Remember "Three on the Tree"??????

[FIRE UP]

Well,
Watching an episode of "Fantom Works" while eating lunch today, they were restoring an old Studebaker with a flat head 6 in it. They did about 3/4 of the restore of the car, got the engine running and, the owner showed up. They talked for a few minutes, started up that old flat head and, the owner had a grin ear to ear. So, they went out for a test drive, with half the car not there. (hood off, one fender, all the gauges and more).

But, the camera was in the car, facing the driver from the right rear. It showed him shifting the car from SECOND to THIRD, ON THE COLUMN!!!

YEAHHHHHHHH! Man, do I remember those! I was weened on those "Three on the tree cars and trucks".

I was wondering a couple of things here.

1st, who of you in this RV forum remember them?
2nd, at what age cut off of the present day, would you say that, if you placed a person of a certain age into a car that had that three-on-the-tree shifting, would NOT HAVE A CLUE as to how it worked or, how to make the car move? That would be funny to watch. If I had to guess, I'd maybe say that, an average person of oh, around 50-55 years of age, right now in Jan of 2017, WOULD NOT HAVE A CLUE, as to how to make a car/pickup truck motor down the road. What do you all think?
Scott
Scott

[dennis45]

I'll go ya one better. The first car I drove had "Three on the Floor". Do you know what that car is? Not saying my age of course.....

[t55watson]

Originally Posted by FIRE UP

Well,
Watching an episode of "Fantom Works" while eating lunch today, they were restoring an old Studebaker with a flat head 6 in it. They did about 3/4 of the restore of the car, got the engine running and, the owner showed up. They talked for a few minutes, started up that old flat head and, the owner had a grin ear to ear. So, they went out for a test drive, with half the car not there. (hood off, one fender, all the gauges and more).

But, the camera was in the car, facing the driver from the right rear. It showed him shifting the car from SECOND to THIRD, ON THE COLUMN!!!

YEAHHHHHHHH! Man, do I remember those! I was weened on those "Three on the tree cars and trucks".

I was wondering a couple of things here.

1st, who of you in this RV forum remember them?
2nd, at what age cut off of the present day, would you say that, if you placed a person of a certain age into a car that had that three-on-the-tree shifting, would NOT HAVE A CLUE as to how it worked or, how to make the car move? That would be funny to watch. If I had to guess, I'd maybe say that, an average person of oh, around 50-55 years of age, right now in Jan of 2017, WOULD NOT HAVE A CLUE, as to how to make a car/pickup truck motor down the road. What do you all think?
Scott
Scott

Most in that age group may not, but I have 2 sons in that group who could. They rode a lot in Dad's old jeep pill peddler (2 wheel drive) and both have owned, or do own, motorcycles.

[Melvo]

I'm old enough to remember when most cars were three on the floor, three on the tree was a new thing along with hydraulic brakes. My dad had a model A ford that had to be cranked to start it. My first car was a 36 Plymouth. Most folks now days can't even drive a car unless it's and automatic and has A/C.

[powderman]

Most young people today don't even know what a clutch is. They say in one more generation they won't even be issuing drivers licenses as autonomous vehicles will do all the driving. And it is coming quickly. Watch the auto show at 6pm est I believe on CBS to see the latest

[ME for Maine]

Originally Posted by dennis45

I'll go ya one better. The first car I drove had "Three on the Floor". Do you know what that car is? Not saying my age of course.....

well, GM's last car with the shifter on the floor was 1938, not sure about the other makes. My first car was a '38 Buick Special straight 8 (although it was older than me by almost double).

[t55watson]

Originally Posted by ME for Maine

well, GM's last car with the shifter on the floor was 1938, not sure about the other makes. My first car was a '38 Buick Special straight 8 (although it was older than me by almost double).

Not sure if you ever have been in a Corvette stick shift? Maybe you don't count the center console as on the floor. Just sayin'

[Woodchopper]

Originally Posted by FIRE UP

Well,
Watching an episode of "Fantom Works" while eating lunch today, they were restoring an old Studebaker with a flat head 6 in it. They did about 3/4 of the restore of the car, got the engine running and, the owner showed up. They talked for a few minutes, started up that old flat head and, the owner had a grin ear to ear. So, they went out for a test drive, with half the car not there. (hood off, one fender, all the gauges and more).

But, the camera was in the car, facing the driver from the right rear. It showed him shifting the car from SECOND to THIRD, ON THE COLUMN!!!

YEAHHHHHHHH! Man, do I remember those! I was weened on those "Three on the tree cars and trucks".

I was wondering a couple of things here.

1st, who of you in this RV forum remember them?
2nd, at what age cut off of the present day, would you say that, if you placed a person of a certain age into a car that had that three-on-the-tree shifting, would NOT HAVE A CLUE as to how it worked or, how to make the car move? That would be funny to watch. If I had to guess, I'd maybe say that, an average person of oh, around 50-55 years of age, right now in Jan of 2017, WOULD NOT HAVE A CLUE, as to how to make a car/pickup truck motor down the road. What do you all think?
Scott

Scott
Most teenagers today, (and a lot of 20 somethings), can't figure out how to place a phone call on a dial telephone.....but some of us old folks, who can drive a column shift car, cant work a smart phone.

[jrwitt]

Originally Posted by FIRE UP

Well,
Watching an episode of "Fantom Works" while eating lunch today, they were restoring an old Studebaker with a flat head 6 in it. They did about 3/4 of the restore of the car, got the engine running and, the owner showed up. They talked for a few minutes, started up that old flat head and, the owner had a grin ear to ear. So, they went out for a test drive, with half the car not there. (hood off, one fender, all the gauges and more).

But, the camera was in the car, facing the driver from the right rear. It showed him shifting the car from SECOND to THIRD, ON THE COLUMN!!!

YEAHHHHHHHH! Man, do I remember those! I was weened on those "Three on the tree cars and trucks".

I was wondering a couple of things here.

1st, who of you in this RV forum remember them?
2nd, at what age cut off of the present day, would you say that, if you placed a person of a certain age into a car that had that three-on-the-tree shifting, would NOT HAVE A CLUE as to how it worked or, how to make the car move? That would be funny to watch. If I had to guess, I'd maybe say that, an average person of oh, around 50-55 years of age, right now in Jan of 2017, WOULD NOT HAVE A CLUE, as to how to make a car/pickup truck motor down the road. What do you all think?
Scott
Scott

In November of 1966, I bought 1967 Camaro with column shift (3 on the tree). That is the newest vehicles i can remember that was equipped with one.

As a side note, one of the cars i learned to drive on was a 1950 Buick with an automatic. Transmission was so inefficient that you stepped on the gas and about 2 secs later the car started moving. And the Buick was about the size of a battleship.

[parkerbill]

I remember it well.

[FIRE UP]

Well yeah,
Since I wasn't around back then, I'd say ALL of the cars sort of started out with a gear shift on the floor. But, in the thought of "Advancement", they migrated that shifting to the column. I can't say when but, I'm maybe suspecting 40s...ish???? I think the actual earliest car I've ever drove was maybe a '55 Chevy with a "265" small block and a three speed on the column. Member those 265s?

I really can't say when things started reverting the shifting BACK to the floor. Maybe different manufacturers did it in different years. The first Corvette was when, maybe '53? Did it have a floor shift? Anyway, the three speed on the column was definitely a gas to drive. And not only that but, if I had to guess, I'd say that many of the manual transmissions that were shifted by cars with that column shifter, were NON SYNCRO, CORRECT?
Scott

[Jim_HiTek]

My first car was a Chev 'Fluidmatic' tranni with 2 on the tree. Use the clutch to shift it into 1st, get up to speed use the clutch and shift into 2nd, then just shift into 3rd, no clutch needed.

It sucked when the GF and I got stuck in a swale that rain had filled with water up in the Blue Mountains. Trying to rock it forward and backward with that mushy tranni wasn't fun.

Also, I'm really happy stick shifts are going away. 85% of humans that own them end up delaying us with ATs as they zone out and the light changes. They're never ready.

[96 Wideglide]

Learned to drive on an old 3 on the tree Mercedes ! They were nearly extinct at that point.

[CampingCajun]

Yep I remember them. In high school a friend had an old Volvo that had 4 on the tree. My dad had a couple of Plymouths with push button selectors for P, R, N, D.