The FORD Lounge

[salans7]

If you listen to the coverage, Ford was thinking of closing Norfolk Assembly after the 1979 model year. The decision to keep it open was probably partially due to the union. After the decision was made, the plant had to be retooled for the different frame configuration, body parts etc. Remember there was a major body and frame change from 1979-1980. The 1979 frame wasn't that far removed from the 1965 Twin I-beam frame, the 1980, steering box was moved, engine moved back and down, dash was plastic instead of steel, inner fenders plastic etc.

They really were the "First new truck of the 80s".

It's cool to see where my truck(s) came from. It's even cooler to see an early bullnose on the assembly line.

 

[Rembrant]

They really were the "First new truck of the 80s".

It's cool to see where my truck(s) came from. It's even cooler to see an early bullnose on the assembly line.

 

In case anybody was wondering how an automatic transmission worked.

[Gary Lewis]

In case anybody was wondering how an automatic transmission worked.

That's my experience with a C6. Exactly.

[Ray Cecil]

In case anybody was wondering how an automatic transmission worked.

Thats a good one cory.

I have been running all over the place the last two week. My employer rented me a 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited. 8 speed automatic. Manual mode. Its got a 290hp v6. Its quick, but boring. Shifts are slow and sloppy.

I hadnt even started the 82 flareside in the last month. I made the boy go through their toys and make a pile for donation, and we loaded up the blue truck and headed to goodwill.

HUGE difference going from a 2019 8 speed auto, back to a 1982 4 speed manual. But I have to say....Id still rather drive the 82. No one compliments that brand new jeep. EVERY time I get the 82 out, someone compliments it. Kids love it. Old farts at the gas station light up and come talk to me. I love it, and will never sell it.

[85lebaront2]

In case anybody was wondering how an automatic transmission worked.

Newer ones are much improved, with the exception of the CVTs which in their purest form remind me of a Dynaflow or Turboglide, both of which did not really shift, but did have effectively 2 or 3 different ratios. A whole lot of engine rpm and you picked up speed till the effective gear was direct.

One interesting tidbit, the lock up torque converter dates to 1949 when Packard introduced their Ultramatic Drive, Studebaker's Automatic Drive in 1950. Both used a converter clutch for direct. The original Ultramatic Drive started in high then after the speed needed to overcome the throttle pressure would go into lockup. in 1954 it was changed to allow starting in low gear, then to high and finally to direct. The transmission looked like a Powerglide on steroids. The Studebaker transmission started in intermediate, which was a partial reduction, then shifted to direct with the converter clutch. The transmissions were built by Detroit Gear, now part of Borg-Warner and a number of European cars used them, most well know was Jaguar.

If you think politics makes strange bedfellows, Ford and GM now have several shared transmissions and FWD transaxles. The 10 speed truck transmission is a 10R80 from Ford and a 10L80 or 90 from GM, the FWD 6 speed in our Flex is a 6F50 from Ford and a 6T50 from GM. The letter differences are Ford calls them F for FWD and R for RWD, GM calls the T for transverse (FWD) and L for longitudinal (RWD). Both these are shared products.

[Gary Lewis]

Newer ones are much improved, with the exception of the CVTs which in their purest form remind me of a Dynaflow or Turboglide, both of which did not really shift, but did have effectively 2 or 3 different ratios. A whole lot of engine rpm and you picked up speed till the effective gear was direct.

One interesting tidbit, the lock up torque converter dates to 1949 when Packard introduced their Ultramatic Drive, Studebaker's Automatic Drive in 1950. Both used a converter clutch for direct. The original Ultramatic Drive started in high then after the speed needed to overcome the throttle pressure would go into lockup. in 1954 it was changed to allow starting in low gear, then to high and finally to direct. The transmission looked like a Powerglide on steroids. The Studebaker transmission started in intermediate, which was a partial reduction, then shifted to direct with the converter clutch. The transmissions were built by Detroit Gear, now part of Borg-Warner and a number of European cars used them, most well know was Jaguar.

If you think politics makes strange bedfellows, Ford and GM now have several shared transmissions and FWD transaxles. The 10 speed truck transmission is a 10R80 from Ford and a 10L80 or 90 from GM, the FWD 6 speed in our Flex is a 6F50 from Ford and a 6T50 from GM. The letter differences are Ford calls them F for FWD and R for RWD, GM calls the T for transverse (FWD) and L for longitudinal (RWD). Both these are shared products.

Bill - I well remember the Terribleglide and the Dynaflush. Dad's Buicks had the latter, and a friend with a Tri-Power 348 in a '60 Chevy had the former. And he wouldn't even THINK about running my '58 348/WCFB w/a 3-speed out of a six cylinder. (Yes, young ones, in Chevroletland any tranny fits any engine.) The Terribleglide made his car SLOW off the line. But it would ROLL on top end.

Didn't know about the Packard/Stupidbaker tranny. That's interesting. Wish others would have adopted the lock-up converter far earlier.

[Rembrant]

HUGE difference going from a 2019 8 speed auto, back to a 1982 4 speed manual. But I have to say....Id still rather drive the 82. No one compliments that brand new jeep. EVERY time I get the 82 out, someone compliments it. Kids love it. Old farts at the gas station light up and come talk to me. I love it, and will never sell it.

My daily driver is a VW Golf diesel with the 6 speed DSG auto transmission. I have been driving manuals for many years, but I bought this Golf with the DSG specifically because I wanted an automatic trans. The two reasons were that 1. So my wife could drive it on the rare occasion that she needs to...which I usually only twice per year when I take her car to the shop, and 2. because I was getting really tired of the stick shift in traffic. I don't spend a lot of time in traffic, but when I do, it was punishing in a manual trans car. I quite like this little auto, but it's nothing special...it's just an appliance, like a washing machine.

 

[Gary Lewis]

HUGE difference going from a 2019 8 speed auto, back to a 1982 4 speed manual. But I have to say....Id still rather drive the 82. No one compliments that brand new jeep. EVERY time I get the 82 out, someone compliments it. Kids love it. Old farts at the gas station light up and come talk to me. I love it, and will never sell it.

My daily driver is a VW Golf diesel with the 6 speed DSG auto transmission. I have been driving manuals for many years, but I bought this Golf with the DSG specifically because I wanted an automatic trans. The two reasons were that 1. So my wife could drive it on the rare occasion that she needs to...which I usually only twice per year when I take her car to the shop, and 2. because I was getting really tired of the stick shift in traffic. I don't spend a lot of time in traffic, but when I do, it was punishing in a manual trans car. I quite like this little auto, but it's nothing special...it's just an appliance, like a washing machine.

Back in '72 I bought a new F250 w/a 390 and a C6. We put a 9 1/2' self-contained camper on it and drove it all over. Loved the 390, but not so the C6. Always wished I'd bought the 4-speed, which was probably the NP435.

Now I have Big Blue and the manual in it makes it feel like a real truck. And driving it is a much more involved experience. In traffic you are always thinking about what gear you need to be in instead of letting the truck pick the gear.

But I'll admit that towing with Blue is much more laid back than towing with Big Blue. Perhaps with the new engine and the ZF5 it'll be easier in Big Blue, but Blue makes it so easy. No muss, no fuss, just can do.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Back in '72 I bought a new F250 w/a 390 and a C6. We put a 9 1/2' self-contained camper on it and drove it all over. Loved the 390, but not so the C6. Always wished I'd bought the 4-speed, which was probably the NP435.

Now I have Big Blue and the manual in it makes it feel like a real truck. And driving it is a much more involved experience. In traffic you are always thinking about what gear you need to be in instead of letting the truck pick the gear.

But I'll admit that towing with Blue is much more laid back than towing with Big Blue. Perhaps with the new engine and the ZF5 it'll be easier in Big Blue, but Blue makes it so easy. No muss, no fuss, just can do.

And therein lies the difference.

Whether you choose to be engaged in what you're doing, or want to just be along for the ride.

I dislike my gearbox when stuck in traffic, but whenever driving an automatic my left foot is constantly looking for something to do.

[Nothing Special]

And therein lies the difference.

Whether you choose to be engaged in what you're doing, or want to just be along for the ride.

I dislike my gearbox when stuck in traffic, but whenever driving an automatic my left foot is constantly looking for something to do.

I've rarely minded rowing a manual trans (the exception was my '08 F-250 that shifted so badly that Ford bought it back from me after I filed a lemon-law claim). But I don't really mind an auto trans either except when it shifts when I don't want it to, or doesn't shift when I do want it to. Unfortunately that happens at least some with all auto trannies and almost all the time with some. So it's a rare auto trans that I don't dislike quite a bit (the E4ODs in my old '95 F-150 with a 351W and my current '97 F-250 with a 460 seem to be the least objectionable to me).