My friend's 2003 Honda CR-V auto has one. It's cool. I like it. :-)
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As the gastropod says, the complex linkage of a column shift made changes slower and when worn, a bit iffy. Obviously too a lever straight into the box would work out cheaper to manufacture as well as longer-lasting.
The Tatra 603 had a column shift. The linkage went down the column then doubled back under the car to the gearbox at the back. 'Only a Czech could have thought it up,' a Czech friend said to me gloomily.
What I really don't understand is why auto changes weren't left on the steering column, since they are in effect just switches. Seems to me perverse and stupid to have an entirely unnecessary rugged T-bar or lever taking up space on the floor. With the gear indicator down there too instead of in front of the driver's eyes. Pure damn idiocy.
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When I was about 5 or 6 (mid-1970s) I'm pretty sure one of my schoolmates' dad's car had a dashboard mounted autobox lever to the right of the wheel.
A Wolsley 6 cylinder maybe ?
EDIT: one of these I'm sure - www.aronline.co.uk/images/1800_08.jpg
O-series engine, like a 1500 Maxi with 2 extra cylinders I seem to recall.
Edited by Lygonos on 29/10/2009 at 14:13
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The 6 cylinder Wolseley used the 1800 (Landcrab) body I think, so a bit larger than a Maxi.
In the 1960's I had 3-speed column change Ford Consuls and Zodiacs which had reasonably good changes, but when I got a Mk 111 Zephyr with 4-speed column change the linkages had to be in top-class condition or changes became tricky ( lots of nylon bushed joints from lever to gearbox) The same setups applied on the forward control Thames 15cwt vans of that period.
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I drove a Bedford CA van in the late 1960s with a column gear change, also a Renault 4 with a dash mounted gear change. The high dash mounted changes are nothing new.
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I had an Mk III Zodiac which had a floor change - a £12 extra compared with a column change. I also had an Austin 2200 (A Land Crab) that was anu auto and the lever moved up and down in a gate, came straight out of the middle of the dashboard
Edited by Armitage Shanks {p} on 29/10/2009 at 14:32
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>>With the demise of the column change went the ...... handbrake next to driver's door.
Austin A30/35 had the handbrake 'twixt driver's seat and door, A40 too IIRC.
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Correct me if iam wrong backroomers did the dodge american car have a button gearchange? I remember getting a lift in one years ago it was posh belonged to the director of our office.
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Yes Dutchie, Chrysler Corporation cars had pushbutton gear selection in the sixties. My 1964 Plymouth did. The buttons were big and a bit stiff to push. I used my thumb on them. The transmission lock ('Park') was a lever in a vertical slot next to the buttons though.
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>>I had an Mk III Zodiac which had a floor change
Interesting, I didn't know that option existed. Presumably it had 'normal' front seats instead of the bench? My dad had a '63 MkIII Zodiac with the column change, which was 4-speed. I learnt to drive on that car, and I don't remember the change being too bad.
The car had seat belts, but only for the driver and one front passenger, as far as I remember. As time went on, this must have been a no-no.
Edited by dieselfitter on 29/10/2009 at 15:09
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>>also a Renault 4 with a dash mounted gear change.
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IIRC the R4 had a very simple linkage to the gear box. A rod over the engine top to a gearbox at the front of the engine. so not a lot of difference between that and the "remote" linkage on my 1600E that moved the gearleaver closer to the driver.
IIRC several decades ago, in the USA, the limo I was in had a series of little buttons on the dash to change gear. What a contrast with the only column change I have used - a Victor 101. That felt like stiring custard with a stick - orrible.
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Thanks lud i must admit it was a nice car chrysler they must have been ahead of their time.
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The system was very sloppy and, as was said at the time, it needed to have a knot tied in it to tauten it up.
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That R4 push/pull/twist change, cribbed from the 2CV Citroen and its derivatives, worked extremely well and was, as you say, very simple. The rubber bushes in the link between the lever and the actual gear lever that went down into the gearbox under the bonnet used to get chewed up in the end, but replacement was a doddle. I'm surprised no one else ever adopted it actually.
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Our family had a Morris Isis Estate in the 60s, which was great fun for us kids, as it had little fold down read seats from which you could pretend to be a bomber tail gunner. It also had a front bench seat.
This had a steering column gear change, which my father described as like trying to change gear with a piece of string.
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Yes! I thought there would be quite a few replies to this thread ... I quite liked my cream Zephyr 4 mrk III with bench seat, column change & Leopard skin seat covers!
My mate used to call it the Caribbean cruiser :-)
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I'm surprised no one else ever adopted it actually.
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Probably because not many cars had their gearbox in front of the engine.
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Some Mercs and BMWs have gone back to a column shift on autos.
Makes it much easier to change from D to R and back when manoeuvring.
HJ
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My Jowett has a column change, superb bit of kit running in needle roller bearings and a very rapid and precise change can be made. The handbrake is a small ' pistol grip ' under the dash by the door.
I have a Renault 4 van, ( for sale at the moment ) which has the standard dashboard change and very efficient it is.
Likewise, all Renault 6s had the same and I had an early 5 with it...up to about 1975, I think, mine was a P reg. I bought it for £50 as a fail, welded a floor in it and blanked of the side windows with steel plate. I had it flashed over in white, took out everything behind the front seats and ran it as a breakdown service van for 4 or 5 years.
Happy days.
Ted
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Some Mercs and BMWs have gone back to a column shift on autos.
Makes it much easier to change from D to R and back when manoeuvring.
Also makes it easier to knock into neutral at the most inopportune moment, so I have been told, by a few owners.
Yet to drive one myself.
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My GMC truck has a "three-on-the-tree" as the Americans call them. It's okay, easy to use and keeps the floor-space clear; it also has the handbrake mounted under the dash by the driver's left knee, not the umbrella type but a substantial lever and ratchet, never get past a safety test with that today! However the gearchange linkage is worn and changes aren't as quick as you'd get with a floor-shift, but on the up-side it's much easier to access for adjustment. Gear-changing takes a bit of practice too, no synchro on first, and baffles modern drivers.
The ultimate column-shift in a car had to be the Renault 16TX, a 5-speed affair. The Renault dashboard changes were OK but if the plastic bushes wore out they became sloppy.
Some MAN trucks had column changes too, in the 1970's I think; I never drove one but apparently they weren't that popular.
Edited by Harleyman on 29/10/2009 at 23:52
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A friend of mine had a succession of Zephyr 4's in the early 70's.The column gearchange linkage involved some long (about 4 foot) connecting rods which over time would stretch and make gearchanges difficult.The solution was to swap the connections over so the linkage was essentially 'back to front'.
Very 'interesting' until you got used to it.
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I drive a Saviem in the 80's with a column change Harleyman and it was a pig to get up Wardley Hill on the A47 fully loaded, on the way to Ketton Cement!
If me memory serves me right I think my old Vauxhall Cresta had one too:)
Pat
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Had an Austin A50 and an A55 half-ton van, Austin A55 Cambridge, Hillman Minx, Vauxhall Victor FB all with manual column changes, and a Vanden Plas Princess 4 litre plus a Honda CRV both autos with column change.
One big advantage was having a spot of romance (!!) in the car (not applicable to the CRV - getting too old by then) - no floor mounted gear lever to get in the way............
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My Saab 96 (1974) had a nice 4-speed column change.
My 1947 Triumph Roadster had a 4 speed unusually on the right of the steering wheel, with the umbrella handbrake underneath the dash on the same side. So there was absolutely no clutter in the middle, hardly even a gearbox tunnel because it was so far forward.
It had a lovely wide leather bench seat with fold up armrest.
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It just dawned on me that I actually learnt to drive on an Austin A55 with column change, although my driving school car was a mrk 1 Escort, I used to go out in my FIL's car @ weekends.
One floor mounted gearbox arrangement that I never really liked was the Datsun 160J SSS, IIRC it had the reverse gear where 1st should be and then 1st was where 2nd would normally be - something like that anyway, I've only had one cup of coffee so far!
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I learnt to drive on a Renault 16 with a column mounted change - nice that. Honda have suspended it in from within the dashboard which provide excellent floor space provision in the CRV. Drove a Renault Master with a similar set up yesterday - good piece of design.
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Had a four speed column shift on my 1975 Toyota Hi-Ace.an arragement they continued with for some time I believe.It took a bit of practice to find all the gears.There quite a few greasing points on the linkage underneath.It also had an umbrella handbrake which could never be persuaded to apply sufficient pressure,parking in first was essential.
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Triumph Roadster
i151.photobucket.com/albums/s138/Cliffordpope/3691...g
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 31/10/2009 at 17:09
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Sorry, I never can get the hang of posting pictures. I tried to edit the link but the time expired after about 10 seconds.
So you'll just have to try and visualise the gorgeous cockpit full of real wood and leather.
{Sorted for you Cliff. You don't need the 'IMG' html tag on here. DD}
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 31/10/2009 at 17:10
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Cliff, how's this?
tinyurl.com/yfah2j4
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Nice picture GM. There's a foreshortening effect in it though that makes the n/s of the dash look smaller than the driver's side, and conceals the fact that with the armrest up there was room for three abreast in the front, as well as two small people in the dicky (which had its own windscreen).
It was a nice-looking car I always thought, although the performance was quite leisurely. Someone's mother used to turn up in one at my school in Ceylon in the forties, must have been 48 or 9. They may have been tea planters as quite a few people's parents were.
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Some MAN trucks had column changes too in the 1970's I think; I never drove one but apparently they weren't that popular.
They were with me (once you got used....IIRC 13 speed), if we still had trucks like those there would be fewer idiots on the road..;)
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Some Mercs and BMWs have gone back to a column shift on autos.
Oddly, the new BMW 7 Series has the shift lever between the seats, whereas the previous model had it on the steering column. The latest Mercedes S-Class has gone the other way, the shift lever has moved to the steering column and Mercedes uses the additional valuable space between the seats for a very long armrest.
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