Quote:
Originally Posted by Electronic M
I wasn't familiar with the Packard push button control for the ultramatic (you don't see a lot Packard's outdoors in my neck of the woods). I wonder what Packard used for a linkage?  |
According to Wikipedia article I linked to above, Packard's pushbutton Ultradrive, like Edsel's Teletouch, used electronic methods to select gears. Unfortunately, the motor they used (a modified starter) was not well-suited for the task, often having difficulties shifting the transmission out of park while the car was parked on a steep hill, popping its circuit breaker and leaving the driver stranded.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Electronic M
The Edsel used an electronic pushbutton system and supposedly some cars developed steering dependent shorts in the shift wiring causing the transmission to freakout on turns...That had to be fun.  IIRC horn rings not on the hub of the steering wheel we're more common up to the time of the Edsel so there probably we're more accidental honk shifts when the got to be a few years old than when new. |
Yes, contact issues were one of
numerous issues Edsel ran into with their pushbutton transmission, including many of the same problems Packard had had with their system (Ford used a modified wiper motor instead of a starter, which didn't prove much better). One of the oddest aspects of the Teletouch system has nothing directly to do with the transmission itself, but the promotional mask seen at the bottom of
this page. I have no idea what they were thinking..........
Quote:
Originally Posted by Electronic M
Chrysler used a standard shift cable with the push buttons pulling the mechanical shift cable to the same points a shift lever would. It was a very reliable system from what I understand. Mopar had atleast one other bezel and button mech during their pushbutton automatic days.... one of my favorite big fin cars is the 60 Plymouth Furry and they have the that other style. Coldwarmotors on YouTube rebuilt the pushbutton mech on the 60 furry he is splicing together.
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Yeah, Chrysler's system worked far better than the electronic method Packard and Edsel/Ford tried. There are many theories as to why it went away for the 1965 model year, including that government regulations regarding standardizing driving controls made them illegal, though
some folks dispute this. Anyway, this is probably my favorite version of their pushbutton panel:
