Swing away shifter

I use the swing away feature all the time. Never when I'm parked. When you're running down the road it gets the shifter out of the way. As soon as you need to shift pull it back into place and do your business, then when on open road again, lift and swing. I'm 6'4" and even though I moved the seat back on my Fordor, it's still plenty tight around the foot/leg area. My grandpa did this on his coupe all of the time, drove a model A for many many years. If a shifter hasn't been lifted for many years they will be gunked up (technical term) enough that it will seem like they won't lift. Use some penetrating oil on it, it'll loosen up. I find it a handy feature, maybe adds a half second time to shifting process, insignificant.
 
My pops said it was a drive in stick, you lift it, swing it away then you drive it in.. show your buddies the footprints on the headliner..
 
When i was a teenager my fist A was a tudor. While driving I would show my buddies that I could move the shifter out of the way. I did it all the time.
 
after reading this thread i tried to move the shifter and it didn't work. i tried to 'lift' the shifter, is that right?
 
I just practiced on a spare transmission. I pulled up hard right above the bend in the stick and it lift right up. So, I hopped in my pickup and did the same thing. I pulled up from right above the bend. I personally wouldn't try it while driving but it is kind of fun. Like starting your car with a crank.
 
Phil Brown said:
Moving the shifter is not the distraction, its the reason that it was moved out of the way, that's the distraction 😳
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Oh, you mean THAT while you are driving. WOW. That's worse than using your cell phone while driving.

That would be tough, I am not 16 any longer.
 
I heard, maybe read somewhere, that before people knew how to drive and before lanes and shoulders and such, getting out in traffic was a very dangerous thing to do. So Henry designed the T to not open on the driver's side. He still didn't think drivers should exit in traffic, and the door lock was on the passenger side until at least 1958 (dad had a '58 w/ lock on passenger side.) But, the driver's side had a door that opened starting with the A.

The old man (84) living next door to the 30 Fordor said he bought a used Vicky when he was 18 and the shift stick would move. He grinned and winked and said it was handy for an 18 YO.

I've tried to move the stick on the 30 to the side, but too much time has passed, its locked up solid and I don't see the need, cause I'm not a teen.
 
Chuck Dempsey said:
Ok, I'm a bit confused, again. Is is SAFE to swing it to the side while driving? The gears stay engaged?

Thanks
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Yes, it is SAFE to move the shifter, Yes the gears stay engaged. Most As haven't had the shifter lifted and swung away for many years and so they are gummed up and stiff. It'll get used to it and free up, so will you. It's definitely a handy feature.
 
I was on a date in a 35 Ford and a young dolly showed me how to move the shifter out of the way at a drive in movie. Very interesting.
 
Oh please woofa. Did you actually watch the movie, or did she play with your 3 speed shifter all night.
 
I tell the uninitiated that swinging the shifter to the side engages the overdrive. :D I never did it for romantic reasons - even at 16, I wasn't flexible enough to get busy in my Model A. Course, I had a coupe, not one of them see-dans with the cavernous interior. :rolleyes:
 
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