1977 Mercury Monarch
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Cruise-O-Matic: Part One
- Thread starter Ultramatic
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1980 Buick Electra
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1982 Lincoln
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You're welcomed Bob. I came home in a 61' Impala 4 door. Earliest car I can remember since my dad kept it until 1965.
In January 1968 I took my drivers license test in the neighbors 1961 Chevrolet Nomad Station wagon. It had a 348 V8 and Tubro Hydra Matic, not Powerglide. I went to Point Arena, Calif. to take my test. There was only one stop sign in the whole town. The examiner was more interested in the car than my driving, relating to me that he used to own on just like it and wished he’d never sold it. At one point I looked at the speedometer and realized I was doing 35 in a 25 and thought I’d failed the test. He just, said, “Kid, I like the way you drive, take me back now”. I got 100 pts and my license.
Eddie
Eddie
My neighbors up the street had a '61 Chevrolet Brookwood station wagon in Arbor Green for several years. I saw one just like it going down the road a few weeks ago - probably to one of the several cruise-ins in the area.
appliguy
Well-known member
It had a 348 V8 and Tubro Hydra Matic, not Powerglide.
Eddie unless the original transmission in that 1961 Nomad was replaced at a later date... I think the transmission was Turbo GLIDE which was offered as a 3 speed alternative to Powerglide offered from 1957 to 1961. PAT COFFEY
Eddie unless the original transmission in that 1961 Nomad was replaced at a later date... I think the transmission was Turbo GLIDE which was offered as a 3 speed alternative to Powerglide offered from 1957 to 1961. PAT COFFEY
Yes, Pat you are correct, it was a Turbo Glide. After I posted, I realized that Chevrolet’s 3 speed auto was a Tubro Glide, not Turbo Hydra Matic. I did know it was a Turbo something though.
Eddie[this post was last edited: 10/10/2018-17:09]
Eddie[this post was last edited: 10/10/2018-17:09]
Turboglide
It gets technical, but this article explains that Turboglide was not exactly a three speed transmission as we normally think of them, but a triple-turbine transmission that used torque multiplication only for acceleration— there was in effect only one forward gear, even for descending hills!
https://ateupwithmotor.com/terms-technology-definitions/hydramatic-history-part-2/5/
It gets technical, but this article explains that Turboglide was not exactly a three speed transmission as we normally think of them, but a triple-turbine transmission that used torque multiplication only for acceleration— there was in effect only one forward gear, even for descending hills!
https://ateupwithmotor.com/terms-technology-definitions/hydramatic-history-part-2/5/
vacerator
Well-known member
The Turboglide
was troublesome. Buick called their version the Flight Pitch. Their were several transmissions all called Hydramatic's, as it was GM's division which made them all.
A few could even be push started, because they had a front, and a rear pump. Those were history by the late 1960's.
The 2 speed Powerglide was the most reliable and efficient before the 3 speed Turbohydramatic 350, and 400's debuted.
There was one called the Slim Jim, one called Roto-hydramatic used in the '60-'63 B.O.P. compact cars, a Super Roto-hydramatic, often confused as a Slim Jim, as both had an emptying fluid sump from first to second gear.
Check out Charlie Tranny site. He explains them all well enough, and has some nos/rebuild parts as well.
was troublesome. Buick called their version the Flight Pitch. Their were several transmissions all called Hydramatic's, as it was GM's division which made them all.
A few could even be push started, because they had a front, and a rear pump. Those were history by the late 1960's.
The 2 speed Powerglide was the most reliable and efficient before the 3 speed Turbohydramatic 350, and 400's debuted.
There was one called the Slim Jim, one called Roto-hydramatic used in the '60-'63 B.O.P. compact cars, a Super Roto-hydramatic, often confused as a Slim Jim, as both had an emptying fluid sump from first to second gear.
Check out Charlie Tranny site. He explains them all well enough, and has some nos/rebuild parts as well.
IIRC our 1960 Impala had a Turboglide transmission. It sure gave a smooth ride!
Our 1960 Kingwood station wagon had Turboglide. It was traded in fall of 1965 for a 1966 Impala Super Sport with the 2-speed transmission. My dad needed a car with bucket seats for his back post back surgery.
I owned a 67’ Buick Skylark 2 dr HT with a small 300 V8 and one of the later versions of the Buick Turbine auto trans. I bought this car used in March of 77’ it had 108,000+ miles and I drove it until Nov. 81’. It had over 180,000 miles on it when I trade it. I had the trans rebuilt in 79’ for $250.00! This was the smoothest auto trans car I ever drove and I consistently got 19 mpg with combined stop and go and hwy driving. It really was my most favorite car out of the 23 cars I’ve owned in the last 49 years. It had more than adequete power, shifted as smooth as silk, rode like it was on a cloud and handled nimbly for an intermediate size car of its day.
If I ever found another and had a way to buy it I sure would.
I also thought that the Chevrolet Powerglide trans. were fine cars too. They got good mpg and were smooth driving cars. The new auto trans cars don’t shift as smoothly IMHO, but then I’ve not driven any of the high end variety,so they may be better. But all these extra gears in an attempt to improve mpg and performance just aren’t as pleaserable to drive as the older auto trans cars with Powerglide, Dynaflow, Turboglide and the like.
Eddie
If I ever found another and had a way to buy it I sure would.
I also thought that the Chevrolet Powerglide trans. were fine cars too. They got good mpg and were smooth driving cars. The new auto trans cars don’t shift as smoothly IMHO, but then I’ve not driven any of the high end variety,so they may be better. But all these extra gears in an attempt to improve mpg and performance just aren’t as pleaserable to drive as the older auto trans cars with Powerglide, Dynaflow, Turboglide and the like.
Eddie
1906 Studebaker
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1910 Speedwell Special "50"
1927 Pierce-Arrow
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1937 Nash, Ambassador Six 4-Door Sedan
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1948 White
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1953 Plymouth
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1963 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
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