eBay Item Descriptions/Fluid Drive

[TheCarNutz@xxxxxxx]

In a message dated 3/14/02 4:28:48 AM Pacific Standard Time, pinkertonk@xxxxxxxxx writes:


> 50's used fluid drive and had a clutch pedal.  Fluid
> drive was a semi-automatic deal, therefore the
> advertisement is correct.
>
> Kerry


Sorry Kerry, but I must add my gray haired opinion here.  Fluid Drive is a type of clutch and not a transmission.  From a users standpoint, it's purpose is to eliminate the need to depress the clutch pedal when coming to a stop.  Although you can then pull out in the gear you were in when stopping, it takes forever to get going because you would have a conventional 3 speed column shift behind it, and third gear doesn't exactly get you moving.  So normally, most people would pull up to a stop and depress the clutch pedal, downshift to first gear and let the clutch pedal out until ready to go forward.  With Fluid Drive you still have to push in the clutch to change gears.  The semi-automatic transmission was made available in addition to the Fluid Drive clutch, and carried various names depending on which Mopar it came in, although the Fluid Drive clutch was more apt to be found in Dodge models without the semi-auto trans, more than Chryslers or DeSotos.
                                                             Bill B.
                                                             57 Imperial Southampton
                                                             51 & 52 Crown Imperial limos +
                                                             52 Dodge pickup with Fluid Drive