4 speed intro for passsenger cars

[Michael H.]

Re: 4 speed intro for passsenger cars

When did the 4 spd show up in the chevy AIM and what are the dates of the drawings?

Joe

I'm not sure if this means anything but I just looked in a 1963 printing of the GM parts book and found some interesting information.
In Group 4.003, there is a 4-speed transmission listed for 57-60 pass car. In group 4.004, there is a control/shifter shown for 58-61.
Bet there are a lot of misc internal parts shown in various groups for 58 too.

Does anyone happen to have a 1958 printing of the parts book? Is it possible that the 4-speed was a mid/late release for 58?

[Mike M.]

Re: 4 speed intro for passsenger cars

the march 1958 parts book does not list the t-10 available for the 58 chevy pass cars. only t-10 application is the 57, pn 3743411. mike

[Mike M.]

Re: 4 speed intro for passsenger cars

addendum: the 1959(april) parts book list the t-10 as applicable for the 57-59 Pass, corvette and its part # was 3752838.mike

[Michael H.]

Re: 4 speed intro for passsenger cars

addendum: the 1959(april) parts book list the t-10 as applicable for the 57-59 Pass, corvette and its part # was 3752838.mike

Thanks mike. Is the control/shifter for 58 shown in gr. 4004 in the 59 book?

[Mike M.]

Re: 4 speed intro for passsenger cars

the april 59 book lists pn 3769882 as the shifter for a 58-59 chevy pass car with t-10.mike

[Michael H.]

Re: 4 speed intro for passsenger cars

the april 59 book lists pn 3769882 as the shifter for a 58-59 chevy pass car with t-10.mike

Hmmmm.... Sounds kinda like a late 58 part number, numerically.

I dunno. I'm getting pretty deep into things I know very little about (53-62) but it does look like the 58 was at least supposed to have been available with 4-speed.

[Clem Z.]

Re: 4 speed intro for passsenger cars

does a listing in the parts book mean it was used in production or does it mean it with fit ???

[Michael H.]

Re: 4 speed intro for passsenger cars

does a listing in the parts book mean it was used in production or does it mean it with fit ???

The parts book would only list items that were used for a particular/original application.

If it instead showed applications that it would fit, it would also have shown 55,56 and 57 pass car.

[Duke W.]

Re: 4 speed intro for passsenger cars

IIRC there was a "kit" released through service parts sometime in the late fifties that could be installed to convert a 3-speed to a 4-speed. It included a new tailshaft extension and internal parts for the conversion.

The T-10 design was based on the three speed, so many internal parts were interchangeable.

Duke

[Cecil L.]

Re: 4 speed intro for passsenger cars

The 58 passenger car assembly manual shows RPO 685 4 speed transmission and extention assembly as part no. 3756617. It is dated 2-13-58 and it also shows transmission control lever and bracket assembly 3756621. It illustrates and gives dimensions for the hole in the tunnel as well as the filler tube in the steering column. Interestingly, the instructions call for the rubber grommet on the shifter collar ont the column to be cemented to the now empty shift lever mounting boss unlike the 59 and later columns which used a smooth collar.

[Clem Z.]

Re: 4 speed intro for passsenger cars

The 58 passenger car assembly manual shows RPO 685 4 speed transmission and extention assembly as part no. 3756617. It is dated 2-13-58 and it also shows transmission control lever and bracket assembly 3756621. It illustrates and gives dimensions for the hole in the tunnel as well as the filler tube in the steering column. Interestingly, the instructions call for the rubber grommet on the shifter collar ont the column to be cemented to the now empty shift lever mounting boss unlike the 59 and later columns which used a smooth collar.

if anyone who got the 4 speeds back 1958 it would have been the drag racers. GM listed stuff that could be used in competition and was in very slim availability. i was a tech inspector for a east coast drag racing assoc. and we had lists of parts the were "legal" but seemed to be only available to certain people.

[Jack H.]

Re: 4 speed intro for passsenger cars

I thought that too (1958) and visited two classic Chevy web sites where they recite the RPO index from Chevy. Guess what? No 4-speed option is listed!

[Michael H.]

Re: 4 speed intro for passsenger cars

I thought that too (1958) and visited two classic Chevy web sites where they recite the RPO index from Chevy. Guess what? No 4-speed option is listed!

That doesn't necessarily mean it wasn't available. Obviously, the original order sheets that were printed/released before SOP of the 58 model didn't show the option because it wasn't actually released until late in the model year.
It's possible that revised order sheets were sent to dealers late in the year. It's also possible that letters were sent to dealers informing them of the new mid production release and the method of ordering such.

Remember the long 63-64 Z06/F40,J56 discussion a while back where the Z06 option was canceled in early 64 and replaced with separate options? The order sheets remained the same and still showed Z06 but dealers were instructed to HAND WRITE the J56 and F40 options on the order sheet instead.

I'm not saying this is exactly what happened but it certainly is possible.

[John H.]

Re: 4 speed intro for passsenger cars

Michael -

A buddy of mine got a new Chevy as a high school graduation gift, and I went with him to North Chevrolet in Birmingham (Michigan) when he ordered it in May of '58. He ordered a black Impala convertible, red interior, 348 3x2, and wanted a 4-speed. The salesman said the 4-speed wasn't available, so he had to settle for the 3-speed.

When the car came in, it had the (dreaded) air-ride suspension (no-charge extra as a promotion of some sort), which lasted three nights on Woodward before the little V-2 compressor blew up and turned it into an instant low-rider. Dealer replaced the system with regular springs (which most of them got eventually) and all was fine. We put a T-10 in it a few months later.

[Clem Z.]

Re: 4 speed intro for passsenger cars

Michael -

A buddy of mine got a new Chevy as a high school graduation gift, and I went with him to North Chevrolet in Birmingham (Michigan) when he ordered it in May of '58. He ordered a black Impala convertible, red interior, 348 3x2, and wanted a 4-speed. The salesman said the 4-speed wasn't available, so he had to settle for the 3-speed.

When the car came in, it had the (dreaded) air-ride suspension (no-charge extra as a promotion of some sort), which lasted three nights on Woodward before the little V-2 compressor blew up and turned it into an instant low-rider. Dealer replaced the system with regular springs (which most of them got eventually) and all was fine. We put a T-10 in it a few months later.

a friend bought a 58 vert with air ride and wondered why it rode so badly and upon checking he found out the dealer did not remove the wooden shipping blocks. the same thing happened with C-5 corvettes with the adjustable suspension as some dealer forgot to remove the shock" stuffers" before delivery.