Flight-O-Matic 1st Gear Start

[Joe Nichols]

I have a 1957 Silver Hawk that I am thinking about modifying to a 1st gear start. It has a 289 2bbl engine. I would like to have opinions from the forum members as to whether this is a waste of time & money for a daily driver or, are the benefits worth it?
Thanks for any comments.
Joe

[Rosstude]

I have a 57 Provincial wagon, and did the 1st gear start conversion. I switched back to 2nd gear start after several years, and about 30,000 miles on a daily driver. Truth be told,I like the 2nd gear start better, and more importantly so does my wife who is the primary driver. We have the 259 V/8, and the big wagon still has plenty of punch off the line even in 2nd, and it is smoother starting off in 2nd. If your Hawk is the same (short tail shaft FOM) as our wagon,the 1st gear start can be had by changing 1 spring in the control valve, I pulled the part number from the manual, and got it for about $10 from SASCO. Stude International should have any that SASCO had left.

[img=left]http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g27/Rosstude/OldWorld2005002.jpg[/img=left]
Ross.
Riverside, Ca.
1957 Provincial X2
1958 Transtar

[buddymander]

Do you guys have the same rear ratio?

[Joe Nichols]

Ross, Thanks for the input.
Buddymander, I will have to check my rear ratio and compare it to Ross's.
Joe

[jimmijim8]

Most any Stude V8 should be capable of a normal performing 2nd gear start. I guess it really depends on if you are towing or hauling. If your towing, be realistic, and if your'e haulin' asse, Just make sure it aint too big a one. Well, there's always Nutri-Systems. Check out Marie Osmond. She ain't too hard to look at. Yi Haa!! You dont need no mandatory first steenking gear start. If you want first gear start just do it manually. I can't imagine being relegated to a first gear start in my car. Yes I can and wouldn't want it. If ya got a need for speed just shift it manually at the right rpm so as not to abuse the drive train. You can also jam the pedal to the metal at red lights once they turn green. Should give you first gear start. Don't fix or screw with something if it ain't broke. Other than that do as you like. jimmijim

Stude Junkie+++++++Do it right the f$$$$ Time. Never mind. Just do it right. When youre done your done. You'll know it.

[buddymander]

It's sorta like a spreadbore carb; it's either mild cruising or all out. With the second gear start; you can't just take off sharply. You either have to dog it a little or go all out. Out here in SoCal, when the light goes green we hit it. Even the old ladies squeal the tires sometimes by accident. If you are happy with your second gear start, that just tells me you got too much power on tap to begin with. I don't wanna go thru a bunch of changes with an automatic. If I did, I'd have a stick (which I do), but when my car was the second gear start automatic, I drove it for a while til I got sick of my engine not being to AUTOMATICALLY use its proper torque curve to accellerate from a stop sharply, without having to resort to a drag race hole shot. But alas, just like Studebaker, some people don't wanna give the folks what they want.

[jimmijim8]

What the Huh[?]Do I think you to mean that x missions are geographically or driving habit specific. My cars are capable of jack rabbit starts but I won't drive them that way. 1963 GT 289 2bbl for one. I don't care where I'm at.I guess Studebakers in California are obsolete as far as the high tech driving crowd goes. Get them off the road or send them back here to the East, North or South. jimmijim

Stude Junkie+++++++Do it right the f$$$$ Time. Never mind. Just do it right. When youre done your done. You'll know it.

[mbstude]

The valve body swap will produce a very "harsh" downshift. Much like dropping the car into Low from Drive when slowing down.

I have a truck automatic that has first gear start. Smooth as silk when downshifting. One day I'll find something to put that trans in. StudebakerGeorge is in the middle of rebuilding a similar truck automatic for his '59 Hawk. He had it in the car but it was "weak" and didn't last long. But the little bit of driving he was able to do, he was very pleased. And he even found a source for new vacuum modulators. (Truck only).

Matthew Burnette
Hazlehurst, GA

Biggs' H2O-Induction

[rockinhawk]

I don't care for automatics at all. I had rather shift my own. But that's just ME. I drive my wife's GT quite often. It has 2nd gear start. I would like it better if it had a higher rear end and 1st gear start. But not enough to go to the trouble to change it unless I was already in there for some other reason. NT


Neil Thornton
Hazlehurst, GA
'57 Silver Hawk
'56 Sky Hawk
'51 2R16 dump truck
Many others.

[63r2]

Having gone through the process a few years ago I would not do it again.
As Matt said the downshifts can be savage .
See if you can test drive a car that has been modified.
pb

[Joe Nichols]

Thanks everybody for your comments so far. Sounds like a consensus to "leave it alone".
Joe

[buddymander]

Downshifts can be softened with accumulator restrictions. Sometimes it's in the throttle pressure valve. I'm not so sure the springs sold to accomplish just the change in pattern aren't too strong, causing the harsh downshift. Everything is accomplished by pressure changes, and changing those aren't too difficult if you're not afraid to get tranny fluid in your eyes..

[satdoc2]

Were the valve bodys used on taxies rough downshifting? Or is the rough downshift on just the ones replacing the spring?
Allen

[GTCruiser]

Had a NOS heavy duty auto (taxi cab 6 cylinder unit) put in my '65 V-8 Cruiser. Trans has a first gear start; however, the length of time it is in first is very short. Did this because the car needed new trans. If you don't need a new trans. suggest it is not worth the cost.

[Kurt]

I too thought about this conversion, but 90% of the time I do not drive it like a race car. When I want a quicker take off, I just pull the shifter into low.


66 Commander R1 Clone
51 Commander 4dr