What are the differences between the 57 ford passenger car and t-bird gearbox? There is a bloke wrecking out a 57 t-bird I want the shifter and linkages. He's asking over $1000 for the gearbox and shifter because he says its a super rear 57 t-bird gearbox. I always thought they were the same as sedan and 55,56 models.
Thanks

The main page for this web site has the name at the top, Y-Blocks Forever' with a number of categories listed underneath. From left to right these read, 'Home', 'Forum', 'Events', 'Links', 'Profiles', and 'Articles'.

Toggle the 'Articles' button (category). The page that opens has numerous articles. The 13th one down is titled, 'Differences In The '57 Manual Trannys'. Doug Thrasher submitted this.
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Personally, I've never felt that there was anything particularly wonderful about the 3 speed manual transmission used behind the 'C' code (292 engine) '57 'Birds. They are hard to come by in that there were not that many '57 'C' 'Birds. The 'Bird 3 speed may bring a 'special' price because the rear tailshaft housing to frame mount is different and unique to the '57 'Bird.

The other manual transmission that is commonly recognized as having been used in the 'D', 'E', and 'F' code 312 'Birds was the Borg Warner T-85 3 speed with overdrive. FoMoCo used this transmission in the '56 Merc and, with the use of an interesting steel adapter, used the same unit in the '56 'Birds. The adapter was necessary for use in the 'Bird because the transmission rear extension housing frame mount was not positioned correctly for use in the 'Bird frame.

For '57, Ford had Borg Warner make a different rear transmission tailshaft extension housing for the T-85 for the 'Bird application. The difference was the location of the transmission rear housing to frame mount so that the adapter used in '56 was not necessary.

Because of the unique location of the rear mount on the '57 'Bird T-85 extension housing, for the 'numbers' purist 'Bird restorer, these transmissions do bring funny money. As Forum member Slumlord has written in previous threads, there are post '57 Ford application T-85s up into the early 60s that will also drop into the 'Bird frame with no hassle.

While not in the books, I've been told that there were T-85 3 speed only transmissions put behind some 'special' 'Birds. One that I saw advertised was a restored 'F' 'Bird offered by Amos Minter of Dallas, Texas.

Comment: Just because the transmission is original 'Bird doesn't assure that it is worth the extra money. In particular, the T-85 R-11 overdrives are a rugged unit, but if there is a problem with the four planetary gears or the rear overrunning clutch assembly, used replacement parts can be tough to find.

Hope all of this help.




NoShortcuts
a.k.a. Charlie Brown
near Syracuse, New York

In addition to what Charlie said, the T-Bird trans had shift levers pointing "up" instead of "down" like passenger cars. That was because the Bird had a floor shift, passenger had column. The T-Bird floor shifter was assembled on a base that was contoured to the floor hump, I don't know if the passenger hump is the same as Bird or not.

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

Thanks for the info guys. That clears that up.The reason I'm after the shifter is I am building a model A coupe with a duel 4 312 t-bird motor and a 3spd o/d gearbox, though the gearbox is 56 sedan. A genuine t-bird shifter would be cool, but I'm sure there are after market ones that would work. I was going to use a top loader with a jeep shifter which I have, but the overdrive trans would be better for my use.

Not sure where you're located, but if the name is an indicator of location, it might not be a bad price. Locally in California, people are asking around $400 the more common automatic shifters, I haven't seen a three speed shifter on the market so I would think they would be more. I would imagine they would be more rare/more expensive down under.

Yes they are very uncommon. I would not be surprised if this was the only 57 t-bird to ever be wrecked out in aussie. Be that as it may, there also would not be a lot of call for that kind of thing in aussie. I've told him if he doesn't find a buyer I will give him a fair price for the shifter and linkages only.

I've had 2 birds with the factory shifter, and they were one of the first things I changed. I didn't have the parts to rebuild them. The shifter is a fairly heavy stamping that is bolted to the floor, linkage movement was very loose. Certainly not something I could bang around hard. The bird had the motor fairly far forward, so along with building a new mounting system, I be surprised if the arms were the right length. Your A is probably shorter than my 32, and the foot well of my 32 has a bump to clear the starter housing (it's channeled).

I went on eBay and found a round, angled, unnamed shifter arm, and made it fit by cutting both ends, welded a plate to bolt to a Hurst shifter, and put the 'bird knob on it. Most
people, even 'bird guys, don't notice. This will let you accommodate the seat, height, and anything else to make it drivable.

As an aside, a friend with a Ford Tractor collection laughed at the knob. He said "that's the same knob on my Ford tractors". Sure enough, it looks the same. Sounds like Henry, why build another one.

miker
55 bird, 32 cabrio F code
Kent, WA
Tucson, AZ

Gen-u-ine Thunderbird Manual Transmission Shifter Knob. (Maybe?)
$3.59

http://www.griggslawnandtractor.com/servlet/the-5799/Ford-Gear-Shift-Knob/Detail

How cool is that?

Jim
Norfolk, VA

"MABLE"
1956 Thunderbird Green / Brown Interior (ZE-XG)

"MEAN GREEN"
1956 Mainline (FG-BE)

I have three T-85's with Overdrive, one close ratio in the Bird and two standard on the bench. The one in the Bird is 30''s long and one of the two on the bench was pulled from a '57 Fairlane and is 36"s long or 6" longer then the Bird trans but both use a special mount to reach the crossmember. The third is from a '58 Custom Sedan and is only 30"s long as with the Bird trans however it is a 23 & 1" spline where the '57 is a 10 & 1" and the out put is also a fine shaft. This trans could be used in a '57 Bird by using a 23 & 1" clutch disc and a '59 Edsel 352 W/automatic yoke same as in some '61 to '64 FORD galaxie's with a 352 or 390 with automatic trans. The '58 Trans uses the same extended mount that the '57 Bird and Fairlane required when they had a T-85 w/Overdrive, however I do not know if this mount was required with the non/Overdrive T-85 however I would have to believe that it was. There are many options out there if a guy can only get the facts straight from sellers, I keep extra stuff around because some are so hard to find and I could use the '58 trans if I ever needed to but would have to Rape Our Survivor and do that, I would rather re-use my out put shaft and housing on the '57 Fairlane trans provididing the shaft was o.k. Recently I had to go the four different suppliers to get everything that I would need for a rebuild short of casing , shafts, and gears and have Gaskets, Rollers, Bearings, Rear housing shaft Bushings, all seals needed to go through a T-85 with O.D. as supplies are drying up.
The strength of the T-85 was good enough That Chrysler used it as the Standart trans behind the 426 Ram induction '63 Plymouth. There was recently a nice article on this in Old Cars weekly.


Tom

What?

say aussie, they used a overdrive top loader in the early 80's ford pick-ups, it had a floor shift too.

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