On Tue, 22 Jun 2004 09:10:04 +0100, Martin Rich
wrote:

On Sun, 20 Jun 2004 11:35:21 GMT, Bill Hayles
wrote:


Things are different now, but when I took my (car) driving test in
1968, many cars didn't have synchromesh, so you got used to it from
the start.


1968 sounds rather late for many cars to be without synchromesh
(though Bill Hayles has explained elsewhere what he was driving at the
time). Certainly it was common to have no synchromesh on first gear -
at least on mass-produced British cars - into the 1960s, but that was
on the basis that you'd only engage first from a standing start, and
wouldn't be reason to learn double de-clutching.

Martin

From my recollection of driving then and well into the 70's, all mass
production cars ended up after 18months/2years without syncro.

It was common practice, at least in my circles, to double de-clutch in
a car as a matter of course as unless the thing was new the cones
would have been worn out.

I still do now as it gives a much smoother wind down of speed for the
passengers without excessive clutch wear. Habits die hard.

When I went to Engineering College I found out why the cones went so
quickly. They were used there as examples of picking the materials for
the jobs.

The idea was that the 1st (if fitted) would be little better than
medium carbon steel, or even just case hardened mild steel, maybe with
a bit of chrome or magnesium thrown in, 2nd a higher quality and so
on, . The reasoning being the amount of use each set would receive.

It is worth remembering that driving then was a different world to
today. No MOT. You were not drunk in charge if you could stand up and
not slur your speech.
Tyres were cross ply and never changed until the second canvas layer
was showing. Steering wheel backlash could be up to 1/8 of a turn or
better. Brakes were drum and maybe cable. Hit them hard at speed and
you were lucky just to have brake fade and loose them towards the end
of braking. Otherwise you just snapped a cable and died.
Ford had vacuum windscreen wipers. Hit the accelerator and the
windscreen wipers near stopped. Take you foot off and they would fly
back and forth, maybe breaking away.

Open roads were more common (even three lane main roads with the
centre lane a passing lane for both directions at once - a death
trap).
However most cars were made with something like a 90mph top speed and
55mph cruising speed. So high speed driving was rare. If you exceeded
the cruising speed for more than a short time the car would overheat.
Now cruising speed and top speed are the same, so when there is a bit
of open road things go much faster. Modern cars can take it (but maybe
not the driver!!). Older cars from then could not.

Different times, different conditions. I loved my first Car, a Morris
Oxford Series 2, 1956, with column gear change (they are in there
somewhere, trick is finding them!!). Magnificent wagon all round. But
today I would be rather scared about the thought of taking one out on
the open road and trying to drive it to suit todays conditions.

Keith J Chesworth


Keith J Chesworth
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