Ever Drive a "3-on-the-tree"?

[TBow]

I was flipping through some music videos tonight on YouTube and was watching Darius Rucker's "Wagon Wheel" and low and behold there were the Duck Dynasty boys in the video. A couple of them were driving some vintage pickups and I saw them manually shift two of the trucks with the "3-on-the-tree" shift configuration. I got to wondering how many people have actually ever driven a standard shift vehicle with the manual shifter on the steering column.

About 25% of the vehicles that I've owned have been manual transmissions and one was even the good old steering column manual shifter.

So just curious:

1. How many have experienced the "3-on-the-tree" shifter?

2. How many still struggle with a manual transmission?

One would think that with questions like theses, that someone has WAY TOO MUCH TIME on their hands, but surprisingly, my free time of late is on an extreme premium!

TBow

[Ravin R10 man]

Thats what I started out learning on...'67 chevy loked like this, but cant remember what color

Google Image Result for http://www.gmcpauls.com/Pix/Keller%2067%20Chevy%20SS.jpg

[Ethan Givan]

We have a 1984 Ford F-250 that we use for farming that is 3 on the tree. We have always referred to it as 3 on the column instead of 3 on the tree. It takes a little getting used to but its not bad to drive.

I love driving a 4 or 5 speed manual transmission. Give me a Jeep Wrangler with 5 on the floor, and thats just fun right there!!

[wtnhunt]

Learned to drive a manual before ever driving an automatic. And have driven a few different vehicles with column shifts, but been a good while since.

[dbHunterNY]

Learned to drive a manual before ever driving an automatic. And have driven a few different vehicles with column shifts, but been a good while since.

same here.

[whitetailfreak55]

Yep grew up driving a jeep 5 speed before touching an automatic. Never have drove 3 on the tree though

[RangerClay]

Boy this takes me back. Learned 3 on the tree from an old Chevy truck.

[stevebeilgard]

i had a '58 ford 6 cyllinder with a 3 on the tee. i also had a '66 olds with a 4 on the floor. and a fifth under the seat... lol

[Trevor]

I learned to drive on my grandparents farm when I was around 14 or 15 years old. My grandpa had an old Chevy with three on the tree that I drove on the farm. Those were some fun summer vacations.

[redkneck]

Used to drive a 79 Chevy stepside, 82 Ford, and also a 72 Ford all with 3 speed columns

[Adjam5]

Oh yeah. I think my first car was a 69 or 70 Ford Econoline van. It had 3 on the tree. Cab forward design also. You sat over the front wheels. Got a lot out of 1st gear too if I remember correctly before shifting. The clutch pedal came out of the floor. Not the firewall like today.

Wow...You took me back a bit.

[Shaun_300]

I drove one once, it was a 79 Chevy half ton when I was in high school. Much prefer a stick shift transmission over an auto. My car was a standard and my truck is a standard. Next car is hopefully going to be a Camaro in the next year, which will also be a standard. Just find the auto's way too boring to drive lol.

[Nut]

My 1st car..1971 Chevy Nova

[rbduck]

Learned on a 64 Rambler stationwagon 220 for me. Drove a duece and a half a lot in the military plus a few other vehicles after that with "three on the tree"also. I personally think everyone should leaarn to drive on a standard.

Ron

[elkoholic]

My first car was a '52 Ford coupe with a flat head V8 with three on the tree that I learned to drive on the farm. Once manual transmissions started coming with synchro's (the first synchromesh transmission came out in 1952, made by Porsche) it became a whole lot easier to learn how to drive/shift a manual transmission car. Double clutching to shift through the gears became a thing of the past. If you ever wondered where that phrase came from, now you know. If you have the touch, modern manual transmissions can be shifted up through the gears without even using the clutch.

[hammerforged]

I learned how to drive on a 56 Chevy Apache Pick-Up with a 3 on the tree. Dang, I wish I still had that truck!

[Strut10]

Never owned a 3-on-the-tree but I've driven them.

Could never quite figure out what the fellow who invented that shifter was smoking when he thought it up. LOL !!

It certainly was NOT the choice of street racers anywhere !!

[Ultradog]

LOL,

This thread reminds me I must be getting old.

I grew up with them and the first car I ever drove had it.

The last one I owned was a 69 Rambler American I drove for most of my college years.

[dlriggins]

Yep took a girl on a first date in an old Dodge the old man had you should have seen the look on her face when I let her drive (or fail to drive) that old thing and she couldn't even start it because she didn't understand that it wasn't an auto or what the left pedal was for. Ha!

[cowboy778]

First car was a 79 Ford Maverick 3 on the tree and no power steering great car though...

[Rhino]

1st car I ever owned was a 57 Chevy with 3 on the tree...235 flat head 6 under the hood. Spent my early years driving manual shift vehicles. Driven a number of vehicles with 3 on the tree and later stick shift. Never had a problem with driving anything with manual transmissions.

[TBow]

My 3-on-the-tree was a '53 Dodge Fargo with a flat head 6, a 6 volt electrical system and a floor mount foot starter button. Today I'm driving a truck with a lot more power and a heap more options, but not nearly as much fun as that 'ol Fargo was.

TBow

[fly]

In high school I had a 69 Ford Fairlane - three on the tree.

Wasn't cool enough for me, so I bought a used transmission out of a Mustang Mach 1, cut a hole in the floorboard for the shifter and converted it to a 4 on the floor.

I'd never try that with today's cars.