Powershift?

[gordr]

Spent some time today working on the '64 Daytona hardtop I got in California. Got the parking brake cable installed and hooked up, but haven't yet been brave enough to try it.[:I]

I filled the master cylinder and burped a lot of air out of it, and I do have "driveway brakes" now.

I figured I'd move on to a major cleanup, and removed the seats, and the seat belts and sill plates. Doggone! Every single bolt and screw came out with no serious struggle. California cars, you gotta love 'em!

So anyway, I was looking closely at the big hole in the tranny tunnel, and the small hole hacked beside it to accomodate the Hurst shifter (on what appears to be a T85 OD tranny). The "factory" hole is about 6" wide by 9" long, and is almost centered on the tunnel, being offset only about 1" to the driver's side. That's a much bigger and more nearly centered hole than I remember there being on my original '64 4-speed Daytona, which, IIRC, had about a 5" square hole well off to the driver's side of the tunnel. In addition, there is a wire harness with 6 wires in it passing along the topside of the floor on the driver's side at the base of the tunnel. This harness has a grommet near the end, and there are two 2-pin female spade connectors, and a two-pin male-female bullet connector (the style used on the headlights). I'm thinking that the large hole and this harness add up to the car having been originally equipped with a Powershift tranny with floor shifter. Does that make sense? I see the three plugs serving three circuits: neutral safety, backup lamps, and console lamp. A four-speed car would have had only the one two-terminal plug for the backup lamp switch.

If the car was in fact equipped with Powershift, does that mean it was a "package car", or could Powershift be ordered as an option on a "normal" Daytona.

I'm going to have to order the build sheet from the museum, I guess.

BTW, I found another piece of evidence that supports the idea that this car was originally a disc brake car. When I pulled out the rear seat, I found an oblong piece of hard rubber, or so I thought. On closer examination, it proved to be the friction material from a Studebaker disc brake pad, minus the steel backing.

Gord Richmond, within Weasel range of the Alberta Badlands

[GTtim]

Gordon,
The wire harness you describe is definitly for the Powershift. The light is the little dot that indicates what gear your in. The other two wires are as you describe. I believe the transmission was available as an option on any car, it would have to be ordered with bucket seats however because it only came with the floor shift. If you needed the bench seat they would have sold you a heavy duty Flighto. If you are trying to sort out if it is a package car or not package cars came with: disc brakes with 11in. rear brakes, heavy duty springs (front and rear), rear radius rods, front and rear sway bars, 160 mph speedo, fuel return line, etc. I've tried to remember the ones that would likely not be taken off the car by some 'harvester'.

Tim K.
'64 R2 GT Hawk

[gordr]

quote:Originally posted by GTtim

Gordon,
The wire harness you describe is definitly for the Powershift. The light is the little dot that indicates what gear your in. The other two wires are as you describe. I believe the transmission was available as an option on any car, it would have to be ordered with bucket seats however because it only came with the floor shift. If you needed the bench seat they would have sold you a heavy duty Flighto. If you are trying to sort out if it is a package car or not package cars came with: disc brakes with 11in. rear brakes, heavy duty springs (front and rear), rear radius rods, front and rear sway bars, 160 mph speedo, fuel return line, etc. I've tried to remember the ones that would likely not be taken off the car by some 'harvester'.

Tim K.
'64 R2 GT Hawk

Thanks, Tim.

I'm fairly sure then that this wasn't a package car. It does have bucket seats, but there is no indication of any brackets for the rear sway bar or radius rods on the frame. I'm pretty sure the rear axle got swapped, as it has left-hand studs on the left rear drum, which had been abandoned by that era. If a fuel return line is installed, where does it enter the gas tank?

Springs don't appear to have been changed, and I'd guess they are standard. Rear end has booster springs on the shocks, so I doubt the rear springs were heavy duty.

No sign of a tach or 160 speedo, but those items are easily removed. If the car were to turn out to be a package car, I'd kind of like to restore it as such, since it ought to be worth a lot more that way. Otherwise, I'll keep the 259 with T85 OD, and just make it nice that way, although I'd like the stock disc brakes back under there, more for the cool factor than anything else. I'd replace the 3.31 open diff with a 3.73 TT if I can find one. With the overdrive, it'd make a fine cruising gear.

Gord Richmond, within Weasel range of the Alberta Badlands

[GTtim]

Gord,
The return line enters the fuel tank in about the same place as the line leaves the tank. That is on a Hawk anyway, I imagine it would be pretty similar for the Lark.
Sounds like you'll have to pick up a set of disc brakes and put them back on. That's what I did. I think they work real nice.

Tim K.
'64 R2 GT Hawk

[BobPalma]

Gordon: Post the car's VIN and we can look it up on the 1964 JT Roster.[] BP

[Dan White]

Gord:

My R1 Hawk originally had disk brakes but the previous owner switched it to non-power drums. He gave me most of the parts, but not all for the Stude disk brake setup, most were in pretty sad shape. However, I opted for the Steeltech kit and a power unit. Unless you really want the Stude setup I would opt for one of the newer designs.

Dan White
64 R1 GT
64 R2 GT

[gordr]

quote:Originally posted by BobPalma

Gordon: Post the car's VIN and we can look it up on the 1964 JT Roster.[] BP

Bob, it's 64V1184.

I know conventional wisdom says the newer-style disc brakes are supposed to be "better" than the Stude discs. But I've never had undue trouble with Stude disc brakes, and they do weigh a little less than those big ventilated rotors.

And I can go to an all-make car show, and say, "why, yes, it DID come that way."

Wednesday was a "business day". Today will be spent playing cars (and maybe I'll install the new faucet set (courtesy Craig P.) in the bathroom sink.

Gord Richmond, within Weasel range of the Alberta Badlands