Gerald Miller wrote in
:

On 20 Nov 2008 14:11:20 GMT, "RAM³"
wrote:

Lew Hartswick wrote in
news:2Kmdnb3GfOtbd7nUnZ2dnUVZ_gmdnZ2d@earthlink. com:

RAM³ wrote:
Chrysler built their
'58s as '57s and stole a march on Ford by being the first to offer
a push-button automatic tranny.]

It seems to me my 53 Plymouth Belvedere had a push button select
transmission. It was up on the dash on the left side of the
steering wheel. Then the 55 had the lever on the dash sticking
straight out, moving up and down.
...lew... (or was it my 57????) Thats the trouble with OLDAGE


I think that you have the two reversed in sequence: the dash-mounted
lever preceded the push-button.

The dash lever had 1 major drawback in a "family car" in that a kid
could reach it while the car was in motion.

That's why the push-buttons were placed on the driver's left side - so
that kids/passengers couldn't reach it.
Remember the Chevy ign. sw. where you could remove the key once the
engine was running? On a visit to Montreal in 1964, cruising down
Dorchester Boulevard, the driver's 2yearold daughter pulled his key
ring and dropped it out the "no-draft" - remember that?
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada


The engine didn't have to be running: if the switch wasn't in the "Lock"
position when it was removed, the vehicle could be started, run, stopped,
and ... without needing a key.

Many a parent never actually handed their offspring an ignition key -
just a door/trunk key - so that they could "ground" the kid with just a
quick twist of the wrist. g