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Started by CobraJoe, 2018-06-05 19:29

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rmk57


If you ordered a 67 or so big block Fairlane or Mustang would a 3-speed manual be standard equipment? I think it would be quite rare. I couldn't see a car for dealer inventory ordered that way and who in their right mind would factory order one like that. A 4-speed optional and an automatic a few bucks more than the stick?
Randy

1957 Ford Custom
1970 Boss 429

hiball3985

Quote from: rmk57 on 2021-12-20 15:22
If you ordered a 67 or so big block Fairlane or Mustang would a 3-speed manual be standard equipment? I think it would be quite rare. I couldn't see a car for dealer inventory ordered that way and who in their right mind would factory order one like that. A 4-speed optional and an automatic a few bucks more than the stick?
I worked with a woman who bought a 67 Mustang 390 and 3speed so I'm guessing that is what came standard..
JIM:
HAPPY HOUR FOR ME IS A GOOD NAP
The universe is made up of electrons, protons, neutrons and morons.
1957 Ranchero
1960 F100 Panel
1966 Mustang

CobraJoe

When I was fourteen years old, I was amazed at how unintelligent my father was. By the time I turned twenty-one, I was astounded at how much he had learned in the last seven years!

'96 Bronco,
'39 Ford Coupe,
'57 Fairlane,
'68 Torino GT
'15 F150,
'17 Escape,

59meteor

Quote from: rmk57 on 2021-12-20 15:22
If you ordered a 67 or so big block Fairlane or Mustang would a 3-speed manual be standard equipment? I think it would be quite rare. I couldn't see a car for dealer inventory ordered that way and who in their right mind would factory order one like that. A 4-speed optional and an automatic a few bucks more than the stick?
My understanding was with the increasing insurance costs during the Muscle Car era, that the 3 speed was a way to avoid the higher insurance rates, as "four on the floor" was a trigger for "Hot Rod", where a 3 speed didn`t. I have seen 340 Dusters, 400 GTOs, 390 Mustangs etc with 3 speeds, although I am not aware of the higher performance muscle cars having a 3 speed available. (396/427/454 Chevys, 428 & 429 CJs, 440 and Hemi Mopars and the like). The price difference between a standard equipment 3 speed car, and a 4 speed was typically about $200., chump change these days, but back when those cars were new, that could be 3 car payments. Kinda like how a 69 Mustang Mach 1s base powertrain was a 351 2 barrel and 3 speed manual, seems silly that anybody would order a performance car like that, but quite a few did. At that time, the price increase for a 428 Cobra jet engine was only about $250.00 more, so while I may think who in their right mind wouldn`t go that route, but most didn`t. Don`t forget, in 1957, the price difference between a base Custom sedan, and a Fairlane 500 convertible was only 500 bucks or so, but back then, that was a lot of money. Plus I imagine many of these 3 speed performance cars were ordered for dealer stock, so they could advertise a new car in the newspaper, for a low price, even if that is not how most people would want a car like that. Get the potential buyers into the showroom to look at the bargain model, and then have the salesman try to upsell the more upscale model with more options. Been like that "forever".
1959 Meteor 2 door sedan , 428 Cobra Jet 4 speed. Been drag racing Fords (mostly FEs) 47 years and counting.
Previous 50s Fords include 57 Custom 4 door, 2 57 Ford Sedan Deliveries, 59  Country Sedan, and as a 9 year old, fell in love with the family 58 2 door Ranch Wagon.

RICH MUISE

"Bait and switch"
I can do this, I can do this, I, well, maybe

CobraJoe

When I was fourteen years old, I was amazed at how unintelligent my father was. By the time I turned twenty-one, I was astounded at how much he had learned in the last seven years!

'96 Bronco,
'39 Ford Coupe,
'57 Fairlane,
'68 Torino GT
'15 F150,
'17 Escape,

cokefirst

Quote from: RICH MUISE on 2021-12-21 20:38
"Bait and switch"
This was a common practice.  I worked at a Ford dealership back during the 1971 model year.  They had a 1971 Galaxie two door sedan with a 6 cyl, no radio and just a heater.  They used to advertise it as "Full Factory Equipped" That meant that it had what every base car got when it left the factory with NO options.  It was a bright red with a 3 on the column but it was in the weekly newspaper add almost every week.  They kept it the whole model year then heavily discounted it to get rid of it when the 1972's came out.  I do not recall if they did the same thing with a 1972 model.
1957 Skyliner
1956 Thunderbird
1955 Thunderbird
1956 Ford PU
1931 Model AA stakebed

FiveSevenLiter

Found these on a Saskatchewan website.
Terry
:canada:
1957 Custom 300 - since 2012 SOLD 2024
1951 Mercury M3 - since 2004
1951 Ford F1 - since 1987
1950 Ford Tudor - since 2019
2009 Sport Trac Adrenalin

rmk57


Bummer about the 66. I wonder if both those Fairlane's would have been w-code 427's? Could you get a 425 hp 427 with a steel hood or could you get a 390 hp version with the glass hood?
Randy

1957 Ford Custom
1970 Boss 429

terry_208

For some reason, the blue one doesn't look new.  It's surprising what a wreck will do.
Terry

CobraJoe

When I was fourteen years old, I was amazed at how unintelligent my father was. By the time I turned twenty-one, I was astounded at how much he had learned in the last seven years!

'96 Bronco,
'39 Ford Coupe,
'57 Fairlane,
'68 Torino GT
'15 F150,
'17 Escape,

lalessi1

Quote from: 59meteor on 2021-12-21 17:33
My understanding was with the increasing insurance costs during the Muscle Car era, that the 3 speed was a way to avoid the higher insurance rates, as "four on the floor" was a trigger for "Hot Rod", where a 3 speed didn`t. I have seen 340 Dusters, 400 GTOs, 390 Mustangs etc with 3 speeds, although I am not aware of the higher performance muscle cars having a 3 speed available. (396/427/454 Chevys, 428 & 429 CJs, 440 and Hemi Mopars and the like). The price difference between a standard equipment 3 speed car, and a 4 speed was typically about $200., chump change these days, but back when those cars were new, that could be 3 car payments. Kinda like how a 69 Mustang Mach 1s base powertrain was a 351 2 barrel and 3 speed manual, seems silly that anybody would order a performance car like that, but quite a few did. At that time, the price increase for a 428 Cobra jet engine was only about $250.00 more, so while I may think who in their right mind wouldn`t go that route, but most didn`t. Don`t forget, in 1957, the price difference between a base Custom sedan, and a Fairlane 500 convertible was only 500 bucks or so, but back then, that was a lot of money. Plus I imagine many of these 3 speed performance cars were ordered for dealer stock, so they could advertise a new car in the newspaper, for a low price, even if that is not how most people would want a car like that. Get the potential buyers into the showroom to look at the bargain model, and then have the salesman try to upsell the more upscale model with more options. Been like that "forever".

I do believe that a '66 SS 396 came with a bench seat and a 3 speed. I seem to remember it was floor shifted.
Lynn

Fairlane62

The other GM muscle cars (Buick, Olds, Pontiac) used Ford top loader 3 speeds because the Saginaw couldn't handle the torque.  As mentioned previously, the 3 speed was a way around the added insurance cost for stigma of a 4 speed.

rmk57

Randy

1957 Ford Custom
1970 Boss 429

Tom S

A big visitor in the backyard today. Looks well fed but considering how scarce food is for moose in the winter I gotta figure that she's just pregnant. Probably worse for them this year since we got a lot of snow earlier than usual. They get pretty ornery as winter goes on & can be inclined to charge & stop ya real bad with very little provocation. They get even more dangerous once they drop their calves in the spring.