Part 1 - 1953 Chrysler Fluid Torque Drive - How To Operate 

As a Chrysler employee back then let me make some corrections. In 53 Chrysler and DeSoto offered both fluid drive and fluid torque drive. There is a difference between a fluid coupling and one with a torque converter. This one would have had the writing fluid torque on the the shift emblem on the column if it has a torque converter. Except for dynaflow on Buick, Mopar was the only car offer a torque converter with their automatics. It gives a much faster breakaway speed with ratio of about 4.72 torque multiplication to 1. The tranny is a 4 speed built as two overdrives. One on low range and one on high. Let off gas at 10 on low to upshift and at 20 on high. To downshift to 3rd just floor it same in low range. For normal driving you never use the clutch. Except for first time. Cab companies loved them and the engines and ran them 600 k with no problems according to yellow cab in New York. But in 54 they went fully automatic 2 speed poweflyte with torque converter.

The first American fully automatic transmission was the Hydramatic from GM, first used in Oldsmobiles in late 1938/39... Then when those proved popular, Cadillac offered them late 1940, early '41. I'm pretty sure that the closest thing to the Chrysler Fluid Drive, was GM's Dynaflow... The difference being that Dynaflow skipped the whole clutch aspect. Buick did an incredible amount of development over the years on that transmission, but ultimately went to using the Turbo Hydramatic that the the entire GM 'family' turned to by 1965. ALL of those early automatics and semi-automatics from the various manufacturers were and still are Engineering Marvels... And quite fun to use. Some of them weren't the best ideas in practice, but I guess they worked well enough for what they were designed to do. Cheers Gang!

Around this time Chrysler Company used this transmission in Dodge cars and called it the Gyromatic in Dodge Cars.

I learned to drive a '49 DeSoto, same transmission, then we had a '53 Desoto which shared a lot of parts with your car. However, we did not have the RLND indicator on the column. Same pad on the clutch pedal though! So the first two cars I drove a lot were "normal" to me. And note the '49 had a push button on the end of the shift lever which would, without much interval, put you one gear below if you were in 2nd or 4th. Also on the '49: Get in at night, put the headlights on "park" and a small bulb would shine on the ignition lock so you could see where to insert the key. Those sixes were incredibly smooth. I have wondered about the power to weight ratio; perhaps that's why not many have made hotroddish use of them. Thanks for your nostalgic video.

I loved my 53 New Yorker. It was my first car. We always carried an " emergency brick". Many great memories.

Yikes! I am near 85 and remember this car was nearly exact to my father's car including the color! I learned to drive on a fluid drive. Thanks for posting

The 1953 Chrysler is the first car that I remember our family owning. It was even this shade of green. No kidding on how easy it is to release the parking brake. Dad would back the car into our inclined driveway with the nose of the car about 5 feet from the street. There was no sidewalk. Across the street was a stand of trees and a sharp descent into a field. My earliest memory was of a 4--year old me in 1959 playing in the car and somehow releasing the brake. The car began to roll toward the street with me in it! I knew that nothing good was going to come of this, so I put my foot on the brake pedal and yelled for help! The car did not roll into the street, I was rescued, and am here to tell the tale!

My first car was a 1950 Dodge Coronet with Gyro-matic Drive. I drove it about 75K miles. These were rock solid cars with one exception - they didn't like humidity and just wouldn't start when it was damp. Unlike what you described it did NOT have a shift quadrant. If you wanted to start in first gear you placed the shift lever in the normal second gear position on a manual transmission, let out the clutch and stepped on the gas. At about 20 mph you let your foot off of the gas and it shifted up to second gear. Then, you could put in the clutch and shift it to third gear. There were only three forward gears. OR, the usual way everyone drove them was to push in the clutch, put the lever in third gear position, let out the clutch and hit the gas. The transmission started in second gear and then when you let your foot off of the gas it shifted to high gear. The transmission always started in the gear lower than where you had the lever - if the lever was in second position it started in first and shifted to second - if the lever was in third position it started in second gear and shifted to third. They used a manual transmission, torque converter and solenoids to accomplish all of this. I think Chrysler started using it in1942 and switched to 2-speed Powerflite fully automatic in about 1954. In about 1957 they hit the market with the rock solid 3-speed Torqueflite. Best transmissions I have ever owned.

My father had a '52 Dodge Coronet Club Coupe. With a Fluid Drive trans. Semi- Automatic. You would start off in 2nd gear, shift to 3rd. There's no 1st on the tree. When you stopped completely there's an ever so slight "thunk" as she automatically dropped into 1st gear. Hence the semi- automatic feature. I learned to drive in her. Thanks Dad, rest in peace. I love you ♥️

In 1962 I pulled a u-haul from Nebraska to Washington with a New Yorker. It had a Hemi v8 and this transmission. Got along fine. Had the car several years (wish I still had it) and don't think I ever used low range.

Keith didn't really say it this way, so I want to add this: You only needed to push-in the clutch to move the gear shift lever. Also, not mentioned, is that all of the clutch pedals since the first fluid-drive in 1939 were embossed with "Safety-Clutch" visible on the pedal. The reason is that at the time people were afraid of a car that had the ability to move on its own and "Safety-Clutch" gave them the confidence that they were indeed in-control of the car.

Next door neighbor was a Chrysler Plymouth dealer, had a son my age, we were best buddies. So kind of grew up with these things. Adding that gear display was new, but actually starting off with the 1946 units was called a tip toe shift. Reverse was like any conventional gear shift up from neutral to the top, and also putting the gearshift lever on the steering wheel column was a brand new thing, well some 40's and 41 cars had this feature. 2nd gear in a conventional was 1 and 2nd gear, needed to step on the clutch for any shifting. but after in gear could release it with the fluid coupling. Step on the gas, release it, would shift into 2nd gears. Conventional 3rd gear was 3rd and 4th, same deal. Could speed shift, hit the clutch, jam in conventional 2nd gear, floor it, hit the clutch jam into neutral would be installing in 2nd, jam the clutch again, instant in 3rd, again, from conventional to neutral back to 3rd would be in fourth gear. Fluid clutch also gave about a three times multiplier. Ha, even with a 1948, we left a rich kid driving his old man's 54 Buick in the dust. Price? In 1957 purchased a beautiful 1948 Chrysler in Lake Forest for only $65.00, was in the military, gave me 6 cents a mile for my next base 1000 miles away. That was 60 bucks, plus had another 20 bucks, but needed 15 bucks for gas. I really loved these cars. I did pick up a 49 Olds for 30 bucks, no clutch with a four speed hydramatic, no clutches in these, Chrysler was behind. Chevy, believe this was in 1951 came out with a 2 speed powerglide transmission, we called these turtle torque. Buick had four holes in the front fender, that is where dyna flowed.

Very cool video. Thanks for showing it. When I was 15 years old and had my learners permit about 1 month, I was visiting my great grandfather and he had me drive him from the farm into town in a car just like this one. I was familiar driving both a stick or auto trans but I really didn't understand this one. He tried to explain it but he was about 85 years old by then and we had a bit of a communication gap. I just remember getting it out on the highway up to about 65 mph and he laughed and said "she still goes pretty good doesn't she". I'll never forget that time.

I had a 53 Chrysler in about 1963 which I bought from a friend for $250. It was a V8, not a six - which would have been an early Hemi from what I see on Wikipedia. The transmission began slipping and it was diagnosed with a bad converter and I managed to replace it with one from a wrecking yard, but it soon slipped again and I gave it away. In retrospect it might well have been the clutch that was slipping but I wasn't savvy enough at the time to consider it. The worst thing about the driving experience was the braking. They were hydraulic but there was no power assist and that was a massively heavy car. It took all of my youthful strength to force it to a halt. Even in those days of overconfidence it repeatedly surprised me how hard it was to stop. I later owned a 55 De Soto which did have a Hemi in it for sure and a fully automatic transmission and it had perfectly acceptable brakes. The view of the dash sure brought back the memories.

My parents bought a 1953 Windsor convertible new and that was the car I grew up in until they traded it in on a 1964 Chrysler station wagon. It had the same motor and transmission. They loved it.

My uncle had a '53 Chrysler with a hemi and this transmission. Hemi was brute horsepower and the semi auto trans functioned flawlessly. I got to drive it quite often after I got my driver's license in the spring of 1963. The car by then was a spare road car for the insurance company uncle owned and I ran errands with the Chrysler after school.

Nice video. I watched out out curiosity and to learn something. Also, your car is nice. Its quiet and runs smooth. Four door cars of the 50's are highly underrated. Thanks for sharing.

My dad had a ‘53 New Yorker. It had a semi-automatic transmission like this. I remember the scratchy cloth interior; I believe it was called mohair but could be wrong. Nice video and brought back memories of the car’s interior.

Dad had one back then. It was the talk of the town GREAT CAR. (RIP DAD)

My Dad had a 1953 Chrysler as his daily driver for te first few years of my life. I seem to remember it being a Fluid Drive like yours. I believe his was a V-8 engine, though. The longtime babysitter that came to sit my sister and me back in the day drove an old 1949 Plymouth with a straight 6 and thee-speed shift. Her mother, who she lived with, drove a 1948 Chrysler. I'd walk from my piano lessons up on the hill above my hometown. My sitter and her mother lived a few blocks down the street I'd walk to get downtown. That Chrysler had a very distinct roar when it was pulling up that hill; a very aggressive exhaust note.

Dad bought a new 53 Desoto - my first memory! I drove it in high school. We took many family vacations in it, drove in all weather. Dad took meticulous care of all his cars, the only problem I remember was with the heater - probably just a hose. I had forgotten it was a 6 volt system. Dad sold it to a cousin in 69 for $100. Thanks for the video!

That dash looks as new as brand new! Wow so clean

As a young kid very much into cars of all kinds - in the late 50's-1960s, I remember seeing 1948-53 Chrysler products (Dodge, DeSoto etc) that were still in regular use and used to wonder what a "Safety Clutch" was.. and some of the new cars like your 1953 Chrysler had the gear selector like a regular automatic and a little clutch... really weird. My dad would just say it was "fluid drive" but didn't know how it worked. I recall that some of the Chrysler cars of that same period had regular standard 3 on the column. Fluid drive was probably an option. Chrysler got a fully automatic trans a little later than GM and Ford. Thank you for your video. It sort of solved a 60 year mystery as to how it worked.

My Father had a 1951 Dodge Diplomat 2 dr hardtop with Gyromatic, the same transmission described her. At least in 1954 they began to provide Poerflyte a true automatic with only 2 speeds. No Park. Chyrsler had industry leading 3 speed Torqueflyte fomrm 1957, but still no park. You had to rely on a driveshaft mounted parking brake..

I recently bought a '50 Windsor and had no idea how the transmission worked. Also there was no car manual and the 50 has no gear indicator on the column like yours does so it was that much harder. The guy I met with with was selling it for someone else and they had driven it, he didn't even know there was a 1st and 2nd just thought it was kinda gutless ha ha. I watched this video a week or so before buying the car. It really was helpfull, thank you very much

Thank you for explaining Chrysler's Fluid Drive transmission. So many have tried but my thick skull just couldn't comprehend. Your explanation was clear and perfectly understandable. I feel as if I could sit in that car and operate it perfectly now.

My father told me about owning one of these, and how it worked. Until today, I didn't know what the car looked like. Thank you.

My father had a 1952 Dodge Coupe Coronet. Flathead 6 cylinder 160 hp with the Fluid Drive semi automatic. She dropped into 1st automatically when you stopped. Then you shifted into 2nd and 3rd. Really nice looking car. Long hood with a big ol ram's head on it, split windshield and a cowl vent that you opened by pushing down a lever under the dash. I learned to drive in that car at 14.

Thank you for this explanation. I'm toying with the idea of buying a collectible post-war MOPAR. After some research, I've learned of several different transmissions over the years from right after WWII until the true automatic was introduced. I appreciate your clear and concise lesson.

Pretty car and apparently pleasant to drive. There were a lot of these still around when I was a kid but I never got to drive one. Thanks for the ride.

Thanks Keith! I just bought a 1952 Dodge Diplomat with the fluid drive and was a little confused. This explains it. Great video and thanks for sharing!

My dad had a 1953 DeSoto with this transmission arrangement, it still confounds me to this very day.

This was interesting to watch. Had heard about Fluid Drive but never understood until now how it worked. Thank you for demonstrating.

I want this car mister! I remember these cars in Sydney when I was a kid. Here's a bit of trivia: not just Chrysler, but also the GM and Ford cars imported into Australia in those days were the Canadian models. Might be because Canada produced the right-hand drive models for the big three? Major markets would have presumably been UK, Aus, New Zealand and South Africa. Not sure. The Europeans were never big on "American" cars. Even in Australia they were derided as "Yank Tanks" (not by me, of course). I had lots of them (later models), including a candy-apple red pillarless 4 door sports Belvedere which I transplanted a 440 CID into back in '74. Souped 'er up a little. It was a "Christine" way before the movie. It also appeared in an Australian movie called "Shout", which was a telemovie about Aus rock & roll singer Johnny O'Keefe. For something a little different, check out Chrysler Royal (Australia) on Wikipedia. They ran from '57 to '63, biggest donk being the 313 CID. They came in Station Wagons and "Utes" - which you might know as "pick-ups". An era gone by. But I really want that car mister! You'd better lock 'er up... . .

Fascinating! Have heard about fluid torque drive for years, never saw it in action until now! Excellent video!

Best demonstration of Fluid Drive I've seen. Thanks very much for clearing up that mystery!

Beautiful car. I got my grandfather's 49 Dodge Coronet in 1964 when I was 17. Loved it. Same transmission but called Gyromatic in Dodges. 230 engine I believe. Yours may be larger. No power steering. Built up your muscles parking it.

Very nice, probably the best explanation of this product and procedure for use that I’ve ever heard. My dad dragged home a 50 Desoto with this transmission. Someone had put a rod out through the block from not letting it shift and pushing it hard. We started a restoration but someone came by with an offer we couldn’t refuse. So, I never got the chance to drive one. Yours is a great example. Thanks for sharing. 😎👍👏

I had a 1951½ DeSoto with what my dad called a "fluid clutch automatic". It did not have the automatic-type of display on the column. I drove it for many years here in Manitoba and its gearshift arrangement was similar to a true three-on-the-tree standard. It had the throttle/gas, brake and clutch pedals just like your Chrysler. Left-Up on the tree was reverse of course. Left-Down was Low, only used for steep hills and pulling heavy loads. When starting in Low, one could shift through the positions manually, with the clutch, just like a full standard, but we rarely did that. Right-Up was First and also rarely used. Right-Down was the standard drive mode with the release of the gas pedal clicking into a higher gear. As I remember, there were two release-and-clicks to get to highway speed. I think all positions required the clutch...it's a bit foggy to me now, though. Your 53 Windsor looks like an upgrade to that system, bridging the gap further toward fully automatic transmissions. It's a beautiful car and thanks for the nice reminder of the memories!

This car,m Chrysler six with Fluid Torque must be one of a kind these days. Beautiful car. (Green with envy!)

Thank you Keith for the excellent demonstration. Yes, GM did offer a similar transmission in 1938, but I don't know for how many years. Oldsmobile had it under the name of Automatic Safety Transmission and Buick sold it as the Self-Shifter. It operated the same way: it had a foot operated clutch for start and stop and a RNLH shifter. Clutching was not required to shift from Low to High, but manual shift was necessary. Both L and H had two gears (1&2 and 3&4 respectively). It did not have a torque converter.

Has a friend swap a early Chrysler hemi into a 53 Mercury. Used the fluid drive clutch and converter with a Plymouth 3 speed manual transmission. He could drive it like a stick shift or automatic. Drive train was all bolt together, just had to fab a floor shifter.

Sweet n smooth, thanks for taking us along for this ride. Almost like being there! Don't sell here. Enjoyed vid very much :)

My family inherited a 1952 or ‘53 De Soto from relatives around 1960. I was around nine or ten but I remember being so fascinated by that weird transmission. Seems we didn’t keep it very long. What a collector it would be today.

To my understanding Hudson had a similar system called the Drive Master. It had a clutch pedal and a normal three on the tree shift pattern but it also had a switch with three drive modes: conventional manual, clutchless manual and "fully automatic". If you selected the automatic mode you had to move the gearshift lever where third would be then it worked like the Chryslers. The car would start in second and after you speeded up and let off the accelerator, it shifted to third. Slow down and it shifts back to second.

I appreciate your content thanks 👍

Thank you that was great, I love how much you have to work the steering wheel in the old cars. Car is definitely a beauty.

Love the Chrysler products of 49-53. Especially the Chrysler like this one

Thank you so much for sharing! I just picked up my 53 ny in a baby blue with a white top! This is the first time I've driven a classic car with this type of system in her!

Thanks for this. Neighbors inherited an immaculate 1948 upscale Chrysler, I seem to remember it was a New Yorker. This was in the late 1960s - clock worked, radio worked with the face changing colors depending on the tone and volume. I believe the speedometer changed colors too depending on the speed. 3 speed Fluid Drive but an earlier setup without the indicator. Still wonder what happened to it after all of these years. Great memories.

Excellent explanation! I have a 1948 version that is the same but the shift quadrant is a little different. There are a number of incorrect youtube tutorials on this so it was great to hear and watch your accurate description. Beautiful car too!!!

I heard of these transmissions and always wondered for how they were operated. Thanks!

Similar to the Wilson pre-selector and fluid flywheel used by Daimler from the mid 30s until late 1950. The 'gear change pedal' changed between the 4 gears and the fluid flywheel meant there was no gearbox to crash through so it was very smooth for the day and simple to drive.

The engine sound is so pure !

Beautiful condition

In 1953, you already had Hydramatic, Dynaflow, and Powerglide all from GM. I think Fordomatic came out that year. Borg Warner had the DG series automatic, and Packard had Ultramatic. Chrysler didn’t offer an automatic until 1955 with Torqueflight with those awesome push button shifters.

Great video..

Absolutely beautiful car sir.

Your car has some pretty lines. So nice. My brother in law had a 50's Mercedes Benz that had a semi automatic transmission. I'm not sure if it had a clutch or not. Thanks for posting this bit of history.

That was very interesting, I always wondered how it was to drive one of these. And it's a lovely old car too. Cheers.

Thanks for this video, always wondered how it worked.

Ok now I want one Keith. Love your car!

Interesting design, reminds me of my grandfather ( The Elderly man look).

Nice car. We have a ‘48 Dodge. Also fluid drive, but it’s a three speed. Just a little earlier in the evolution of the fully automatic transmission Nice job on the video .

My 1948 Dodge Coupe 218.7 has the 3rd gear fluid drive. Basically while in 3rd gear. U don't have to downshift at a stop! Green light go or take off slowly! Not a lot of power during takeoff! Thanks for find! Very rare where did u get detailed info? I did get a set of Dykas! By the way Dodge wad way ahead with brake light mounted on the center of the trunk! Turn signals on fenders! Richard from Pasadena California 91107 There is guy in Murietta California who has quite a selection of Chrysler Dodge Mopar parts n stuff ! Pricey but available!

Thanks for showing us how it works.

My sister had a Chrysler that had one of these...was great in NY, on hills, you could just sit and not have to worry about rolling backwards and the clutch, of course, if it was a steep hill, you did have to downshift. So odd that Chrysler a more upscale car, would have this...my Dad's 51 Studebaker Commander had a fully automatic, started off in 2nd, anti-creep, anti-roll back, and full lock out torque converter ..I think it was a Detroit Gear automatic...But when Chrysler came out with the Torquflite...wow...but this 'fluid drive' was a very cool concept...

I had the opportunity to drive one of these recently. For a car without power steering or power brakes it was sure easy to drive.

What a beautiful car!!

In the late 70s / early 80s Honda Civics were available with a dual-range automatic transmission. Low was for stop-and-go traffic around town and High was for higher speeds out on the highway.

I had a 1954 Plymouth.You could just put it in high with the clutch and stay there or you could work the clutch through 1st,2nd and high.I loved that car.

that's great dude, those things are awesome

Knew very little about these. Thanks!

very cool..thanks for the tour

Automatics were fairly cheap, but Chrysler felt that they took too much control away from the driver. Their answer was Fluid Drive with the Vacamatic transmission on the Chrysler 6 and DeSoto, replaced with the hydraulic M6 after the war on both 6 and 8 cylinder. Dodges had just the fluid couple with a 3 speed manual until 1949, although earlier models have been found with the semi automatic.

Instead of offering the advantages of both manual and automatic transmissions, it gave you the disadvantages of both.

My first car that licenced for the road was a 1952 Chrysler Windsor coupe with fluid drive at age 15 it was a fun car always started even at -35

I love the dash its sleek and simple.

The fluid drive was used in 2 speed Westinghouse centrifugal hi speed air conditioning compressors….taken over McKay…now Diaken…great compressors……great machines…..glad I’m retired and living Panama

Fluid Drive was one of the first automatic transmissions, in 1939. They were used in Chrysler DeSoto and Dodge cars until 1953. So this is one of the last ones. Starting in 1954 they got the Powerflite, a conventional automatic. The Fluid Drive plus self shifting M6 transmission was one of the simplest most trouble free automatics ever made. But they still had a clutch pedal, called the Safety Clutch. I believe Chrysler's engineers could have eliminated the clutch pedal. But since all drivers back then were used to a clutch pedal, they may have been afraid drivers would hit the clutch by reflex action in an emergency or maybe they thought their customers would not accept too radical a change all at once. The transmission is a 4 speed. You have a choice of 2 speed ranges, High for all normal driving, Low for starting off on a steep hill, pulling a heavy load of passengers and baggage, or driving in sand snow or mud. Normally you would start off in High range, lift your foot off the gas at any speed over 14 MPH and it shifts into high gear with a soft *click-clack* from under the floor boards. If you want to go in Low range do likewise, except it will shift into high gear (of low range) at any speed over 6 MPH. A lot like driving any automatic except you need the clutch to shift into gear.

I see you have the Air conditioning window turned on there. I have a 1953 Yale forklift with the Chrysler flat 6 and a fluid coupling. 2 forward and 2 reverse, no auto shifting. It does work NICE!

a guy at an auto show had a 39 Olds with a semi-automatic, drove smooooth, he pointed to a gizmo under the hood right behind the radiator fan, it looked like a small paddle and bet me I couldn't figure out what it did...won that bet, I guessed it controls the radio volume, as engine rpm increases or speed the air flow moves the paddle and increases the volume on the radio

We had a '52 DeSoto Firedome Fluid Drive in 1965 when I was 12.

REAL NICE CAR AND VIDEO ENJOYED IT

It is a bit to get used to, my 1947 Dodge has the Fluid Drive. I have to constantly remind myself I don't need the clutch every time I stop.

I had one of these cars! Talk about a beauty! Fluid torque drive transmission. They only made it for one year. Maybe even a half a year. I think it was the middle of 52 to the middle of 53 and then they changed it over.

Awesome video!

Nice car. I have a 1949 Chrysler Windsor Coupe. Same set up,, flathead six, fluid drive, but no gear shift quadrant to look at. These Chryslers are dependable and comfortable to drive cars.

Wonderful car!

W😎 W what a friggin wonderful ride 👍‼️ My 53 had a 2 speed PTO rear end gear with Fluid drive, 100 mpg on the freeway, in 3rd ,p the technology for less emissions is through the gearing up/ down p on engine RPMs Via the transfer case, posting an honorable memories of Karen Dodge, Palm Beach FL ♥️🙏♥️‼️

This was a big improvement at the time.

Gorgeous car 🚙!

Great demonstration video. I'm thinking about getting a fluid drive Chrysler.

In 1953 I was 6, just getting ready to start first grade in school. Now I’m 72, starting to think of retirement, and this transmission system seems so complicated to me! No wonder it did not catch on!

Very interesting.

General Motors pioneered the Automatic transmission dubbed the "Hydra-Matic" in late 1939 and 1940 specifically in Oldsmobiles. Later on, it branched out to other divisions like Cadillac and Buick. By the '50s, other car makers like Nash, Hudson, Kaiser and even Lincoln (!) were buying their automatics from GM as it just seemed too costly to engineer their own. But the writing was on the wall by that point and Chrysler desperately needed a fully automatic. Back then, Chrysler was known as "The Engineers' Company" and they were losing major face by not having a fully automatic of their own. They briefly flirted with the idea of buying Hydramatics from GM but it didn't last. Eventually, Chrysler engineered their own - the two-speed Powerflite; appearing in Imperials & Chryslers in 1954, branching out to Dodge, DeSoto and Plymouth in 1955. There are two main types: Fluid Drive and the other Semi-Auto systems. Suffice to say that the original Fluid Drive of the 40's was not a semi-automatic - it was simply a fluid coupling that connected the flywheel to the engine. It did not do away with the need to shift, but it did alleviate the need to learn how to use a clutch. One could leave the column stick in first with the clutch out at a full stop. To take off, all one needed to do was simply press on the accelerator. Shifting still required the clutch. In your Chrysler, it's probably the "Presto-Matic" which is a half semi-automatic/ half fluid drive system. It retains the fluid coupling ahead of the clutch like Fluid Drive, but the transmission is a 2-speed manual coupled to an Under/Direct auxiliary box, some might refer to it as an "overdrive" box. Which, it really isn't. It's more of a Direct/Underdrive box. You control the two-speed, a complicated series of gyroscopes and relays controls the aux box. Chrysler and it's various corporations had a myriad of names for these transmissions: PrestoMatic, GyroMatic, Torque-Drive, Tip-Toe Shift, Gyro-Torque and Plymouth's version I think was called Hy-Drive. I think in this version you have here.... probably the M6, you have free-wheeling in 2nd and 4th, am I correct? You can only use engine braking in 1st or 3rd. I might have those backwards. It's been ages since I tinkered with one of these.

I drove my 53 dodge with this trans. It was the first run down Detroit dragway for me. Funny it was X-stock stock. For all vehicles slower then 20 seconds.

I like the old Chrysler.

First car Harry Truman bought upon leaving WH. He and Bess drove to NYC and DC and back to Independence.

Keith, we just picked up a 1951 Saratoga, can you let us know where you get your parts from to restore your car? Also, who re-did your chrome, THANK YOU!