@tpvalley its usually pull stick towards you, then up for for first, straight down for second, then away from you and up for 3rd. think of it like usual H gate but mounted sideways on
I just love the summing up of BMC cars here - you are so, so right too!
But, we fight the rust (by not using them from November till March!) and beg for spares etc. As for 1970's - well I only liked the Rover SD1 and Ford Granadas by then but did they rust................................And what have we got today - boring all the same looking ultra reliable euroboxes!
You do appreciate relyability, when you have to drive over the Afsluitdijk in the middle of the night during a howling blizzard blowing from over the frozen IJsselmeer and having two nearly useless legs like I do.
Have been driving a Citroen Xantia for 7 years.
Not a boring car at all.
But would love to have a Rover P5 coupe on LPG, if I had the cash.
The syncro has only gone on 2nd, so it would be easier to double declutch when changing down. My old Thames 400E vans, one with a 3 speed box and no syncro on 1st, and a 4 speed box with the syncro gone on 2nd would change down noislessly with double declutching. All my early Fords had column changes and I really can`t see why they weren`t more popular.
Ye, it's actually interesting to drive column change, i did forget to mention that the from the British cars I've driven, all except the Morris traveler, had column change.
One friend of mine asked even how I managed to drive the column change.....:).
Yes , I love column change , wouldnt want anything else. Ive often come across people like your friend who say they could never manage to drive column change vehicles. Years ago I was given the column change van at work ( a Mazda van ) because it was column change and no one else would drive it. As I ve said you can still get column change manual transmissions , mostly on Japanese vans and pickups. Soon I will post some pics of some including my own Toyota pickup and some of the company vans.
My 1973 Dodge Coronet had three on the tree, and you had to be really careful on the 1-2 shift because the linkage would bind with the tranny in first and the shifter in neutral; had to park it and jiggle the linkage under the hood---uh---bonnet to free it. I have driven several GM cars (mostly mid-sixties to early seventies Buicks and two Chevy pickups) with the same problem, but never had that trouble with the '60 Studebaker.
you guys try a 403 peugeot column shift !!! they bent ya head to start with but wow what an excellent car it was..403B 1962..bought ti for 100 bucks..drove it for years..sad i sold it
I used to drive a ( very old now ) Peugeot pickup - belonging to the company I work for -with a column shift .( the company run dozens of pickups to this day - all still column change ! ) I dont recall what model it was .. It was back in 1986 / 1987 and it was old then. It was replaced with a brand new ( then ) Bedford KB26 -one of my all time favorite vehicles. I dont know Peugeots well Im afraid.
I passed my driving test with a column change in a Renault 16TS, always remember thinking I'll never manage to master this, and yet it was simple. Pull lever towards you for 1st & 2nd 1st being clockwise, let the lever spring back to middle for 3rd & 4th, 3rd being clockwise. You pushed towards dash and down I think for reverse. Was 1978 It was no more difficult than a conventional gear stick today... Happy Days.
I had the six cylinder Austin A105/6 Westminster that had the four speed column shift. Used to be a mechanic at the time in Durban South Africa with BMC so know all about these Morris Oxfords and the reat of them. Unusual to find a column shift on a four cylinder. The six cylinder Wolseley 6/90 had a floor shift but it was mounted right next to the drivers front door. Linkage used to wear very quickly, as did the front Armstrong Shocks on these cars.
Column shift manual transmissions are still available , mostly on Japanese vans and trucks. I currently drive a company van , a 1998 Vauxhall Midi ( actually a rebadged Isuzu van ) which has a 5 speed on the column. The company also has some new Nissan 2 -wheel drive pickups which have 5 speed manual column shift transmissions and also some older Toyota pickups which are all 5 -speed on the column. I love column shifters and learned to drive on one and have one on my own pickup.
You bring me a lot of memories with this car.oxford is the first car i did my first driving practice.the same vintage car morris oxford 1965 is mine now and i am in process of repairing it ( it was abandon in garage for 10 years.) when is ready i will upload a video with it. by the way the video is perfect. i have been watching it more than 5 times.well done.
I had a 67 Oxford a few years back, I was surprised at how modern it felt to drive, it was quite perky and all the controls were light and easy to use, wish I still had it. lovely car!
Agree with that - strange how that today in the snow we've got currently, I felt more in control driving an Oxford rather than my daily driver which is 4 years old.
nice car mate love the column gear
raylyd 2 weeks ago
I LOVE column gear change, makes more sense to my mind and you can seat 3 across the front. I learnt on an old toyota hiace
mrspivvy 1 month ago
so 1st and second are 1st down, 2nd up and 3rd back and down?
tpvalley 7 months ago
@tpvalley its usually pull stick towards you, then up for for first, straight down for second, then away from you and up for 3rd. think of it like usual H gate but mounted sideways on
mrspivvy 1 month ago
Well, the rough engine sound was familiar, but where's the wining gear box?
helmuthoorn 9 months ago
@helmuthoorn
Gears only whine in first - rest were ok (if you could find them that is!)
Any of these cars surviving in Holland still?
cirrus216 9 months ago
@cirrus216
Not that I know of.
Unfortunately these BMC Farina's had a vicious tendency to rust.
Not as bad as the Italians from the same era though.
British cars were actually rather popular in the Netherlands.
We specifically liked the 12 Volt system that ensured starting on cold mornings and appreciated their interiors with leather, wood and thick carpets.
Things went horribly wrong in the seventies.
Pity.
helmuthoorn 9 months ago
@helmuthoorn
I just love the summing up of BMC cars here - you are so, so right too!
But, we fight the rust (by not using them from November till March!) and beg for spares etc. As for 1970's - well I only liked the Rover SD1 and Ford Granadas by then but did they rust................................And what have we got today - boring all the same looking ultra reliable euroboxes!
cirrus216 9 months ago
@cirrus216
Depends on what kind of eurobox you drive.
Got a Citroen Xantia myself and love it.
7 years of happy motoring.
One of the very last ones made.
Not a boring looking car at all.
But would give anything for a good Rover P5 coupe on LPG if I had the cash.
helmuthoorn 9 months ago
@cirrus216
You do appreciate relyability, when you have to drive over the Afsluitdijk in the middle of the night during a howling blizzard blowing from over the frozen IJsselmeer and having two nearly useless legs like I do.
Have been driving a Citroen Xantia for 7 years.
Not a boring car at all.
But would love to have a Rover P5 coupe on LPG, if I had the cash.
helmuthoorn 9 months ago
@helmuthoorn Yeah, those italians were pretty bad in that era. lol
yerboogieman 7 months ago
The syncro has only gone on 2nd, so it would be easier to double declutch when changing down. My old Thames 400E vans, one with a 3 speed box and no syncro on 1st, and a 4 speed box with the syncro gone on 2nd would change down noislessly with double declutching. All my early Fords had column changes and I really can`t see why they weren`t more popular.
merlinbus 1 year ago
Synchronizers in that tranny or no?
Arundodonax 1 year ago
@Arundodonax
Well the sychro is kind of knackered - being 50 years old and well abused so it was a case of grind un find.............................
cirrus216 1 year ago
Ye, it's actually interesting to drive column change, i did forget to mention that the from the British cars I've driven, all except the Morris traveler, had column change.
One friend of mine asked even how I managed to drive the column change.....:).
CMRomeo 2 years ago
Yes , I love column change , wouldnt want anything else. Ive often come across people like your friend who say they could never manage to drive column change vehicles. Years ago I was given the column change van at work ( a Mazda van ) because it was column change and no one else would drive it. As I ve said you can still get column change manual transmissions , mostly on Japanese vans and pickups. Soon I will post some pics of some including my own Toyota pickup and some of the company vans.
bigwoolleypenguin 1 year ago
My 1973 Dodge Coronet had three on the tree, and you had to be really careful on the 1-2 shift because the linkage would bind with the tranny in first and the shifter in neutral; had to park it and jiggle the linkage under the hood---uh---bonnet to free it. I have driven several GM cars (mostly mid-sixties to early seventies Buicks and two Chevy pickups) with the same problem, but never had that trouble with the '60 Studebaker.
5610winston 2 years ago
you guys try a 403 peugeot column shift !!! they bent ya head to start with but wow what an excellent car it was..403B 1962..bought ti for 100 bucks..drove it for years..sad i sold it
mikeryry 2 years ago
I used to drive a ( very old now ) Peugeot pickup - belonging to the company I work for -with a column shift .( the company run dozens of pickups to this day - all still column change ! ) I dont recall what model it was .. It was back in 1986 / 1987 and it was old then. It was replaced with a brand new ( then ) Bedford KB26 -one of my all time favorite vehicles. I dont know Peugeots well Im afraid.
Was Columbos car a 403 ?
bigwoolleypenguin 2 years ago
I passed my driving test with a column change in a Renault 16TS, always remember thinking I'll never manage to master this, and yet it was simple. Pull lever towards you for 1st & 2nd 1st being clockwise, let the lever spring back to middle for 3rd & 4th, 3rd being clockwise. You pushed towards dash and down I think for reverse. Was 1978 It was no more difficult than a conventional gear stick today... Happy Days.
Bevoin1970 2 years ago
I had the six cylinder Austin A105/6 Westminster that had the four speed column shift. Used to be a mechanic at the time in Durban South Africa with BMC so know all about these Morris Oxfords and the reat of them. Unusual to find a column shift on a four cylinder. The six cylinder Wolseley 6/90 had a floor shift but it was mounted right next to the drivers front door. Linkage used to wear very quickly, as did the front Armstrong Shocks on these cars.
steinwaygrande1 2 years ago 2
I don't think I couldn't ever be an enthusiast of this car....
craig9843 2 years ago
Column shift manual transmissions are still available , mostly on Japanese vans and trucks. I currently drive a company van , a 1998 Vauxhall Midi ( actually a rebadged Isuzu van ) which has a 5 speed on the column. The company also has some new Nissan 2 -wheel drive pickups which have 5 speed manual column shift transmissions and also some older Toyota pickups which are all 5 -speed on the column. I love column shifters and learned to drive on one and have one on my own pickup.
bigwoolleypenguin 2 years ago
You bring me a lot of memories with this car.oxford is the first car i did my first driving practice.the same vintage car morris oxford 1965 is mine now and i am in process of repairing it ( it was abandon in garage for 10 years.) when is ready i will upload a video with it. by the way the video is perfect. i have been watching it more than 5 times.well done.
40stel 2 years ago
Nothing like driving an old '70s GMC pickup with a 3-speed column shift...that's where "back-it-up" came from...
douro20 2 years ago
Yep, column change just feels more natural. Why did we ever migrate to the floor shift? Even automatic cars in the UK have floor mounted selectors.
cirrus216 2 years ago
I had a 67 Oxford a few years back, I was surprised at how modern it felt to drive, it was quite perky and all the controls were light and easy to use, wish I still had it. lovely car!
mickeymoose76 3 years ago 3
Agree with that - strange how that today in the snow we've got currently, I felt more in control driving an Oxford rather than my daily driver which is 4 years old.
cirrus216 3 years ago
this was great i had one a 64 column
1622 cc i remember you had to pull the stick out and down for reverse .
cheers mate brought back good memorys
deanonewz 3 years ago 4
Yep, definitely beats the old boring floor change as you get the bench seat with it as well!
cirrus216 3 years ago
how many gears does it have
andawg12 3 years ago 3
4 forward 1 reverse if you're lucky! The linkages do get a bit sloppy though for a 46 year car, that's not bad.
cirrus216 3 years ago
I just love that crackly old exhaust note! What a banger. I guess the old sychro on second gear has gone given the odd crunch I could hear!
classicBMCman 3 years ago 2