Push button transmissions out-lawed?

[stexch]

On an episode of "My Classic Car", an owner of several old Mopars said that the US government issued a regulation that prohibited the push button transmission, effective with (or maybe after) the 1963 model year. Why was this done?

[Bob Kinker]

They were standardizing transmission controls because of accidents. The last year for pushbuttons was 1964.

[Guest Randy Berger]

I don't believe that. I think like most things it just died a natural death.

If the gubbamnint was truly interested in cutting down accidents, they would outlaw women drivers.

JUST KIDDING

DUCK and COVER

[Guest BruceW]

This is what I found on the subject which agrees with what Bob stated.

"In 1964, the government sent a mandate which was actually a request to auto makers. It stated that all controls on automobiles should be standardized for ease of use. So either Chrysler had to shift to column mounted levers or everyone else had to adopt push-buttons. Thus in 1965, the restyled Mopars appeared with shift levers on the column or console on sporty models.

[Bob Kinker]

It is a shame that Big Brother stepped in and mandated the change. The Chrysler pushbutton system was very good. The pushbutton controls on the 3 or 4 64 Mopars I have are still operating flawlessly.

[mrpushbutton]

Say it ain't so, Joe!

[Guest Skyking]

Rambler also had push button drive.........

[Aanderson44]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">On an episode of "My Classic Car", an owner of several old Mopars said that the US government issued a regulation that prohibited the push button transmission, effective with (or maybe after) the 1963 model year. Why was this done? </div></div>

In that time frame, the US Government, not having yet any authority to regulate what features a car should have or not have (believe it or not, such was a serious constitutional issue back then--the regulation of automobiles was left to the states, under the article in the US Constitution giving the various states the power to regulate "The health and welfare" of the people (gee, an interesting concept, no?).

However, the Federal Government discovered that they could issue requirements for any vehicle purchased by the US General Services Administration (who buys all the civilian products the bureaucrats get), and so a series of requirements, such as standardized shift patterns, seat belts, yellow turn signals became specifications listed in GSA RFQ's (Request For Quotation) for new vehicles to be purchased by the Government.

Then the Democrats, who controlled Congress with an iron fist in those days, suddenly discovered that they all had newly minted, ink-still-damp engineering degress--well you know the results of that!

Art

[supersix]

I have heard this also. Chrysler was after a government contract and the contract called for a standardized shifter. Thus the change.

[rocketraider]

I'm pretty sure it had something to do with the demise of the <span style="font-weight: bold">PNDSLR</span> HydraMatics too. 64 was the last year for that shift pattern. I've heard several Olds factory people talk about the changeover, more to the point how many parking lot fences got mowed down when they'd hop in their 1964 Jetstar 88 and Cutlass company cars (with <span style="font-weight: bold">PRNDL</span> Jetaways), yank the shifters all the way down (where Reverse would have been on a HydraMatic) floor it to back up and take out the fence.

Pretty sure it happened over at Buick/Pontiac/Cadillac too! <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

[Barry Wolk]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">In that time frame, the US Government, not having yet any authority to regulate what features a car should have or not have</div></div>

I will beg to differ. The US government strictly enforced headlight height and the number of headlights until, I believe it was, the 1958 model year.

[Dave@Moon]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Then the Democrats, who controlled Congress with an iron fist in those days, suddenly discovered that they all had newly minted, ink-still-damp engineering degress--well you know the results of that! </div></div>

Thousands of lives were saved every year slashing insurance rates far beyond the cost of regulation....

Or was that a <span style="font-style: italic">rhetoric</span>al question? <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

[Dave@Moon]

The Federal regulations for transmission shift patterns are located in §571.102 Standard No. 102; Transmission ...braking effect. It's part of the U.S. DOT Federal Motor Carrier Saftey Administration's CFR regs. They were promulgated under § 103 of of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 (80 Stat. 718). They were <span style="font-style: italic">first published</span> on Dec. 2, 1971.

Obviously the Federal regulations were not the demise of push button transmissions. In fact I seriously doubt they're outlawed to this day. There is no reference to any ban in the regulation, although the PRNDL pattern is pretty much set in stone <span style="font-style: italic">but only for collumn shift</span>. My Prius uses a "joystick" electronic switch for a transmission shifter (with a pattern all it's own) and a separate push button for "Park".

[Aanderson44]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">In that time frame, the US Government, not having yet any authority to regulate what features a car should have or not have</div></div>

I will beg to differ. The US government strictly enforced headlight height and the number of headlights until, I believe it was, the 1958 model year. </div></div>

Barry,

Au Contraire, friend! Please check your historical references on this one. You will find no Federal laws or regulations regarding any automobile equipment or fittings prior to the beginnings of the "safety" and emissions controls.

Automobile lighting standards prior to the early 1970's (at least), were strictly the province of the individual states. One of the reasons for the fact that Chrysler, for example, built some '57 cars with two headlights, and some with quads was simply that quad headlights were illegal still in some states, the same being true of the '57 Lincoln. Headlight height regulations were also a matter of state laws exclusively through the 50's and 60's, some states cared, others did not.

The sealed beam headlight was developed in the early 1930's, by I believe, General Electric, but not adopted by the industry until 1940. Why? They were not legal in all states until an interstate compact was ratified by the then 48 states.

The same was true of braking systems, fuel systems, you name it. The US Constitution specifically gave the individual states the responsibility of regulating the "Health and Welfare" of their citizens, and that was a jealously guarded situation well into the 1960's, and not just with automobiles. The industry had to contend with a serious hodge-podge of state laws back then. Some states, for example, had no regulations concerning the color of taillights, while others strictly prohibited "blue dots" (Which by the way, were actually offered as factory equipment by several carmakers in 1931-32, including Packard and Cadillac!).

Another example: Seat belts AND shoulder belts WERE available, from General Motors in 1958 (my 1958 Chevrolet factory assembly manual--the instruction book, if you will, covering every bit of assembly for '58 Chevies--clearly shows their installation, and when restoring a '58 Chevy sedan delivery 10 years ago, I found the mounting points for the shoulder belts--same system as first used by the industry starting in 1969-70. However, the universal installation of seat belts in cars did not happen until 1965, when the United States General Services Administration, in issuing their specifications for cars they would purchase for the Federal Government, would have to have seat belts installed--and that, sir, prompted the installation of seat belts in all cars produced in 1965, whether or not the government was buying them, or not--that was a big news item in late 1964, BTW. However, this still did not have the force of law yet, as there wasn't any Federal law in 1965 requiring seat belts--that came a couple of years later--carmakers simply complied, rather than appear to be "politically incorrect".

Even the concept of a universal VIN number didn't originate with the Federal Government. Prior to January 1, 1955, cars could be registered in some states by engine number, in other states by body serial numbers--and there was no standardized way of creating any sort of identification number at that. The first standardization of ID numbers for motor vehicles began by interstate agreement, later codified by Federal law. It's always fun here in Indiana, to explain to law enforcement officers (who must certify the serial number or VIN of any car newly brought in from out-of-state) or the good ladies at BMV branches, that the engine number is the correct number to be used on the title of any motor vehicle built prior to January 1955, for example--again, no Federal laws back then regarding this.

Not until Congressman Monroni introduced a bill to create a standardized price sticker to be affixed to new cars, did the window sticker we see today come into being--in the very early 1960's--prior to that, each state had regulations regarding this, or they did not.

The bottom line on automobile equipment regulations is simply, that prior to the late 60's, such regulations as existed in the US were those of individual states, and they became universal only if the various states could come together in agreement, by means of "State Compacts", which functioned (and still do) in much the same way as international treaties.

Art Anderson