4 speed intro for passsenger cars

[Michael 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.

If the 4-speed ever was available in late 58 production, I wonder if your buddy just missed being able to order it by a few days or weeks?

I completely forgot about the Air-Ride suspension option in 58. That was a dead end from the beginning. Reminds me of my 63 Mercedes. Every morning, the front end of the car was laying on the ground. After two days, the rear would be down too.

[Doug F.]

Re: 4 speed intro for passsenger cars

I always felt 59 was the first year in a passenger car, otherwise how can we account for the rarity of 57 and 58 T-10's, i've been in the hobby longer than i care to admit and those early dated trannys were impossible to find 25 years ago, over the counter maybe, but as an option i don't believe so.

[Joseph T.]

Re: 4 speed intro for passsenger cars

I always felt 59 was the first year in a passenger car, otherwise how can we account for the rarity of 57 and 58 T-10's, i've been in the hobby longer than i care to admit and those early dated trannys were impossible to find 25 years ago, over the counter maybe, but as an option i don't believe so.

Considering Chevy got into NASCAR in 1955..I suspect the 4 spd was supplied for those race jobs once available.. There was even a special NASCAR version of the 57 Chevy Blackwidow w/air inlet ..where the air inlet was larger than the production style...which is super rare in its own right.

The original T-10 4spd in my previously owned survivor 57 Corvette #4353 was an April built T-10 4 spd. I currently have an original experimental March dated T-10 4 spd..

No proof...but it seems since they were available in very limited supply..they could have made there way into some 57 and 58 big cars.

Surely someone has some production figures.

Joe

[Joseph T.]

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.

PS..Chevrolet Service News, Volume 29 #5..dated May 1957..."The four speed synchromesh transmission was special option equipment for use with both passenger and Corvette models" as reported in Car exchange volume 2 #1 January 1980...in an article featuring Bob Drennan's 57 FI 4 speed..which he still owns today.

Joe

[Clem Z.]

Re: 4 speed intro for passsenger cars

PS..Chevrolet Service News, Volume 29 #5..dated May 1957..."The four speed synchromesh transmission was special option equipment for use with both passenger and Corvette models" as reported in Car exchange volume 2 #1 January 1980...in an article featuring Bob Drennan's 57 FI 4 speed..which he still owns today.

Joe

if i remember correctly the first 57 corvettes ordered with 4 speeds came in with 3 speeds and the 4 speed was shipped in a wooden crate with rope handles to the dealership to be installed there.

[Clem Z.]

Re: 4 speed intro for passsenger cars

Considering Chevy got into NASCAR in 1955..I suspect the 4 spd was supplied for those race jobs once available.. There was even a special NASCAR version of the 57 Chevy Blackwidow w/air inlet ..where the air inlet was larger than the production style...which is super rare in its own right.

The original T-10 4spd in my previously owned survivor 57 Corvette #4353 was an April built T-10 4 spd. I currently have an original experimental March dated T-10 4 spd..

No proof...but it seems since they were available in very limited supply..they could have made there way into some 57 and 58 big cars.

Surely someone has some production figures.

Joe

the 57 FI cars that ran the beach race in feb 57 ran 3 on the tree. we ran one there and we had a 3 speed. some one pointed out to install a 4 speed in a tin car you needed a later tail shaft housing with 2 sets of mounting holes so the shifter could be mounted foward so it would clear the seat and that came out later.

[Stuart F.]

Re: 4 speed intro for passsenger cars

We fought this battle back in 1959 as to whether a 4-speed could be used in NHRA sanctioned events and the ruling was yes (legal). We learned about it just in time to make the switch in my 57 post before the second day of a National event held on July 4th weekend at Great Lakes Dragway in Union Grove, WI. I lost on the first day in "B" stock w/ a 3-speed, worked all night to install the 4-speed along with some new heads and won going away both on the next day and night. My competition was another 57 who already had the 4-speed installed on day one (along with an Isky Roller cam), but my Duntov ruled thereafter. I'm not saying any 57's came equipped from the factory with 4-speeds, but apparently NHRA decided there was good enough cause to permit their use.

I also had a friend whose Dad bought a new "hottest" from the factory stripper Chevy each year. They (the kid always drove Daddy's car) had a new from the factory 58 Del Ray w/315 hp "W" engine w/ a factory installed 4-speed. The car, for the time, was wicked fast but lacked good off line traction. My other buddy with a 280 hp Impala 3-speed would blow him off in a street measured quarter every time. We even went so far as to have one of our 215 lb football players sit in the back seat of the Del Ray to no avail. It was all in the driver.

My 2 cents.

Stu Fox

[Tom P.]

Re: 4 speed intro for passsenger cars

I have read all the above comments, AND, unless I have missed it, I have NOT seen any mention of the pictures during the development of the SS car (being assembled in 1956) which show it receiving an ALL ALUM (I presume prototype) B-W T-10!
Why is that????????
I KNOW for a fact that someone here must be familiar with that!

[Joseph T.]

Re: 4 speed intro for passsenger cars

I have read all the above comments, AND, unless I have missed it, I have NOT seen any mention of the pictures during the development of the SS car (being assembled in 1956) which show it receiving an ALL ALUM (I presume prototype) B-W T-10!
Why is that????????
I KNOW for a fact that someone here must be familiar with that!

I took the question of the thread to be a question of when the 4 spd was available in production passenger cars.

[Tom P.]

Re: 4 speed intro for passsenger cars

I took the question of the thread to be a question of when the 4 spd was available in production passenger cars.

And you are exactly correct Joe!
My point, and I should have made it clearer, is that there WAS, albeit probably a prototype, a Borg-Warner all alum 4sp tranny (T-10) in 1956. Thus, someone, somewhere, had been burning some midnight oil designing and machining what was probably very close to the 61-later all alum B-W 4sp. The first time I saw those pictures, I found it to be VERY interesting that an all alum T-10 was actually built that early!!!!

[Stewart A.]

Re: 4 speed intro for passsenger cars

My mate has just finished building the dash for the 2014 Holden that we sell over here. They do things a long way ahead. It doesn't surprise me that the all alloy box was being thrown around in the later 50's. I would be surprised if it wasn't. Stewy