Classic/Antique Car Repair/1930s Transmissions

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Expert: - 7/8/2008


Question
Howdy Brad. Can you tell me what the "typical" (most common) transmission would have been during the 1930s? I'm interested in how it would have been operated from the driver's perspective.  Thanks for your time!

Answer
By the thirties the industry had pretty much settled on the three speed manual transmission with the shifter on the floor. The H pattern was used with reverse in the upper left leg of the H, first lower left, neutral on the cross bar, second in the upper right, and high gear on the lower right. In the early thirties most transmissions needed to be double clutched to shift. That was stopping the gear shift motion in neutral between shifts and quickly letting the clutch out and then back in again to match gear speed and then complete the shift. By the mid thirties most transmission were equipped with syncronizers on the gears eliminating double clutching. Also by the end of the thirties most car makes had moved the shift lever to the steering column, Hudson and Cord were using remote shift devices, and Oldsmobile was into the Hydramatic Transmission.
Brad

Classic/Antique Car Repair

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Brad Sears

Expertise

All automotive including antique and collectible. However if the car has been modified I can only answer in general terms and maybe get you pointed in the right direction.

Experience

Automotive tech instructor. Syndicated auto columnist 1970's though the early 1990's. Syndicated auto radio talk show, Ask Brad About cars, CBS Radio 70's through 90's TV Show "Last Chance Garage" 1980's PBS-TV syndicated. Auto instructor for the following companies: Fram Autolyte Holly Carter AMF Ford Motor University Of Conn Blue Hills Technical School Sugar River Technical Center Grew up in a family garage in Needham Mass and turned wrenches from the age of 14.

Publications
Manchester Union Leader, Nashua Telegraph, Motor Service Magazine, Yankee Magazine, Popular Mechanics (Saturday Mechanic early 80's), Los Angeles Times, New York Times, and lots more.

Education/Credentials
More than I care to remember. Basically Franklin Technical Institute in Boston, Northeastern University, Fitchburg State Teachers College, Tufts University, and a lot of factory schools along the way.

Awards and Honors
Moto Award winner. And much more.

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