This 3-speed trans is gonna have to go...

Ok well, it's now July and time to relieve the Valiant of that 3-speed. Nearly all the automatic stuff is gathered up and ready to go in.

It'll be such a difference to not be needing to:

1. Double-clutch to get low while rolling just like Grampa's old 1940 flatbed truck

2. Fighting the linkage to get it unstuck out of neutral at an intersection periodically.

3. Again fighting the linkage to get the clutch to engage all the way periodically.

4. Stretching 2nd out to avoid lugging the engine when going to 3rd.

Now I know what you'll say..."you could just rebuild that linkage..." NO!! That 3-speed is out of here, gone.

However, here's the silver lining to this dark cloud: I'm going to sell all that stuff pretty cheap, so all of you that profess love for a crashbox column-shifter car, here's your chance to own it and install it in your very own vehicle. I'm sure from reading the fond rememberances so far that you will quickly realize what a mistake it was for Mopar to offer synchronized transmissions and especially automatics as an option. The ad is in the sale forums, go there right now.

As an aside, I'm shocked no-one wanted to drive my car. I didn't get one PM about it.J-par said the revealing statement though. He referred to it as a "novelty" and that's exactly right. People like seeing them and talking about them and thinking back to the old days but nobody wants to fking actually drive one.

Two other pieces of trivia: Yes that's the original transmission. Everone thinks it was swapped in but it has the car's VIN on it and the PP250 and 10,000 day date are right on target. Why Chrysler put that transmission in that car nobody knows. That car was ordered though and it was also optioned with an R21 AM/FM radio and 22" radiator on a stripper Valiant.

Also, I bought this car because my late Grandparents had a twin to it, so I had to take it with a 3-speed because it matched otherwise.