My 66 Impala had a 3 speed with syncro 1st gear. My '09 HHR has syncros for all 5 forward speeds and even has syncros for reverse! Blew my mind when I first shifted into reverse while moving forward and no grind.
I'm pretty sure I remember Pontiac and not any other GM's using the full synchro Ford briefly before GM made one. I think that is a period of only a year or two in there. The cars with that combo or pretty much oddballs as everyone not satisfied with three back then just got the four speed...but it happened.
Ford supplied the 'base' three speeds for the early Pontiac/Oldsmobile/Buick musclecars if a four speed or automatic wasn't ordered. They used GM-style inputs/outputs and a different case with the GM pattern, but the internals were the same. Used to know a guy with a 'base model' '65 GTO coupe that had one in it, and saw one in a boneyard under a 442. Not a common trans.... Ford had fully-synchronized 3 speeds starting in '62 with the V8 Fairlane, the FE versions appeared in late '63.
My '69 Firebird with the 250 inch OHC six came with a full syncro three speed that had FoMoCo cast into it.
I understand that GM referenced the Ford three speed as the "Dearborn transmission," in logical parallel with the "Muncie."
I was running my 3 speed with a Trans Adapt bellhousing to a 327 since my trans came out of a 67 Mercury Cougar (special ordered)
I remember that Ford donated to brand new full syncro 3 speeds to our high school auto Next >shop class in 1963. Ine was torn down ,broken, parts lost and became a cardboard boxed teaching aid while the other one remained closely supervised by our shop teacher. The culprits were full grown monkeys, dressed to resemble normal high school students. AA vote was taken by the remaining students that we all agreed that the offenders should have their fingers broken, but alas, the teacher, while leaning toward our decision, showed his humane side and allowed them to return to eating bananas and swinging from trees.
The Jalopy Journal
