone call home for help after "breaking" his car. It only happened when I attempted to "power shift" the car which, of course meant it was a rare occurence

 

Christmas, when I drove my mother-in-law's 1941 Ford Tudor around.

 

3 pickups back. On my 5th truck now. All sticks. Got real good at jumping out and unsticking the levers at the bottom of the columns.

 

Late 80's the nursery my family owns had 2. A 76 chevy pick-up and a 67 gmc 3/4 ton stake-body.

 

1981

 

 

I think my last time was about 1979 when I had a 74 Chevy pickup with a 350 an 3 on the tree.

 

Mid to late 90s. My old man had a 68 ElCamino, 307/3-speed and not much else. It also had the linkage bind problem, and when the trucklet was about 6 yrs old, it hung up on him in 3d gear. He ended up having to replace the steering column cause he broke the pin off the end of the shift lever that moved the shift linkage plates at bottom of the column. Even in 1974 GM didn't service the column internal stuff and that column came out of a 68 Chevelle wagon in SC. Saddle tan interior with a blue shift ****!

Mama learned to drive on a 51 Chevrolet and they had stick cars up thru 1966. She drove her Ninety Eight and got out of practice on sticks, and one day the old man told her to move the ElCamino. Mama sez "I can't drive gears." My dad looked at her and said, "you drove gears for 15 years and now you tell me you can't?" Mama smirked and said "No." She just didn't want to fool with it. And there I was 13 years old and dying to be allowed to move that truck!

Last stick I drove was a young bud's 69 Camaro, probably 2000. We had put a clutch in it and he wanted me to drive it and see if it felt right. Damn, bo- you're the one who drives this thing every day...

 

from the thread title Last time you shifted on the column manually

1983 manual shift 3 speed on the column GMC gypsy van.

2018 manually shifted my column shift auto matic...just cuz i can