Elmo65
Well-Known Member
When did we start driving lumber? I prefer to call il what it is; column shifted. What’s your opinion? Yes I’m a 65 year old fuddy duddy!
Three on the tree?
- Thread starter Elmo65
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I'm 48, and have heard it referred to as "three on the tree" for as long as I can remember. Maybe it's a regional thing? I'm with you, though, I prefer to say "three speed column shift."
You either have a 3 on the tree, a 3 by the knee. a 4 on the floor, or a 4 on the floor with a 5th under the seat. Slush boxes were automatics and the GM guys had Powerslides (Powerglides)
Powershifting second with a column shift was always dicey. My first car was a 65 Dart with a column shift. It had a HP 273 under the hood though. That was a fun car.
Powershifting second with a column shift was always dicey. My first car was a 65 Dart with a column shift. It had a HP 273 under the hood though. That was a fun car.
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The one time I drove a column shift, the bushings were shot. I kept having to wonder "Am I in second or reverse? Better let the clutch out real carefully!"
Like a pry bar in a bucket.
abodyjoe
Well-Known Member
at 56 i've always referred to it as a 3 on the tree. always heard it calle dthat and most everyone i knew/know call it that too..
55 and it’s 3 on the tree.
Side note: it was a cheap option for the low end vehicles of a model.
Sadly the linkages wear out from use and vibration.
Side note: it was a cheap option for the low end vehicles of a model.
Sadly the linkages wear out from use and vibration.
A56
Street Survivor
IMO- Column shift was typically a brochure description when I was a kid. 3 on a tree was slang terminology that most used, myself included. I taught Jesus how to drive a stick shift. 
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
I always called it 3 on the tree.
FISHYPETE
Well-Known Member
At your age you should be well accustomed to the phrase ‘Three On The Tree’
Same here
In 1967 my brother was starting Aircraft School. Dad and him went car shopping. My brother had high hopes of ordering a 273 4 speed hypo Valiant. Plymouth Dealer said nope, You have to order a Barracuda. Out of dads price range. Right next door was a Pontiac dealership. Salesman said let me show you a new car for 1967. It was the overhead cam Sprint Firebird.
It was a 3 speed column shift. You guessed it. Brother tried his hand at power shifting to second. Broke the column. Got a Hurst Mystery shifter for the floor.
Brother drag raced the crap out of that car. Thanks for the memory !!
HemiSSDart
Dartus Interuptus
My first tow vehicle was a 67 C10 with a three on da tree. But my first car was a 64 Rambler American with a twin stick overdrive. Of course the trans broke and I parked it at my parents house and put a tarp over it. I moved out of the house at 18 years old and came back a month later, parents sold it for scrap while I was gone...
Dartnut
Don't hate me because i'm beautiful
I always called it three in the tree and so did everyone else that I knew called it the same.
I saw it called 3 speed column shift manual transmission in the dealer brochures, but that was sugar coating it to sound somewhat fancy.
Just like the trunk was called the luggage compartment.
The three in the tree wasn't an option, it was standard fare on most new light duty vehicles before the '90s.
The last one I saw in person was a '90 or '91 Chev pickup new on the lot with no options on it that I could see.
I saw it called 3 speed column shift manual transmission in the dealer brochures, but that was sugar coating it to sound somewhat fancy.
Just like the trunk was called the luggage compartment.
The three in the tree wasn't an option, it was standard fare on most new light duty vehicles before the '90s.
The last one I saw in person was a '90 or '91 Chev pickup new on the lot with no options on it that I could see.
abodyjoe
Well-Known Member
just popped up on my face book memories. it was from 2015..lol
All cars were column shifted (except trucks) started in the "40s. 4-sps didn't appear until early '60s. That started the need to distinguish between three speed and 4-speed. Then- enter slang.
Soon the be 78, I have called it that since a kid, but I knew the correct term was column shift!!!!!
Elmo65
Well-Known Member
A lot of pre WWII cars and plckups had top load floor shifted 3 speed transmissions.
what i read after i bought my 50 dodge pu
dodge was the first after the war to make a larger cab (pilot house) in 1948 and use 3 on the tree ...been calling it that since i can remember (63)
so three people could ride in the cab comfertly
dodge was the first after the war to make a larger cab (pilot house) in 1948 and use 3 on the tree ...been calling it that since i can remember (63)
so three people could ride in the cab comfertly
Pound
Well-Known Member
Usually Three on the Tree, but Tree Speed too!
And many times, in like '68-'71 or so, Dad would not let his teenager kid have a 4 speed. 3 on the floor was OK! Like mine said and I quote "4 speeds are for racing and you will kill your dumb ***!" unquote! OK maybe.... or more than likely. But it was OK to get drafted, go to Nam to shoot Gooks, maybe get killed, make some more millionaires back home?
I had a few buds that bought a new '69 or 70 RR with the 3 speed floor shift, with their own $ and the first week swapped it out for a junkyard A833! But he would always take off in 2 of dad was watching!
Where were we? 4 speeds and 3 on the tree!
Three on the tree, three speed, column shift. Whatever.
According to my insurance man. 1974 I bought a 70 340 Duster 3 on the floor.
He told me that if it was a 4 speed I would pay double. Muscle cars vs Insurance in the 70's.
Took me a year to do that too !
JDMopar
Well-Known Member
I'm 68 and it's always been 3 on the tree. On another note, we always called pushbutton Torqueflite's.....Typeflite's or Typewriter transmissions.
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