Reproduction Parts for 1916-1964 Chevrolet Passenger Cars & 1918-1987 Chevrolet & GMC Trucks


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Can anyone shed any light on why the floor change gear selection in my (just purchased) 1939 Master sedan should be described as vague? Is the gear lever a direct fit into the top of the box or is there any linkage? Once I get the car - this time next week - I'll do some investigation but any help would be greatly appreciated.

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In 1939 the car came with floor shift and the vacuum assisted column shift was optional. The floor shift was the same as what was used in 1937 and 1938 and was very simple and easy and direct to use. I do not understand where the description of "vague"" would be used as it certainly was not.
Is the car described as a Maste r85, the lowest priced model, or a Master Deluxe?


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Welcome to VCCA Chat! That sound like an interesting car.

I agree with Gene about the shifting on these transmissions with the lever put the top. You can tell the linkages move and the gears engage and disengage.

By design there is a lot of travel because the shift lever is very long. The distance from the shift pivot to the knob is many times the distance from the shift pivot to where the lever engages in the internal shift linkages. So a small amount of wear internally means a much larger movement of the knob.

Now a question for Gene.

I did not realize that the vacuum assist shift was available on 1939 cars. I know that Chevy introduced a column shift during the 1939 model year. The mechanism I saw was quite a convoluted design that actually used the column shift lever motions to move a short shift lever on the top of the transmission.. Even though it was a column shift car the transmission was not a side shift design.


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With the vacuum shift option the top cover was replaced with a unique cover for use with the column shift. A one year only feature and the top cover and lever could be installed on a column shift car if desired.
The vacuum shift option was a $20 option for the entire year. No parts interchanged with the 1940-1948 vacuun shift but the gnerall set-up the same. My "39 was a mid year car , a Master Deluxe.and had the less troublesome floor shift. I would guess about 75% of the '39s had the column shift option.

The vacuum design was a Bendix design and also available as an option on 1941 Plymouth and Dodge cars. They had a different chrome buterfly shaped shift knob so making it possible to shift with just your two finger tips like a Chevrolet.

The orginal design came from a vacuum assisted lever (option) sticking out of the dash on a 1938 Nash.

Last edited by Chev Nut; 05/19/22 11:46 AM.

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Hi Gene,

Thanks for the additional details. I had part of the story correct. You provided the rest.

So my guess is that finding a complete column shift conversion for a '39 especially with vacuum assist would be a rare find! I know where there is a top cover unit. Not that I need one!


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Thanks for the insight guys, the car is described as a Deluxe. I'll take on board what you've told me and check for wear when the car arrives.

You could take a look at it here - https://themarket.bonhams.com/en/listings/chevrolet/master/85df59df-3f4e-4dfa-9540-66d72a1d4ef8

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When you inspect the top mounted gear shift, you may find that the cross pin though the ball in the shift lever has flat spots worn on it instead of being round it is about 8mm diameter, the shift retainer housing that bolts to the top of the gearbox also wears in the corresponding mating point. There is new shift tower repair parts that replace the part with a bronze bushing / fitting. A new pin will also need to be made to suit.


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Thanks for that information Jack, will definitely look carefully at those points. As you are in Oz where do you get your spares from and where is the shift tower repair kit from?

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If it is a righthand drive car finding parts for the column shift would be a big problem.


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I looked at the Bonham’s listing and pictures. I agree that overall the car is in very good condition.

I was a little confused by the levers on the steering column. As first I thought it was a column shift car. Then I saw that there is a floor shift lever. That is a some type of aftermarket shifter knob on it. If it does not fit properly that will give more freedom to the shifting action.

It looks like there are 2 different control boxes with levers on the steering column. That is what confused me. It looks like there are 2 turn signal controls.

Also, that is an interesting steering column. I have never seen a mechanism like the one that connects the column to the dash board. Plus the copper pipe is an interesting look. That might have been done as part of the RHD conversion.

The horns are some type of aftermarket units. Has the car been converted to 12 volts?

I would be interested in more details about the carburetor. It appears to be some type of 60’s or 70’s Holley, possibly a 2 barrel. I am interested in how well the car runs with it. It is easy to “over-carburate” these engines.


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It's a floor shift.

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They say it was built in RHD form. Not got the car yet so have to find out more when it gets to me. It's now on 12 volts as you've guessed.

Last edited by Roddabaz; 05/20/22 01:27 PM. Reason: Additions
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I think all Eroupean cars were 12 volt from the factory.


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Originally Posted by Roddabaz
Thanks for that information Jack, will definitely look carefully at those points. As you are in Oz where do you get your spares from and where is the shift tower repair kit from?
Originally Posted by jack39rdstr
When you inspect the top mounted gear shift, you may find that the cross pin though the ball in the shift lever has flat spots worn on it instead of being round it is about 8mm diameter, the shift retainer housing that bolts to the top of the gearbox also wears in the corresponding mating point. There is new shift tower repair parts that replace the part with a bronze bushing / fitting. A new pin will also need to be made to suit.

Autopartsobsolete.com has 4 of the brass castings to fit in the shifter tower, it is a champ items brand no 973. 1937 to 1939 gear shift lever ball socket retainer ring. Ignore the retainer ring part of the description, it fits into tubular retainer assembly after you remove the old worn part.

Last edited by jack39rdstr; 05/21/22 02:35 AM.

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1939 Chevrolets in the UK. were originally 6 volt batteries negative ground, The same as in the USA, and Australia,


JACK
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