Technical 4 on the tree

Most people (self included) had never heard of such a thing. I only learned about it after buying my 64 falcon club wagon recently. So here's a pic of an owners manual showing how it works. I suppose it wouldn't be all that difficult to drive now that I look at it. Anyway, neat bit of history

 

That has got to be a rare option.

 

Mercedes used a on the tree, too.
SPark

 

I have an OT car with a 5 on the tree.

 

Didn't Simca's of the '60s have that?

 

'63 Econoline van had a 4-on-the-tree option(SAAB GT also had it)

 

I recall mid/late 60's Chevy vans also having that option.

 

My old DKW 3=6 had 4 on the tree.

 

4 on the tree meaning 4 forward gears I assume.
Many or most English and European small cars had this configuration.
Early Japanese including Toyota and Nissan/Datsun including many of their commercial vehicles also were sold this way.
In the USA the Hillman was probably one of the best example, although some were sold with a floor stick shift.
My old F100 6 cylinder had 3 on the tree.
In Australia most Holden's and Falcon's (6 cylinder engines) that I recall came that way unless automatic which upto about 1970's remained on the column.
The Toyota Crown a 6 cylinder sedan came with 4 on the tree.

 

Had a 51 Chevy hotrod with a corvette 4 speed. was easy to make 4 on the tree. had an extra pull up knob for reverse.

 

Had a '61 Citroen with 4 on the tree...

 

A have a friend that has a late 60's Chevy van with a 4 on the tree, but I have never seen a Ford van with the 4 speed on the column, gotta be a rare item. HRP

 

That's wild. I knew a lot of Euro cars did that but never thought any US manufacturers made 4 on the column.

 

Hillman's had 4 ott.

 

Hmmmm. Must have been a bit "busy" from the column to the trans.

Roger

 

A friend had a 4-on-the-tree 1959 Saab.

 

That was a Dagenham 4 spd in the vans. I have seen a few but not real common.

 

When I had my Shop in Tucson, AZ I use to Service one, that was
about 38 year's ago and it was a Ford 63 or 4 its getting Hard to Remember
some things, I think that the Trans was English & the Customer
bought it New at the Ford Dealer,
He turned it into a Motor Home for when he went Hunting up North
near Flag.
It had everything that a Motor Home of today would Have!

Just my 3.5 cents

Live Learn & Die a Fool

 

The Dagenham 4 speed gearbox around '64 was from the English MK3 Zephyr. [Ford]
They were all 4 speed column shift. [You had to pull the gear knob outwards, as a reverse lock-out, then shift into reverse]

 

A friend has a late 1960's International Loadstar 1600 Cabover with a 5 speed column shift.

 

That is probably an interesting linkage..

 

Uncle had a 78 or so Ford pickup with a 4 on the column. Granny first.

 

Took my drivers licence test at 16 in 1971 with my mom's 59 Ford Consul 4 ott. No ground gears. Passed

 

Toyota HiAce vans from the 80's were 5 speed column shift.

The gearbox has 2 levers ! one for up/down and the other for forward/back

The gearbox was basically a Supra/Celica/HiLux where gearsets and casings interchange.
You can fit Supra gearsets into a HiAce and get a close ratio 5 speed column shift.

We have a friend with a Hilux stadium race truck that kept landing on it's nose [over jumps]
The engine /box was shifted back 24" and the supra gearset was installed in a HiAce van casing.
Then he used the cable shifter and cables to shift it ,with the gearbox behind the driver

 

There was a lot of 6 cylinder vehicles out there in the 50's and 60's that could have benefited from 4 on the tree or floor for that matter

 

when I was 8 my dad had ( for a very short time ) a simca with 4 on the tree . how did I remember that from 50 yrs ago.what are we talking about ?

 

My first car was a 62 Consul 315, 4 speed on the column.

 

Does anybody have any examples (pictures) of a 4 on the tree using the pull knob for reverse? Would love to see how that works. I love my 3 speed column shift but with a Buick straight eight it would be cool to get an extra gear, get rid of the torque tube AND keep the column shift.

 

There’s a dude here in Oklahoma selling one with a 4 on the tree , for $1300!






Bones

 

I had a Borgward that had 4 on the tree. That was fun driving but it took a little getting use to.