More Desirable: 3 On The Tree or Automatic

[allgeyer99]

In looking to buy another truck. What do you think is more desirable a 3 on the tree or a automatic??
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[Mister-B]

More and more kids nowadays don't know how to even drive a stick. My wife is one of them, which is one reason why I was fine that my truck is an auto, but I would probably prefer a manual in this. There's just something about them that makes them even more fun to drive. That said, I'd do what you want or what you can find, and forget what's popular
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[Mister-B]

One more thing to consider. If you like having your girl sit on the bench sear right next to you, that's a little harder with a manual transmission
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[flashed]

My 72 is an automatic and I will love it when or if it ever comes home from the bodyshop and my barnfind 74 is a 56,000 mile survivor with a 6 cylinder and three on the tree and I definitely prefer the automatic but you sometimes have to settle for what you can find.

[71swb4x4]

More desirable is an automatic. That said, I love me a 3 OTT.
3 OTT has a built in theft deterent too!!!

If I had to choose between the two, and I was keeping it forever, I would chosee 3 OTT.
If I had to choose, and I was selling it soon, I would choose automatic.

[big bad orange]

well I have the th350 auto and I like it after a long days work just putting it in drive and go. Although I wanted to learn stick but no one I knew had one to teach me so I got the auto. I am looking for a parts truck to learn on.

[gearys 5600]

When I decided to sell my 68 50th swb, nobody wanted it because of the 3 ott, I put a 700r and a tilt auto column in it, raised the price $2k and people were fighting over it..

[70cst]

The downside to 3 OTT is...

It's challenging drinking

[White70C20]

I love stick shifts. I wish my C20 had a 4 spd. That said, I would go with a 4 spd. manual if you come across one.
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[Kidd-7]

I love my 3 OTT; many people my age have never seen one, much less drove one. As 70cst said, it's hard to drink the coffee on the way to work though, especially w/o a cupholder....

[Square_78]

Stick shifts are a pain in the ass. Maybe im just lazy. I grew up with nothing but sticks and now I always buy automatics. Unless it was a sports car then I would get a stick for sure. I hate driving sticks in trucks. It's like having a broom handle sticking out of the floor and having to move it 18" to change gears. Like I said I'm getting lazy in my old age
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[1972RedNeck]

I leave the slush boxes to the newer vehicles.

[CC69Rat]

Naaa .. 3OTT kicks major Kim Kardashian sized a55 fellas. I think it just makes the whole truck. You actually have to drive it! .. rather than just sitting back and letting the auto do the work. I'd pay $1k more for a 3OTT truck than an auto.

I'm probably in the minority and I realize that but I just love the sound of a manual, especially just 'tractoring' it around like an old Grandpa truck.

[68Stepbed]

I miss my 3OTT. They're certainly not ideal for "performance" setups, but for just putterin around, they're great!

This reminds me, though. Shortly after I bought my 68 while it still had the 250/3OTT, my wife and I went to a dance club in Knoxville. We drove the truck that night and parked in valet so it could be watched. The valet driver looked inside and asked what kind of transmission it had. I told him it was a 3-speed on the column. He said he couldn't drive it and asked me to park it. I paid to park it myself just out of the enjoyment that he didn't know how.

[TobyArnot]

Always had sticks - especially 4 speeds, but as I've gotten older and arthiritis in my left knee has gotten worse, an automatic has become more "acceptable".

[PanelDeland]

3 ott.I love the looks from people wh just don't get having a clutch when the shifter is on the column.I like it when people look at me weird when I shove it in "park/reverse" at speed and keep rolling.I just wish I could afford a gear vendors Over under to put behind it.If I were going auto it would definitely be an OD unless on an all out performance truck.

[pat 70/71]

I have a 71 shortie with 350/350 combo and a 70 shortie stepper six silly with three on the tree. I love both of them but, I have to say its sure a ton of fun shifting the six cylinder through the gears. The truck just seems to want to be driven at a much slower pace. Cheers, Pat
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[CC69Rat]

.. So, I'm not the only one who'll putt the 3OTT around like an old grain truck ? ^^

I think the column shift gives it character. Now, 600hp, LS2 (?) different ballgame. 255hp stock 350 ? I like the manual.

[Shyguy]

I am an old guy and when I started driving it was tractors here on the farm, then I went to pickups with manual transmission, we called them standard transmissions.

If I want to go down memory lane and enjoy driving I like the granny low 4 speed, so my '67 has a 454 backed by a SM-465.

Back in the day my girl had no problem setting beside me in my pickup with the floor shift, in fact she could drive the truck just fine.

Now days most people like the autos better since they are much improved over the old ones and for resale they bring more money.

[dwarf717]

Still miss my old '63 pontiac wagon with a 3ott.... This thread makes me want to kick myself in the ass even more. Sold it to buy a sport bike...DUH!

[weever82]

Get an automatic and just cruise... In a corvette you get a stick but in these old trucks I like to drive low... and slow... Which means an auto is perfect. Also nothing better than putting one hand on the wheel and the other on your ol lady's leg!

Weev-
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[big_al_71]

Automatic 100%

[LEX]

Auto imo. It's a truck, not a musclecar.

[mrein3]

Originally Posted by 71swb4x4

More desirable is an automatic. That said, I love me a 3 OTT.
3 OTT has a built in theft deterent too!!!

If I had to choose between the two, and I was keeping it forever, I would chosee 3 OTT.
If I had to choose, and I was selling it soon, I would choose automatic.

Originally Posted by PanelDeland

3 ott.I love the looks from people wh just don't get having a clutch when the shifter is on the column.I like it when people look at me weird when I shove it in "park/reverse" at speed and keep rolling.I just wish I could afford a gear vendors Over under to put behind it.If I were going auto it would definitely be an OD unless on an all out performance truck.

The original question wasn't 4-speed floor vs. auto, it was 3 on the tree verses auto.

I've had both in the same truck. I've said it on these pages and I'll say it again my 3 OTT to th350 auto swap was the single best improvement I ever made to my truck.

It sucks that now any punk can swipe it but let me tell you something about that stupid 3 OTT I took out. It ALWAYS jammed at the boat landing. EVERY time I was attempting to dump in the boat or pull it out it jammed. Then I had to set the brake, open the hood, unjam it, then apologize to everybody for holding up the ramp.

I adjusted the linkages myself. I even once paid a shop to 'adjust' the linkage (it was in because I broke a ball stud while hauling my boat 100 miles from home but that is another story for a different time.)

After the swap I had the reverse happen to what PanelDeland deescribes. I was again at the ramp and had the th350 in there but still didn't bother to remove the clutch pedal. I had a guy dumping me in. You should have seen the look on his face when he jammed the clutch pedal in and nothing happened.

[GMCJOE]

I personally will take an auto over a 3 OTT. Driven them in many different applications. But I would take a 4 speed standard over that any day. And if we go custom, thru in a 5 or 6 speed.

I love a manual trans mission, but I have stayed deployed to often and the wife can't drive a standard like most people now days. From my experience, a husband should never try to teach a wife how to either. There was a many of cuss words coming from her mouth....lol Probably didn't help she was pregnant at the time either.


Auto over 3 OTT!