Bob,
I have been driving Rootes cars for 40 years and am very familiar with the
Rootes column shift-they are not very good. Old Thom McC got it right.
Jan Eyerman (who has even driven a reverse pattern Hillman floor shift)
Bob Hamilton <hamilton@accesswave.ca> wrote:
Hi,
OK, I'm biting the bait!! What you guys are really telling me that you are
not very good drivers using a column shift, including McCahill! <smile>
As many of you know I have been lurking on this list for many years now and
also know I have one of these magnificent '53 Alpines, complete with column
shift and can't remember when I have had a mis-shift. It is "gated" very
well.
I feel the reputation this column shift has, arises if you are unfamiliar
with these cars and also unaware that the shifting pattern is upside down
and back to front. Yes, 1st (non-synchro) is away from the driver and up,
second is straight down, third is up towards you in neutral and up, then
straight down for fourth. For reverse you pull the knob at the end of the
lever out while in neutral and push the lever away from you and then down.
Very simple really.
Of course, the column shift is not as swift as floor shifters, but it works
very well when adjusted properly, which is not hard to do. Just for the
record, the floor shifting mechanism from one of your Series cars bolts
directly to the gearbox casing of the MK IIA and III Sunbeam Talbots and
Alpines and works flawlessly. The same gearbox casing was used in
practically all the Rootes cars way into the 60's.
Later,
Bob
At 01:26 PM 12/10/2002 -0500, Jan Eyerman wrote:
>Great writing! I corresponded with him many, many years ago. He is my all
>time favorite automotive writer, I used to get Mechanix Illustrated (now
sadly
>gone) just because of him.
>
>He was probably being generous about Rootes' column shifter-you push or pull
>the lever and pray. Maybe you get the right gear, maybe you get no gear at
>all or maybe you get terrible noises. You also learn to let up the clutch
>SLOWLY in case you hit second when you were aiming at fourth. If the car
slows
>down and the engine revs up, you missed fourth and must try again. There
was
>a beautiful accessory floor shift for the early Alpines, it vastly improved
>the shifting!
>
>Jan Eyerman
>
>
>
>
>
>RootesRooter@aol.com wrote:
>Referring to the '54 Alpine:
>
>"The column-mounted, reverse-pattern shifter is still as balky as when
>McCahill called it bas easy... as driving a Navy blimp through the Lincoln
>tunnel without touching the walls.b"
>
>Now that is great writing...
>
>
>
>In a message dated 12/10/02 3:25:27 AM Pacific Standard Time,
>rmaddock@petrie.hotkey.net.au writes:
>
><< Hope this link works. If not, go to www.autoweek.com and you should see a
> Sunbeam Alpine link under the heading Recent Stories.
>
>
>
>http://www.autoweek.com/cat_content.mv?port_code=autoweek&cat_code=thecar&loc_
>
>code=index&content_code=03318193
=========================================================
Robert (Bob) A.C. Hamilton, Waverley, Nova Scotia, Canada
Home Page: www.accesswave.ca/~hamilton
Sunbeam Talbots - Alpine, Drophead and Saloon, 1953-1954
Sunbeam Talbot Web Page: www.sunbeamtalbot.info
[Stable mates - 1973 Midget and 1968 M-B 280SE]
E-Mail: hamilton@accesswave.ca or robertach@ca.inter.net
=========================================================
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