K-cars

[Jon A.]

Originally Posted by dieseljeep

A friend had a '58 Mercury that had a form of a push button transmission.
It had a park position lever that had to slid to the right. IDK, if the neutral button had to be pushed before the park was set. The transmission stayed in drive while the engine was in fast idle. The transmission burned up.
IIRC, the push button selector was outlawed by the government, stating all automatic transmission cars had to be uniform to minimize mishaps.

Are you certain it was a Mercury? I was able to find photos of Mopars with a park slider but all the photos of late-50s Mercury controls I've seen show a park lever that resembles a hood release. By the way I'm a little confused by the presence of a "hill control" button in the Mercurys, seems redundant with a park lever. I suppose that could have been what they called the parking brake considering the presence of the "brake release" button.

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by Jon A.

Are you certain it was a Mercury? I was able to find photos of Mopars with a park slider but all the photos of late-50s Mercury controls I've seen show a park lever that resembles a hood release. By the way I'm a little confused by the presence of a "hill control" button in the Mercurys, seems redundant with a park lever. I suppose that could have been what they called the parking brake considering the presence of the "brake release" button.

I'm trying to remember something that happened around 50 years ago, but I'm positive it was a Mercury. I drove the owner to the used car lot to pick it up. The owner told me the circumstances of the trans failure. I wasn't there.

[bgadow]

Originally Posted by dieseljeep

I'm trying to remember something that happened around 50 years ago, but I'm positive it was a Mercury. I drove the owner to the used car lot to pick it up. The owner told me the circumstances of the trans failure. I wasn't there.

When I was a kid I rode in a car with my father and this mechanic he knew. I thought it was a Pontiac but it my have been a Mercury; late 50's/early 60's regardless, and I remember it has a lever on the dash for the transmission. I've also seen a dash lever on early/mid-60's Dodge pickups.