3 on the tree

[spasm3]

Usually first was toward you and down. Second was up and away and third was away and down. Reverse was toward you and up.

On the 50,s cars I drove, you had to be completely stopped to downshift back into first from second gear.

On some of the early 70's ford and Chevy trucks, the linkage would wear and you could get stuck in reverse. You would then have to set the parking brake, turn off the engine and work the linkage from under the hood.

 

[FT92]

i learned to drive with 3 on the tree...made things even more interesting

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

Driving a three speed isn't exactly rocket science.

 

[bullwinkle]

Originally Posted by spasm3
Usually first was toward you and down. Second was up and away and third was away and down. Reverse was toward you and up.

On the 50,s cars I drove, you had to be completely stopped to downshift back into first from second gear.

On some of the early 70's ford and Chevy trucks, the linkage would wear and you could get stuck in reverse. You would then have to set the parking brake, turn off the engine and work the linkage from under the hood.

Late '70s Ford pickups too, I always carried a long, big screwdriver to unstick the 3 on the tree on my '78 F100. Pretty sure 1st was unsyncronized on that one too. They aren't hard to drive, just imagine the floor shift plane turned sideways on the column, but you would never win a drag race with one!

 

[Malo83]

Learned how to drive a 3 on the tree when I was 13, dad had an old 57 ford with a 6cyl that smoked like crazy, had to take it off the road. I would drive it around the surrounding farm land dirt roads, had a blast making a lot of dust and spinning donuts. Got really good shifting and driving that car, but all good things come to an end, dad sold the 57 to a guy who was looking for a car to race on the local dirt track.

 

[thastinger]

Originally Posted by FT92
i learned to drive with 3 on the tree...made things even more interesting


Me too, F100 Ranger. That clutch was stiff but I didn't know anything different so it didn't bother me

 

[TMoto]

Haha, nice Chris!!

In the early 80's and still in high school, I was asked to drive my girlfriend's father's Chevy van with a column shift. Don't remember if it was a 3-speed or 4-speed or why, but they knew I could drive a manual so they asked me. I was a bit confused at first not understanding how it worked, but once they explained the pattern, it made sense and was easy. Still with the same GF, married for 33+ years.

 

[user52165]

At the expense of dating myself.....................

One of my first summer jobs was at a car wash, the old kind where cars were pulled with a chain attached to an underground system kinda like the SF cable cars.

At the end an employee would drive it outside to be hand dried and ALL the windows done inside and out.

Eventually I worked my up to that sought after job so I drove every imaginable car.

#1 rule was to get it outta there because another car was behind it.

#2 rule was If it wouldn't start, push it out.

#3 rule was know how to handle anything because at least one third were stick shift.

A good experience. I could tell you about the amazing variety of cars, many no longer made, but that will have to wait.

A small sample: Model T, hearses with casket, small fire engines.

 

[kstanf150]

Originally Posted by CT8
One of my most favorite vehicles I owned was a 1979 Ford F150 with a 300ci 6 cyl and a 3 on the tree. Te pick up was a chick magnet.

Yep
I owned a 1978 F-100 300cid / 3 on the tree
Logged 250K trouble free miles and your right it was a chick magnet!!!!
First girl I took out For a date in that truck, I married her !!!
40 years later
Still married !!!!!🤣ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘

 

[caprice_2nv]

I learned to drive 3 on the tree in a 78 f100 extended cab my friend saved from cash for clunkers at the Ford dealer we worked at. It was almost mint, he cleaned it up and sold it over 10 years ago and I ran into it 4 years ago in a town nearby with a load of wood in the back. A couple weeks ago I ran into it at a local car wash. Talked to the new owner, unfortunately the original 300 inline 6 started burning oil like crazy, so he put a used engine in for cheap. Running good now.

The body still looks great. Too bad about the engine, but I guess sometimes you don't get lucky.

 

[Zaedock]

My Bronco has a 302 / 3 on the tree. Shifts p!ssah.

No desire to change to the floor like some early Bronco owners. I like shifting the column.

 

[Saabist]

I've owned 1960s vehicles with three-on-the-tree. Very easy to drive as long as the linkage is in good shape. As has been mentioned you barely have to take your hand off the steering wheel to shift. Some imported cars back then had four-on-the-tree.

 

[BlueOvalFitter]

When I turned 15 I had to drive my sisters 72 Maverick, 3 on the tree, to take my driving test for my license. Piece of cake.

 

[A_Spruce]

I grew up driving old farm equipment, 40+ years old equipment, so I learned to drive a stick VERY early on. As soon as I was big enough to reach the pedals I was running equipment. Moving on to road worthy vehicles was not much of a leap. My father had a '78 GMC base model truck with a column shift, other than being on the column, the shift pattern was the same as anything else I'd ever driven.

So, while other manufacturers may have a different pattern, it doesn't take but about 2 or 3 gear changes to figure out where you need to be to make the darned thing start moving in the direction you want it to.

 

[Uphill_Both_Ways]

Originally Posted by bullwinkle
They aren't hard to drive, just imagine the floor shift plane turned sideways on the column, but you would never win a drag race with one!

As recounted elsewhere, I had a 1956 Austin Westminster — until it was totalled by gravel truck — with four on the column. An identical Austin pulled up beside me, both on the line at a red light, and we drag-raced on the green.

I shifted into second and the other guy shifted into reverse. I won at the incredible speed of a fully floored 10 or 15 mph.

Good times.

 

[NDL]

Originally Posted by PimTac
Originally Posted by Chris142
Originally Posted by PimTac
So nobody could drive a stick shift?

Not a 3 on the tree. A 5 speed sure. This was when 3 on the tree were still fairly common. Before I worked there they had to refuse those cars.




I'm shaking my head on this. The difference between the two is that one is on the floor and the other is on the steering column.

It's like saying I can't drive a automatic column shift because all the vehicles I've driven had a console shifter.

For the record, I learned to shift with a 3 on the tree.


Me too; wasn't the shift pattern posted somewhere? A decal or something?

 

[blingo]

Our 5 on a column when aged would have called for some resharpening and have left foreigners uncomfortable, but basically still could be interiorized in a moment.
(While just switchin between cars with different number of gears can make me shift into Rallye where a sixth could have been. But six or more on the floor are bad anyway, even when they are there.)

 

[demarpaint]

I owned a few vehicles with it. One of which was a 74 Suburban with a 250 I-6. It was a good truck. The linkage bushings were shot, so I converted it to a 3 speed on the floor. Hurst made a conversion kit for it. It had a long throw, but the conversion worked well.

 

[I_4]

I learned to drive in my mother's 1964 Chevrolet Biscayne with a three on the tree, 250 six. She kept a large screwdriver under the front seat, to unjam the linkage once in a while. She would jump out, pop the hood, and unjam the linkage in a couple of seconds. My father had a 1963 Mercury Comet, with a 4 on the floor, little tee handle to select reverse. That car had a 260 v8, dual glass packs, a tach mounted to the steering column, and triple gauges mounted to the bottom of the dash. And it was red with black interior. With red wall tires. My older brother signed it over to the state of Nebraska, after the rear axel shaft left the vehicle on the interstate 80 west of North Platte summer of 1972. I thought the 4 on the floor was a huge improvement over the worn bushing three on the tree Chevy at the time. Fond memories of that Comet.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Originally Posted by I_4
.... I thought the 4 on the floor was a huge improvement over the worn bushing three on the tree Chevy at the time. Fond memories of that Comet.


Funny, I have Been Looking at one for sale upgraded to a hot 289 with AFR heads.

I'm not a ford guy and I don't like this chassis - but still a sweet car.