Powershifting 101

[BBIGG BLOCK 396]

Well in the past it was not really a big problem if you tore something up! But with the money we have tied up in cars today it is wise to shift them differently!
Although I am currently working on a project to do just that! POWERSHIFT it till something breaks.Building a little 67 Dodge Dart with a 69 model 340 bored and stroked to a 416 C.I.,had my Trans Buddy build me a Chrysler A833 just for POWERSHIFTING and I always liked the pistol grip shifters so I am going to incoporate a pistol Grip handle onto a vertical gate shifter! SHOULD BE FUN! The little 416 C.I.Strokers put out TONS of TORQUE and a lot of HORSEPOWER depending on the heads used in the build.One thing I suggest to anyone trying the POWERSHIFTIN THING is that you get a good REV LIMITER installed to prevent a lot of problems! Forgot to mention it also has a 6" drop straight axle in front for that old GASSER look!

[Motion Camaro]

<font color="blue">Sounds very cool. Can't wait to see it.



My powershifting stories:

1) My 66 GTO I shifted sooo hard I ripped the shifter right off the transmission!
Ears were still attached to shifter.
I drove 2nd gear all the way home (about 10 miles).


2a) My 65 Chevelle I shifted 3rd, slipped off the ball &amp; busted my knuckle on the radio! (radio didn't make it either).
2b) I put in a Hurst Super Shifter with a 'T' handle &amp; ripped the shifter off the mount! (jeez)


3) Built a Hemi crashbox for my Vega with a Vertical Gate Shifter &amp; never had that problem again.


The best person I ever saw powershifting was one of the Carbone Bros. in N.Y.
Richie had a Blk 70 Z28 with a 355 &amp; when he shifted the RPM change was not noticable &amp; the front end never dropped.
He would shift the Super Shifter mostly with his wrist (I used my whole body) &amp; never missed a gear or lost a race.
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[68l30]

Great article...I still have my copy! I really enjoied reading this mag esp the articles by Tony D....yeah they were a tad strange but each writer had his own voice....

"Put your right foot flat to the floor....If you can't ..your a wimp....Go get an automatic!"


Steve

[TC]

Hmmmm.....how about side steppin?

The art of speed shifting.....plus slipping your foot off the side of the clutch peddle to shave some time off a shift!

I remember as a kid doing that in a 66' Impala 2 door coupe,327/275 hp three on the tree.
I was pretty sucsessful for quite a while,till'....my foot was quicker than my hand,and first and second gear climbed on top of each other......and broke my (well...mom and dads) transmission case all up!



Tom

[Chris396]

I have power shifted the following. My old 1969 Chevelle SS 396, 1974 Superbeetle, and my 1995 Geo Metro. I don't do it anymore.

[olredalert]

-------Learned to drive when I was around twelve or thirteen. We lived in the country and nobody really cared. My trainer was a 1948 Jeepster and its sitting at the transmission shop as I type this. At about 15 I had heard about powershifting and gave it a try with the COLUMN shifter. Seemed easy enough at the time and I started doing it just about all the time, except when Dad was around. I pretty generally did nothing but abuse that poor jeep for about 4 years until I could afford a real car (in my mind). My Dad got his revenge when I turned 40 as he gave it to me for my fortieth birthday. He knew Id restore it and correct all the damage I had done in my teens. Been powershifting ever since but at a vastly lesser rate than I used to. Powershifting a 1966 425hp Corvette at the ripe age of 19 the first time was an experience I will never forget!!!!.......Bill S

[ORIGLS6]

Ah yes! 1-2 &amp; 3-4 shifts in my '57, my '68 Chevelle and my '68 Corvette. 2-3 in the '57 could happen too with the Hurst Comp+, but was a definite No-No with the other two and their factory linkage.
2-3 shifts in the Chevelle could be timed with a calendar.

We also damaged a couple of T-10 crash boxes.

God, to think about the stuff we trashed back then................. Today, it's not just about the $$$, it's also about the scarcity of those parts.

[Kim_Howie]

I had a 55 chevy 2dr post in high school 283+125. 301 built it in shop class. I couldn't afford a 4-speed. Broke a ton of three speeds. I put them in with only 2 bolts across from each other made them alot easier to get out when broken. I had a mystery shifter 1st to 2nd was 50/50 chance powershifting it. Had a lot of good times in that car!!!

[mockingbird812]

Terrific topic. Cool article. Sounds like there were quite a few PSers out there. Done it myself a few times in various rides. Very dangerous practice if you or the car hiccup. All I can say is, not certain how it happened, but I sure am happy so many (most) of todays muscle cars still have their original engines and transmissions.

[P.J.]

Power shifted all the time. Both with the club car 56 Pontiac. Ate the competition.I hole shot the competition a car length out of the hole and GIVE ER IN ALL 4 GEARS.
MY 66 CHEVELLE SS I put 70 thousand miles of mostly power shifting.Ate all the automatics I ever ran. When I slip my foot off the clutch sideways the dash would almost come off
from the clutch hitting the stop on the dash, missed a few shifts at first and then I perswaded the gears to go in, or else. .BANG BANG BANG . Never broke a trany M21 in all those years.I had to change clutches because my wife was abusing the car when she went shopping. Parts cost big bucks back then too.Loved it, now however it only happens once in a while.

PJ