# The old 3 on-the-tree, do you remember?



## Aunt Marg (Dec 19, 2020)

I learned how to drive a 3 on-the-tree car in my teens. 

Today's generation of young whipper-snappers and little buckaroos wouldn't even know what a "3 on-the-tree" is! ROFLMAO!


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## Pam (Dec 19, 2020)

Not just young whipper-snappers. This is the first time I've ever heard the expression "3 on the tree". Had to look it up.


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## Aunt Marg (Dec 19, 2020)

Pam said:


> Not just young whipper-snappers. This is the first time I've ever heard the expression "3 on the tree". Had to look it up.


LOL!

I'll bet there aren't many still running around out there, Pam, so it doesn't surprise me that probably more people than not, wouldn't have the slightest as to what a 3 on-the-tree is.


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## Don M. (Dec 19, 2020)

Yup....3 on the tree, and 4 on the floor.


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## Aunt Marg (Dec 19, 2020)

Don M. said:


> Yup....3 on the tree, and 4 on the floor.


Oh, yes, 4 on-the-floor, too! 

So happy I learned how to drive a standard.


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## Damaged Goods (Dec 19, 2020)

I'm probably older than anyone here yet learned to drive on auto until the Army with their jeeps and 3/4 ton pickups.

Meanwhile folks who drive semis have 10-18 fwd. gears.


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## Aunt Marg (Dec 19, 2020)

Damaged Goods said:


> I'm probably older than anyone here yet learned to drive on auto until the Army with their jeeps and 3/4 ton pickups.
> 
> Meanwhile folks who drive semis have 10-18 fwd. gears.


I remember going for a ride in an old dump truck in my teens, and I swear that truck had 70 gears! LOL!


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## Damaged Goods (Dec 19, 2020)

Don M. said:


> Yup....3 on the tree, and 4 on the floor.


Recall when the guys had 4 on the floor they saved their coins for a Hurst shifter.  Did that make a difference in performance?


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## win231 (Dec 19, 2020)

My first car was a Three-on-the-tree.  When I was around 10, my mom had a Ford like that.  But she constantly struggled to drive it - always grinding the gears.  I grew up thinking that grinding noise was normal.  I think she just didn't fully depress the clutch.


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## Autumn (Dec 19, 2020)

I learned to drive on my grandpa's 1952 Ford F1 with 3 on the tree...the one in the photo is restored, his was red and pretty beat up by the time I learned to drive in 1964...after that, I moved up to a VW Beetle with 4 on the floor.  First drove an automatic when I was in my late 30s.


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## Aunt Marg (Dec 19, 2020)

win231 said:


> My first car was a Three-on-the-tree.  When I was around 10, my mom had a Ford like that.  But she constantly struggled to drive it - always grinding the gears.  I grew up thinking that grinding noise was normal.  I think she just didn't fully depress the clutch.


I remember being taught to sort of finesse the gear lever between gears... allowing it to auto-centre itself in the neutral position before engaging it into the next gear selection.


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## Aunt Marg (Dec 19, 2020)

Autumn said:


> View attachment 140577
> I learned to drive on my grandpa's 1952 Ford F1 with 3 on the tree...the one in the photo is restored, his was red and pretty beat up by the time I learned to drive in 1964...after that, I moved up to a VW Beetle with 4 on the floor.  First drove an automatic when I was in my late 30s.


What a lovely memory!

I remember my aunts VW Beetle!

Now those were fun cars!


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## Don M. (Dec 19, 2020)

I would like to see "paddle shifters" available on new cars.  There are a few out there, but mostly on expensive sports cars.  There are times, especially when driving in bad weather, where being able to control the transmission quickly with a simple fingertip "click" while keeping both hands on the steering wheel might come in handy.


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## Gary O' (Dec 19, 2020)

win231 said:


> My first car was a Three-on-the-tree.


Mine too

'54 Chevy two door post
I could actually get rubber when slamming into 2nd
...well....it was a 'chirp'.....still
wore that ol' six out


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## Aunt Marg (Dec 19, 2020)

Gary O' said:


> Mine too
> 
> '54 Chevy two door post
> I could actually get rubber when slamming into 2nd
> ...


And here when I was learning I was always told, "_you can't speed shift with a 3 on-the-tree_".


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## Gary O' (Dec 19, 2020)

Aunt Marg said:


> And here when I was learning I was always told, "_you can't speed shift with a 3 on-the-tree_".


Gotta love a challenge


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## needshave (Dec 19, 2020)

Good Morning Aunt Marg.....SO nice to see you so early this morning.

Yes, I remember three on the tree and four by the knee.  I collect antique cars and I have several vehicles that have that great thief proof option.

29 Buick Coupe, 
39 Potiac Business Coupe, three on the tree
51 DeSoto, three on the tree
51 Chev 3100 Pick up, three on the tree

 I drive these vehicles in the summer months and enjoy their unique place in time. I taught my son to drive with a manual trans, then finally taught him to drive the 3100. It was great fun and we still laugh about his first experiences driving the 3100 and trying to stop at a stop light on a hill then starting off from a dead stop. It took two of them. My son to drive the 3100 and a friend to flag traffic.


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## Ken N Tx (Dec 20, 2020)

Damaged Goods said:


> I'm probably older than anyone here yet learned to drive on auto until the Army with their jeeps and 3/4 ton pickups.
> 
> Meanwhile folks who drive semis have 10-18 fwd. gears.





Aunt Marg said:


> I remember going for a ride in an old dump truck in my teens, and I swear that truck had 70 gears! LOL!


I learned on the 3 on the tree and then had a Hurst on the floor...Also drove a 13 speed when I started trucking for a living.


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## Tommy (Dec 20, 2020)

I guess I've gotten lazy in my old age.  The truck is still a manual (6-speed on the floor) but the last couple of daily drivers have been automatics. I still find that a manual transmission gives me far more control, but it's "active driving" and, well ... as stated ... I've gotten lazy.


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## old medic (Dec 20, 2020)

We both grew up with a 3 on the tree.... Actually am hunting for an old Dodge van like we had...
Both our kids hated me for there driving lessons....
They had to be able to take off in my Toyota pickup UP the hill of our GRAVEL driveway...
without spinning or stalling....


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## Aunt Marg (Dec 20, 2020)

needshave said:


> Good Morning Aunt Marg.....SO nice to see you so early this morning.
> 
> Yes, I remember three on the tree and four by the knee.  I collect antique cars and I have several vehicles that have that great thief proof option.
> 
> ...


Good morning to you, too, Needshave!

Hope you're doing well and that you're as ready as you're going to be for the holiday season.

ROFL, regarding it taking two (your son along with a friend) to drive the 3 on the tree!

Roll, stall... roll, stall... I remember so well, and also remember the beads of sweat that would form when a car pulled up right behind me on a hill. 

I overcame my jitters with clutch and gas, and eventually became quite efficient at driving that old beast.

My husband was a pro though, as he would operate the clutch with his left foot, and toeing the brake and heeling the gas at the same time with his right foot, no hill ever got in the way, not even a smidgeon of a rollback. It was as if you were in an automatic.


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## Aunt Marg (Dec 20, 2020)

Ken N Tx said:


> I learned on the 3 on the tree and then had a Hurst on the floor...Also drove a 13 speed when I started trucking for a living.


I remember in high-school, the guys used to cast their own aluminum Hurst shifters in metal work class, and for all other guys, a white cue ball or an 8-ball was used.


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## Damaged Goods (Dec 20, 2020)

Damaged Goods said:


> I'm probably older than anyone here yet learned to drive on auto until the Army with their jeeps and 3/4 ton pickups.
> 
> Meanwhile folks who drive semis have 10-18 fwd. gears.


Closest I came to owning a manual transmission was a '72 Beetle which was advertised as an "automatic stick shift."    Don't recall if it was 3 or 4 fwd. but there was no clutch.

Quite a comedown after putting 100k miles on a gorgeous '67 Camaro, sold for $1 to younger bro who put close to another 100k  on it.


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