VW Vortex - Volkswagen Forum banner
Cancel

The most confusing shifter ever made (Hurst/Olds)

7481 Views 27 Replies 19 Participants Last post by  Apollo-Soyuz 1975, 
O
ok, try road racing with this bad boy:

http://www.inil.com/users/dlbrown/ofhos.htm#HO 1984
These are a type of shifter made by Hurst. They're standard in the '83-'84 Hurst/Olds.
Basically, they're kind of a "His-n-hers" shifter. There are three shift rods in the center console. The left one goes P R N OD D and works like a normal gearshift with the exception of no L(ow). If you shift it all the way down into D, then the car is limited to third gear or lower.
When in D, you can shift the middle lever toward you to now limit the car to 2nd gear. When it's down you can pull the right lever to limit to first. When accelerating you can start with all the shifters toward you, then throw the right, center, then left one forward while accelerating. Kind of fun, but in reality they're not much more than a gimmick, since the tranny is set to shift at about 5200rpm on WOT.
---
This vehicle uses a three lever floor mounted shifter, "Lightning Rods". The left hand lever controls Park, Reverse, Neutral, Overdrive, and Drive detents. Placing the lever in the Overdrive detent will allow the transmission to shift from first through overdrive.
The center lever is used to "lock-in" second gear, and the right hand lever is used to "lock-in" first gear. To use the "lock-in" feature for first and second gear the left hand lever must be placed in the drive detent.
To "lock-in" second gear, push the button on the center lever down and pull the lever back. Next, to "lock-in" first gear, push the button on the right hand lever down an pull the lever back. When the first and second gear "lock-in" levers are used, it is necessary to manually upshift the transmission. This is done by moving the right hand (first gear) and center (second gear) levers forward respectively.
To manually downshift the transmission from drive to second gear, push the button the center lever down and pull back. To manually downshift to first gear, downshift the second, then push the button on the right hand lever down and pull lever back.

---
i've read it, re-read it, and i think i know why it never caught on

obin
See less See more
6
Reply
Save
Like
1 - 20 of 28 Posts
E
Re: The most confusing shifter ever made (Obin Robinson)

I think a regular manual would be easier. What´s the point in such a complicated automatic gearbox. I don´t get it.
See less See more
3
Reply
Save
Like
B
Re: The most confusing shifter ever made (Obin Robinson)

Yeah, I saw that on the Hurst-Olds special on American Muscle Car on the weekend. And I thought tiptronic was the original slushbox gimmick

If I ever saw one of those in real life, I think I'd just laugh out loud
See less See more
2
Reply
Save
Like
T
Re: The most confusing shifter ever made (Brad Jar)

Millions of years from now, most Americans will de-volve and lose their left foot from lack of use.
Reply
Save
Like
T
Re: The most confusing shifter ever made (TabulaRasa)

actually, believe it or not, but there are still a few funny car dragsters that use this type of shifter. (albeit modified for the task at hand).
you see, it's harder to miss a shift or throw the shifter into the wrong gear this way. and since it's really an automatic, it brings the advantage of consistency and the ability to carefully adjust the "clutch" program for differing situations.
it's actually quite simple:
all 3 down = first gear
when the light turns green, you simply throw the farthest lever to the right forward when you see the shift light come on.
then you throw the middle one forward when the light comes on again.
end of race.
if you ever have the chance, i recommend you try one. it's actually quite surprising how quick the thing responds and how much quicker it is to run through the gears in a drag race. particularly because there's no side to side movement in the shifter while going through the gears. there's no clutch to worry about, and you never have to take your foot of the gas. and i don't know about the rest of you, but that sounds like an ideal set up for drag racing (which is, after all, what it's all about).
gas, push, push, and it's over. still sound like a bad idea?
granted, it may not be the best, but it works.
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
O
Re: The most confusing shifter ever made (nokona)

quote:[HR][/HR]They aren't "his & her" shifters.

They're meant to mimic a Lenco transmission and shifter.[HR][/HR]​
i know, i just grabbed both descriptions from Hurst/Olds websites (the URL is next to the diagram).
i think the Hurst Olds were cool cars.. but this was just kind of dumb. i can see the appeal if you were ONLY drag racing but this is just kind of silly for a"grocery getter" street car. like i said in the original post, imagine road racing with that.

obin
See less See more
2
Reply
Save
Like
C
Re: The most confusing shifter ever made (Obin Robinson)

Its a copy of the Lenco planetary manual, which is what many 6, 7, 8, and some 9 second cars use. The Lenco can use a slider clutch or a torque converter. Lencos can be 2 speeds, or 7 speeds. You just keep buying extra sections and sticking them on the end.
Funny cars and Top Fuel cars dont use tranmissions, they're direct drive. Pro Stock cars mostly use Liberty 5 speed manuals, which are diffrent than a normal manual, and diffrent than a Lenco.
I still think it'd be fun to play around with the Hurst Lightning Rods

J.
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
G
Re: The most confusing shifter ever made (Crazyquik)

yes that would be bad for road racing...but the car wasn't designed as a road racer

and it's not bad at all to drive actually. quite quite fun :-D a little more difficult that the setup i have in the mustang but still very very fun.
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
C
Re: The most confusing shifter ever made (nokona)

I've seen Lightning Rods in a Nova, it looked pretty cool.
Obin, what you've done is taken it out of context. Of course we all do that sometimes. You ask why would someone want that, or try road racing it. Its similar to why would someone buy a '95 M3 Lightweight or a Mustang Cobra R, both cars have front splitters that are like 2" off the ground. That isn't good for daily driving, but you can take the splitter off. Well, the Lightning Rods aren't the best for road racing or daily driving, but you can drive it like a regular automatic, just put it in D or OD, then just stab and steer
See less See more
2
Reply
Save
Like
MEIN_VW
Re: The most confusing shifter ever made (Crazyquik)

I was in grade 6 when the 1983 Hurst/Olds was new. I thought it was one of the coolest cars ever!
Reply
Save
Like
C
Re: The most confusing shifter ever made (MEIN_VW)

When was in high school I worked summers as a car jockey at a Chev/Olds/Cadillac dealership. In the summer of '83 I did the delivery clean-up for the only Hurst Olds ever sold in my home town. (A guy who wned the local grocery store bought it).
Like Nokona said, it was a big deal. It was a small town, and there was a steady stream of people coming into the dealership just to look at me wash the car.
Remember that these were the days when the Chevrolet Camaro Z28's High Output engine had a whopping 175hp.
Reply
Save
Like
V
Re: The most confusing shifter ever made (ClownCar)

quote:[HR][/HR]Remember that these were the days when the Chevrolet Camaro Z28's High Output engine had a whopping 175hp.[HR][/HR]​
Still see them being driven by the mullet crowd around here. They always wonder why they just got hammered by a 4 cylinder VW.
I know it's immature, but I've wanted to lay some smack down on those since before I could drive, so whenever I get the chance to show off my taillights, http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif .
See less See more
2
Reply
Save
Like
M
Re: The most confusing shifter ever made (1sweet16v)

Some people on this board seem to not realize the 70's all the way up to the mid 80's sucked to be an american muscle car fan. Back wehn the mk1 GTi came out it was faster 0-60 than anything Detroit could put out and that was with a by today's standards a measly 90 some-odd hp out of a 1.8l 8v. The 302 that ford once had putting out 290 hp back in 1970 (boss 302 my favorite post 1965 mustang) could barely eek out 130 hp. I remember when ford released the 200 hp. EFI 302 in 1987. Many many Chevy people jumped ship. It was the first ohv motor to break into the mystical at that time 200 hp zone.
The eighty's was a enlightening for the american automotive industry. Also most Americans have a sick love for the quarter mile. I happen to love roadracing and feel that any chassis used only for drag racing is a waste of money.
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
V
Re: The most confusing shifter ever made (memnuts)

quote:[HR][/HR]Some people on this board seem to not realize the 70's all the way up to the mid 80's sucked to be an american muscle car fan.[HR][/HR]​
I hope this is directed at others as my post was meant to show how much the owners of said "pathetic, smog-choked, pseudo muscle cars" think a badge makes the car. Ie; 1970.5 Z-28 is not the older brother to the "all have light grey ground effects" 305 Z-28's of the 80's in any way, shape or form. Thank you, that is all.
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
W
Re: The most confusing shifter ever made (Obin Robinson)

I learned to drive on my dads 84 Hurst Olds. I loved to drive that thing. The shifter made the car seem fast when you are 16 years old. People would ask questions about it constantly. We also own a 70 Superbird but the Olds had more questions? I wasn't alowed to drives moms Grand National though!
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
C
Re: The most confusing shifter ever made (watasnake)

mom's Grand National
See less See more
2
Reply
Save
Like
A
Re: The most confusing shifter ever made (watasnake)

quote:[HR][/HR]We also own a 70 Superbird but the Olds had more questions? I wasn't alowed to drives moms Grand National though!
[HR][/HR]​
Grand National?!
SUPERBIRD?!?!
YOU LUCKY SONOFABITCH!!!!

See less See more
6
Reply
Save
Like
R
Re: The most confusing shifter ever made (memnuts)

quote:[HR][/HR]I remember when ford released the 200 hp. EFI 302 in 1987. Many many Chevy people jumped ship. It was the first ohv motor to break into the mystical at that time 200 hp zone.
The eighty's was a enlightening for the american automotive industry. Also most Americans have a sick love for the quarter mile. I happen to love roadracing and feel that any chassis used only for drag racing is a waste of money. [HR][/HR]​
Don't forget the SVO, it was faster than the V8. It had a hurst shifter if im not mistaken. Since it was way lighter than the V8's, it could handle alot better. It had those really cool wheels with fat tires. Very special car. Thats probably the only four cylinder mustang I would ever buy.
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
2
Re: The most confusing shifter ever made (MEIN_VW)

quote:[HR][/HR]I was in grade 6 when the 1983 Hurst/Olds was new. I thought it was one of the coolest cars ever![HR][/HR]​
Same here http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif
See less See more
2
Reply
Save
Like
G
Re: The most confusing shifter ever made (nokona)

The His & Hers shifter Nokona refers to is the on e that came on the Olds W-30 with the little sliding gate next to the shifter. With the gate closed you a regular auto shifter(Hers). When you slide the gate open it became a rachet shifter(His). Hurst and Olds together came up with some neat toys.
Reply
Save
Like
1 - 20 of 28 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
VW Vortex - Volkswagen Forum
A forum community dedicated to all Volkswagen owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about performance, builds, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, new releases, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
The Car Lounge Golf IV & Jetta IV Golf III & Jetta III Golf II & Jetta II Golf IV/Jetta IV Parts
Top