On Fri, Mar 12, 2010 at 6:45 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans <
scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:

> I will say that a 'good' automatic is a joy to drive.
> More than a 3 speed slush box like vanagons have.
>
  My all time fav was a 1954 Dodge I once owned.  3 speed on the column but
also automatic.  You could shift or not, depending on your inclination.  If
you decided "Automatic" you just left it in high gear, but if you were
feeling spunky, you could drive it like a stick.  "Fluid Drive" I think it
may have been called...I forget, that was during my Hippy years and my
memories are a bit ....vague?

  My second fav was the Ford and Chevy Overdrive trannys from the 50s also.
Had one in my 51 Ford Woodie and another in a 56 Chevy business coupe..A
lever on the dash that said "overdrive" and when it was engaged you could
let off the throttle in any gear and have "freewheeling" until the motor
wound down, then it would catch an "overdrive gear" which must have been
some kind of transfer case...never looked...if you floored it,  there was a
kick-down that got the normal gear, like a passing gear.
  The old Ford Woodie got 25mpg with it's flathead V8...We used to make it
from Long Beach to the Trestle (near San Clemente) and back on under $2
worth of gas.  The Cheby 283 got nearly as good of mileage...and this was 50
years ago.
  Wonder what a full size Murikan car gets, mileage wise, now a days?  Think
they've improved on that, yet?  Wonder what a Hummer or an Excursion or a
Escalade gets...probably bout the same weight as that ole Ford Station
Wagon...
  Don Hanson