Ford Model A Overdrive. How it works, what it does! Mitchell overdrive overview 

Here is the video showing how to install a Mitchell overdrive step by step- ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-fKRHYlwR7eU.html

It's nice a young guy like yourself is helping the senior members. I want to get a Model A , my longtime friend had several years ago when I was a kid . I always loved 50s and 60s cars and now I'm moving backwards . My oldest son loves Model Ts but I really want an A .

When you put the jack stands on the cinder blocks under the frame you should have turned the blocks over with the holes facing up with a board on them then the jack stands on the board. With the blocks on their side they could collapse.

Owning a model A has always been on my bucket list, but after having cancer, and dealing with health issues. Not in the cards anymore. Ever since I helped a friend rebuild the engine in his A when I was in high school. I think they were the best car ever made.

The sound of the engine is so relaxing, I almost dozed off listening to it.

Definitely interested in overdrive. Love to see the rear end being set up. looking forward to the next video thanks. Richard

Good to see a bunch of guys having a good time! Looking forward to Your next video.

After 18 months my 30 coupe is almost mechanically finished, I had to replace/rebuild everything except the motor it was done in 1970 ,car was painted plus a new interior was added then parked. I will be the forth owner, my Grandfather bought it from a neighbor in 1951 the second owner, then my dad the third,car has always been under a roof and has no rust. The only thing is the trunk sheet metal was completely gone, my dad used to put a sack of fish in it and I am having a hard time putting a new one in, I have the sheet metal but the very back parts I don't know about. I do have local people here but thy are hard to get to find sometimes.This car came with a trunk and I am going to keep it that way.It will be different from most all I have seen but that is how it came.The car has about 82000 miles but had never been taken care of.Love your videos plus U tube has helped me,I thought I knew how to work on a car now I know more but not all.People do ask a lot about it everywhere I go.Be patience as we represent the past ,see if the link works.i.imgur.com/xtK0Irm.jpg

Thanks Paul, I will look forward to the conversion you do at your place in your own time, I’m sure it will be worth the wait.

Can't wait to see you install the Mitchell!

Love your videos! Keep it up. I have a 1930 Tudor myself. It’s not as quite as nice as yours, I’m still working through getting things all set mechanically. Then I’ll repaint it.

Cool! Looking forward to the other video on the overdrive.

Hi, Paul, the focus you have given on this video, truly shows the benefit this over drive has on the vehicle. You can listen that the motor works less harder, going up the very same mountain slope. After all, this footage was as usual very great, and always one learns something new, or an other experience, thanks again Paul.

Thanks for showing how to incorporate the overdrive into our everyday driving. As for the gathering, it is great to see the enthusiasm in the garage! I love gathering around grease!

Paul - you May think this video didn’t work out the way you wanted , but still it was informative! You communicate very well. I have been driving and maintaining a Model A for 60 years (two for the last 35 years) but I always learn something from your videos.

Thanks for another nice Model A video, heck, I wouldn't mind if there was no dialogue at all. It's just good to see a bunch of guys who like old iron getting together to help each other with an A project. Looking forward to your next video; thanks again.

Thanks for keeping my hopes and dreams alive 👍🏻👍🏻.

Great video Paul. I really want an A. We were also 29 here in “sunny Lithgow” but our temperature was in Celsius. 😀

Yes please do one. I've been wanting to order one for my 29 roadster pickup. Been thinking about driving out there to pick one up.

Yes I would have liked to have seen the process all the way through, but this video was very informative and worth the watch! Thanks!

For sure a mulligan for you my friend, looking forward to the next one!!

Great video... but about the cinder blocks... They have almost no strength when on their side, and will break under minimal load. Turn them the correct way and place a piece of 2 x 6 on top... much stronger!

I really enjoyed the segment of you driving and explaining the operation of the overdrive unit . I could have a lot of fun driving one, as I used to drive tractor trailers years ago.

Been there & done that with the Mitchell Model A conversions here in Australia on a '31 160B Briggs Slant Town Sedan. Yes, you are absolutely right Paul. You always do a better job on these cars when you work by yourself without outside interference. My son helped me & we had the job done, on both the trans & the overdrive,without a hassle in one day. I wouldn't drive a Model A without the Mitchell components & I thank Sue Mitchell In California although I think she has now sadly passed.

I'm bringing a 1930 Town Sedan in to Bert's this Friday for installation of a Mitchell gear-splitter. Thanks for the tutorial.

Your comment when you said that this is the time we should be using jack stands, I was thinking that probably 30 nosconds before you.😊 Scary thoughts were coming to mind. I really am hanging on every tidbit of information you pass on to us, it's wonderful. 😊

Glad you posted this, looks like a great OD unit. And I'm so happy you're honest about Model A speeds. I've had way too many owners telling me how their Model A's routinely do 55-65 mph and they're stock, and I'm standing there going, "How?" I don't think I've ever had a stone stock one over 50! Great videos!

Incredibly nice video. Have owned a Mitchell overdrive for three years. Learned some tips from this video. Love my Mitchell overdrive. Look forward to seeing your installation video. Keep up the good work.

These Videos never cease to amaze Paul Mammal. The overdive is so useful

Looking forward to the next OD video and I agree with that type of attempt. Too many variables, but I still learn a few things. Thank You. My Austin Healy 3000 has the electric OD and I drive it just like you do your A making it a 7 - Speed.

This channel is already awesome! I have seen a few Model T cars and a truck over the years, but the Model A is a rare site for me. I think I have seen maybe 2 in person, neither being driven. I got to experience every Model T I saw being driven, and I have seen a handful, with only one being a truck. I talked to an owner of a T in Cooper, Texas that drove his daily still, with an electric start, a different gear set and slightly higher compression ratio. The Model T truck was still crank start but also had higher compression and a few other things done to it.

I remember as a kid , about 1963 , finding an abandoned Model A in a wooded area near a farm. We took most of it apart and put it in my dad's garage and back yard. At age 12 , we thought we could re-assemble it. We never did. Learned a lot from it. Later in life took automotive shop in high school etc..

Very cool stuff and a fantastic efficient improvement for the A. Can't wait for that video to come out. This stuff is better than a box office smash. And you learn stuff. Thank you so much.

The video may not have turned out how you envisioned it Paul but I enjoyed seeing your club in action and I understand a little of what it would take to achieve what your after with the video. Look forward to seeing your more detailed version. Keep them coming 😁

I'd recommend standing your cinder blocks upright and span with a short piece of 2x8. The way you're doing it the block could collapse.

That reminded me of all of us working on each other's Model Ts over at Dr. Rimmer's home here in Bakersfield. :-)

I had requested this. Thanks for getting it done!

The Mitchell overdrive in fantastic in improving the ride in model A. Amazing!

@Paul - Great channel. Hope you have a very good 2021-22!

Great video on using the OD

I leaned about the model a overdrive thanks to Shooting cars' review of the Model A.

I've enjoyed your Model A videos a lot. Thanks for sharing them.

For sure a Mulligan for you my friend! looking forward to it!!

These videos are great! Thank you SO much for taking the time to put these together. Informative and therapeutic! Great choice in music also.

Years ago I put a all range overdrive in an old jeep, made it nearly modern, now I'll have to put an overdrive in my model a pickup, and my wife watched the video and said ok! thanks

Great 👌 would love to see the complete job thanks for your time and effort I've had a model a since I was 16 I'll be 68 tomorrow

A lot of work. Great to have a batch of guys working together.

No apologies neccesary!!! I can imagine how hard it is to do a you tube,I pulled a rear out that same way and was not easy. Thank you for your dedication to doing a proper video so we can see this process of overdrive.

I have enjoyed learning your real time driving experience.

I have a 29 Roadster, with a Mitchell in it, it also has 16"wheels and 378 gears in it. I Bought the car like that, one thing the previous owner did was heat up the shifter for the main trans, and bent it. Every time I was in First gear, at a stop sign and i would put my foot on the brake my knee would hit hit the shifter. I ended up cutting it shorter, a little bit longer then the Mitchell shifter. i like to split second and third all the time, i can shift both trans at the same time, but have to shift the main a little slower

54 willys cj3b with warn overdrive.same principle,25% difference.4 gear shift levers out of the floor.like driving a farmall down the road.i certainly understand your passion for model a,one of the greatest cars ever made.

The Mitchell overdrive for the Model A Ford allows splitting of the 3 speeds on the manual transmission giving 6 speeds forward. The result is a more versatile transmission where a gear can be selected that matches the road and speed conditions.

Your videos are alway extremely interesting and enjoyable. Thank you!

i like how u pick what car to drive. think ill adopt the same plan

Hi Paul. Your car is 10 times cleaner than any of my modern day vehicles. I live on a "gravel road" and it doesn't allow a person to keep them as clean as you'd like, course I'm not that energetic these days. I already watched the Mitchell Overdrive Installation video before this video and I think you did a great job on both. Your are the man when it comes to these Model A cars! Loved your video and thank you for sharing. Have a great day and I hope your still improving on you health issues!

Great, please do the video on the complete process.

Amazing video, thanks for sharing.

Hey, Paul. I enjoy your videos. Wish you were around 2-3 weeks ago. My big project for the summer was to install a Mitchell O/D in my Town Sedan and due to Covid and social distancing I installed it by myself (I just turned 70). I could have used some pointers and since I'm a slow worker you would have had plenty of time for a video, haha. I replace my spring bushing and shackles while the rear end was out as I found one of the shackles broken.

The Mitchell 26% OD is also available for the early V8 with a 3 speed as well. Nice rig !

Great video, I really enjoyed it, but I have a question, when you shift gears why don't you double clutch? It seems to me when I'm driving our 31, double clutching doesn't seem to grind the gears as bad...

Looking forward to your overdrive video. I just had a Mitchel installed in my 30 family Coupe by Tom in Westminster Ca. and I'd like to instal the same in a Fordor I keep in another state. The 'other state' car installation will need to be done by Moi' with local assistance. Looking forward to your video. Another great job. BTW..... I too absolutely love my Mitchel Overdrive!!

This process was cool to watch...

Good video to start with. 👍👍👍

The video was not bad at all...I enjoyed it pretty much...lovely driving demonstration, thank you very much and greetings from Santa Catarina, Southern Brazil (my town is called Rio do Sul, which means in English "South River City")...

Excellent presentation Paul showing the obvious advantages of a Mitchel overdrive installation. Would you be able to answer a question I have regarding whether or not there were some Model A's late in their production run that came equipped from the factory with an optional heater that ran off the cooling system?

Me gusta tu A. Está muy bien cuidado.

Thank you for sharing

Your videos are excellent interesting & informative so don't be so hard on yourself. Your cars are pretty good too, look like well sorted examples of a great model.

Thanks for such great videos! I feel like I'm almost there, helping! 👍

New Sub here Paul. I have watched several of your vids and I find them fun and educational. Keep up the good work.

Model A, such a great car.

Enjoy your videos! Alway what a model A or a T Thanks for the Great videos!

Great video ride over to your dads using the over drive as a half gear ? was like being in Transport truck 👍 at the shop full of guys was not the place to make a movie. You did ok with what you showed, and I will be looking for your operation in your own shop. 👍👍👍 🍁 Canada

Enjoyed your video. I worked for a farmer in the sixties. He told me that as a young man driving model a!s they just put a second transmission n it backwards for a overdrive. Said they left in third for normal and went to second for overdrive. I asked about first gear. He said not enough power

I love how your cars are always so nice looking ! As always good and educating video 👍

A nice model A Tudor you have! Once again a very well done, informative video. Looks like the overdrive is definitely the way to go! Does Mitchell make them to fit other cars? (I have a 31 chev.) Roughly what does a mitchell trans. and overdrive cost for a model A? Looking forward to complete installation video. Well Done! Thanks.

"Sorry for how dirty it is under here." Dude, that's the cleanest undercarriage of a 90+ year old car I've ever seen.

I have a 30 4 door Model a with overdrive and love it. What is vibrating and rattling in the interior of your car. That would drive me crazy!!??

At age 12 in 1943 l learned to drive our family model A. A few years later I bought a used 1934 Ford V8. Been driving Ford's ever since! e A

yesssss my favorite one got picked

I have a Mitchell Under/Over drive box out of a delivery truck. It is a modern copy of the old Brownie Boxes or Spicer Aux Boxes. It is all Aluminum and weighs 83 pounds where as the Browne Lipe is well over 100 pounds. It is made by the same Mitchell company as what you guys are using.

I've done some research on the Columbia rear-end overdrive and was not aware of the Mitchell overdrive. Can you talk about the various types of overdrives? Thanks for the videos.

Thats got kick back for old Paul

Thanks for the great videos. Where can we get steering wheel cover like the one on your sedan.

Hey Paul , Love your cars and how straightforward you are ! I am curious i one day would like a model t or a , can a Mitchell overdrive be fitted to a tin lizzy ? Thanks -Blake

I love the club videos. If you do a club gathering video knowing that's what it is...that would be fantastic. Just get video of what you can and the rest laughter and guidance.

Hi Paul, I've got a ha ha for you too: First off I am a lifelong mechanic and a car aficionado to boot. I have owned many great cars over the years, among them a 1969 Pontiac GTO, a 1970 Mustang Boss 302 and a 1959 Lincoln Premiere two door hardtop. The car I miss the most of all is my 1939 Plymouth Roadster Deluxe. The only problem I have with my Current ride, the 560SEC is that it's the best car I've ever had the pleasure of owning and I here's the problem: It's lonely at the top, I figured if I had a Model A I might not stand out so much in a crowd. On the other hand I have a piece of American history that I might like to offer in stead, namely a 1978 Classic GMC motorhome currently in the process of some interior renovation.

Hi Paul , you are complete gentleman, your kindness is overwhelming, your integrity impecable, looking forward to seat, watch and enjoy every second of your video installing that overdrive gear box, at my 71 years of age I have all the time to enjoy your videos with very explicit easy to understand technical vocabulary that keeps me glue to the cell phone until it's finished but looking for more, blessings to you and your love ones, most kind of you, from the endless summer paradise Puerto Rico Jesus Torres.

Oh man I was ready for it. Such a disappointment 😂. Can't wait for the other video.

Paul Wondered if you had any suggestions about combatting vapor lock on a model a? I drive mine often and generally if I make a quick stop I have to bleed vapor off at carb so it will run. Heard of ATF and Diesel in fuel or the old clothes pin trick. Have any suggestions?

Did the Mitchel synchro trans with 15% extra in 2nd. Also did 3.27 rear gears so 50 mph no problem. Lightened the flywheel and used a V8 pressure plate to a total of 40 pounds allows instant shifting into 1st w/o grinding when lights turn green. Nurex aka Phillips spark advance makes car easier to drive.

Hello Paul: Like this video are you going to make another how to install a overdrive video. I ordered my overdrive for my 29 sport coupe Does your tudor have stock 378 Gears .

Please use a single square block of wood under the jack-stand instead of a cinder block laid on its side! Cider blocks can shatter and crumble, particularly when laid on their side, which are not designed to be load-bearing!

I enjoyed the ride out there but I did cringe when I saw the jack stands on the cinder blocks. Looking forward to the future overdrive video. Thank you.

I thought you did very well on this vid liked it Very much!

Hello Paul, even though I saw this video just today, I saw the other, you installing the mitchel overdrive into your friends car, just the other day. Now you got me thinking if I have will put one MO into my A. As I never took out the clutch or motor out of my car -as yet-, I wonder - you said in this video you would change the clutch right then and there as the whole parts are already out - what would I have to do, to change the clutch? I would not have to take the motor out, wouldn't I? Maybe I could at the same time solve the two litte leakage problems I found around the gearbox..... All the best Robert

Really interesting to see how you use the overdrive between 2nd & 3rd. I've added an overdrive to my Model A upgrades wish list :) [I also need to make sure I can still get 'club' (conditional) registration with that modification here in South Australia!]

My (Danish) A is finally ready for inspection and registration, and I start thinking of gentle improvements. One would be increasing compression from 4.2 to 5.5 with another head. I read it will run cooler, get 50+ hp and and thus improved mileage. Also read not to go above 5.5. Do you agree with this? if so, do you know which brand is the better head? Brumfield maybe? We won't drive it hard, max 40 mph.

A) NO CRITICISM you are the best Paul but concrete blocks are their WEAKEST with the webs laying horizontal! Always put the block (to support weight) as it would be in a building and for the use there go ahead an pilaster it (fill the voids with concrete, sit the block on a piece of plywood and fill the voids) Let it sit a week to cure and viola you have a heavy but substantial block. B) Love your videos, passion, purity in taking nomenclature (yes that is a word for details) and attention to the most minute detail. I am truly impressed and love your work!!!

Hi Paul have a question when you said you were climbing the hill in second high didn’t you actually go up to third low instead? Just checking to see if I’m understanding this correctly thanks.