<VV> question about manual shifter / shift pattern on early FC

[Sethracer at aol.com]

In a message dated 7/12/2007 6:06:59 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,  
flippers at sashimi.org writes:

A Newbie  question, but I have to ask:

The FC primer reads: "the manual shifter  on the early FCs is a little 
unusual" and that "it is mounted on a vertical  panel under the front bench seat and 
is operated with a different motion  (up-down instead of forward-back) than 
is common".

What does this  mean?  Can someone describe the shift pattern and shift lever 
 motion?  

Thanks,

- Steve




Us non-FC regular Corvair guys refer to that as the "Guess-a-gear" shifter.  
I would describe the pattern as "H" -(more or less). And describe the motion 
as  "Monkey". Driving one of these is a learning experience, and if you can 
learn to  drive one and shift correctly, you can probably learn how to shift any 
Corvair  (shift tube bushings be damned!) or any other car, for that matter!  
And if  you go from one of the early FCs to a 63 1/2 or later model, with the 
floor  mounted lever, you will think someone stuck a Hurst Shifter in while  
you weren't looking. Too bad the linkage goes through the gas tank!
 
-Seth Emerson (who once had a Hurst shifter in a  Corvair)



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