[Vwdiesel] Early automatics

[Gerald Hughet]

Hello Bill, Hello Sandy,

 

It could be that some people in this group are indicating their ages by way of their early memories.  What do you think?

 

My parents, in 1951, bought a used 1949 Chrysler New Yorker that had a straight-8, flat-head engine and a fluid drive transmission.  The shift lever was mounted on the steering column and worked just like a Ford, Chevy or most everything else with a manual transmission except there was no manually shifting into the 'first' gear position.  On the downward part of the 'H' pattern there was only what would be 3rd gear position on a manual transmission.

 

Reverse gear was where it would be with a manual transmission.  Second gear position on a manual was the method used to 'lock' this fluid drive transmission into low gear.  Third gear position was the equalivent of Drive in an automatic transmission.  One only used the clutch for shifting into reverse or neutral for starting and leaving the car to warm-up on cold winter days.

 

That Chrysler was 'trouble free' until my older brother got his drivers license.  In a few months time my dad had to have the brakes overhauled, then the transmission and then the engine.  Outside of that, one member or another of the family got good use out of that car for twenty years or so.

 

One of my Aunts had a Hudson and with her passing that car went to a Cousin.  I expect its' sitting in some garage somewhere, possibly run once a month or so to keep it in good operating condition.

 

I finished reading a good book that I'd recommend for this group.  The title is "The Diesel Odyssey of Clessie Cummins" and was written by his son Lyle.  It's a good history of an American inventor, his contributions to the 'oil engine' industry, his interaction with notable figures of a bygone era, his triumphs and failures, promotions (of his oil engine), patents, separation from the Cummins manufacturing plant (the Bankers won), further inventions (what truckers now refer to as the 'Jake Brake'), development work on his barrell engine and his passing.

 

There was absolutely nothing I found in the Cummins book that specifically aided me in my knowledge of a VW Diesel but I did and do appreciate the history of one of the American giants.

 

I've read the emails about the 'find' of VW parts and I'll be trying to obtain a Jetta five speed transmission and an altitude compensating Injection Pump for my Quantum.  

 

I do enjoy the emails.  There are a lot of knowledgable mechanics in this group.

 

Gerry

Indianapolis

 

 

 

 


 
> Date: Sat, 20 Feb 2010 10:12:54 -0500
> To: vwdiesel at audifans.com
> From: scameron at storm.ca
> Subject: [Vwdiesel] Early automatics
> 
> Bill, as a pre-teen, I remember sitting in a late 30's Hudson (Terraplane?)
> which had a protrusion on the right side of the steering column, with a 4
> position switch, like a mini-gearshift, in an "H" pattern.
> 
> I don't remember if there was a clutch pedal.
> 
> It was obviously some kind of electric shift, and I remember trying to look
> at the transmission to see how it worked. Failed, as it was parked in the
> weeds for the duration of WW2 and not operating.
> 
> Sandy
> 
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