Driving videos

Cboz
can you describe for us how the two speed rear works, how/when you engage and disengage it?
I seen you engage it but I couldn't tell if you let off the gas pedal ect....
can you downshift with it engaged?
how much rpm drop do you get from it in top gear?
and finally what make is it? or is it factory?
 
Cecil, I really enjoyed going along with you in that beautiful '37. Thanks for the ride!:) Can you tell me what program/format you used to post the video? I shoot video with a Canon XL2 broadcast digital camera but I have not tried to post anything (edited or not) to YouTube as yet.

I’ve got a couple of questions about your Zephyr as well if you don’t mind. I noticed that you have the radio head mounted in the passenger side ash tray housing (on our '39 the radio head mounts in the drivers side ash tray) also, your OD knob is mounted under the drivers side ash tray and comes through the dash (on the '39 there is a bracket that clips onto the underside edge of the dash, just to the right of the emergency brake handle, that holds the cable for the OD). Is the radio head on the passenger side because of where the OD cable is placed?

Thanks, Vic
 
Hey Vic -- I shot it with a Canon Powershot digital camera I bought a few years ago. When I plugged the camera into my computer, Windows started up a "Wizard" application that downloaded my videos as (pretty big) AVI files. I then uploaded these to Youtube, which takes these AVI files and shrinks them down prior to posting. Really, it was pretty straightforward.

The radio head could go on either side. I put it on the passenger side because of the OD cable and also because I had some additional wiring on that side for the fuel pump and emergency flashers (it was getting pretty crowded).
 
bugsiegel said:
Cboz
can you describe for us how the two speed rear works, how/when you engage and disengage it?
I seen you engage it but I couldn't tell if you let off the gas pedal ect....
can you downshift with it engaged?
how much rpm drop do you get from it in top gear?
and finally what make is it? or is it factory?
Click to expand...

Basically, there is a vacuum line to the rear axle, which allows you to engage or disengage the Columbia unit. To engage, you press down the clutch pedal like you are going to shift gears, then pull the knob, which works the vacuum switch to engage the Columbia (you can hear a slight "clunk"). After that you simply let the clutch out and you are in "overdrive." To get out of overdrive, you press in the clutch, push the knob back in, which switches the vacuum direction and disengages the Columbia unit. After you hear the "clunk", you let out the clutch and continue on.

BTW, I hate that they call it overdrive because it really isn't that at all, but simply a different rear-end ratio. Because of that, you can work any of the gears as you normally would with either the Columbia engaged or not. Think about it as being able to choose between the "stock" rear-end ratio, and one that is about 27% taller. For example, my car is 4.11:1 stock and the Columbia drops this to about 3.00:1.

For the Lincoln-Zephyrs, the Columbia two-speed rear axle was available from the factory or the dealer. I don't believe the Columbia was available from the factory for a Ford, but I know a lot of them were added later. Hope this helps.
 
Last edited:
You're welcome. I hope it's a good reminder that these cars were great drivers -- like I said elsewhere, you don't have to drop an over-cammed "Cheby" smallblock in them to enjoy them, and in fact, I think it's cool to see how well they performed for our fathers and grandfathers. Of course, I wouldn't have been upset if Henry had seen fit to put hydraulic brakes on my car ;)
 
CBoz said:
Hey Vic -- I shot it with a Canon Powershot digital camera I bought a few years ago. When I plugged the camera into my computer, Windows started up a "Wizard" application that downloaded my videos as (pretty big) AVI files. I then uploaded these to Youtube, which takes these AVI files and shrinks them down prior to posting. Really, it was pretty straightforward.

The radio head could go on either side. I put it on the passenger side because of the OD cable and also because I had some additional wiring on that side for the fuel pump and emergency flashers (it was getting pretty crowded).
Click to expand...

Cecil, thanks for the info, I appreciate it. Vic
 
BTW, I hate that they call it overdrive because it really isn't that at all, but simply a different rear-end ratio. Because of that, you can work any of the gears as you normally would with either the Columbia engaged or not. Think about it as being able to choose between the "stock" rear-end ratio, and one that is about 27% taller. For example, my car is 4.11:1 stock and the Columbia drops this to about 3.00:1.

For the Lincoln-Zephyrs, the Columbia two-speed rear axle was available from the factory or the dealer. I don't believe the Columbia was available from the factory for a Ford, but I know a lot of them were added later. Hope this helps.

Now I've got to get back into the Columbia so we can install it in the '39 LZ. I thought that all '36-'39 LZ's came with 4.44 rears, didn't know they had 4.11's.
 
Vic Piano said:
Now I've got to get back into the Columbia so we can install it in the '39 LZ. I thought that all '36-'39 LZ's came with 4.44 rears, didn't know they had 4.11's.
Click to expand...

Some '36 Zephyrs came with 4.33s, but the rest came with 4.44s. Since I have a banjo rear-end that's shared with a Ford, I decided to bring it down to a 4.11, which is much more streetable. Unfortunately Vic, you have the hypoid rear-end and are pretty much stuck with a 4.44 -- you *really* need the Columbia!
 
CBoz said:
Some '36 Zephyrs came with 4.33s, but the rest came with 4.44s. Since I have a banjo rear-end that's shared with a Ford, I decided to bring it down to a 4.11, which is much more streetable. Unfortunately Vic, you have the hypoid rear-end and are pretty much stuck with a 4.44 -- you *really* need the Columbia!
Click to expand...

Yup, I'm sure the Columbia will make a big difference as far as "top end" goes. Hopefully we'll get into the Columbia in the not too distant future.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top