Spectre
The Deported
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2007
- Messages
- 36,832
- Location
- Dallas, Texas
- Car(s)
- 00 4Runner | 02 919 | 87 XJ6 | 86 CB700SC
No... NOOOOOO!!!! HOW ON EARTH COULD THEY!? That's insane!
*All* the American makers were slow to move to overdrive transmissions; the American aftermarket/repackage/kit/builder market was even slower to adopt them once they'd come out.
For decades, *nobody* in Detroit or the satellite orbits around it seemed to figure out that overdrive transmissions plus a "normal" rear gear set plus a powerful engine is one way to get good gas mileage. Of course, it didn't help that they had a bad case of NIH and the first US-built electronic overdrive automatics were flaming piles - but still, no excuse for not having a 5 speed manual available sooner. If you got a manual in a US car or even a US built kit/specialty car, it was likely to be a *4* speed, non-overdrive unit. Meanwhile, over in Europe and Asia, while the 4 speed automatic was also a bit problematic, it had had the bugs worked out by the time GM started shipping their first one, and the 5 speed OD manual was standard fare (as best I can tell) by the late 70s for Asian and Euro vehicles.
Instead, what the US makers did (and some Euro makers, especially those selling to the US market with automatic transmissions) was to continue fitting three speed autos and four speed manuals with a tall rear gear. My Series III XJ6 has that configuration - 3 speed non-overdrive auto, 2.88 rear gears. Early BMW 7's imported to the US have a similar setup; though both they and the Series III were available elsewhere in the world with a proper 5 speed gearbox. Such a setup never worked out well, even with a powerful engine.
Now Detroit wonders why we won't come back and buy their cars. Part of it is the lingering suspicion that once again they are not building in the latest technology and that we'd be wasting our money. Again.
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