1969 nova for sure.  I have a dealer "communitation" kit that has a JamHandy filmstrip about them. Been awile since i last looked at it,  i think the kit also has a small booklet that describes them.  yes basicly a manual valve body powerglide

davepl wrote:

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My 1969 shop manual talks about the Torque Drive transmission, which it describes as basically a Powerglide with the automatic shifting removed.

So you start out in D and get used to lazy 1:1 acceleration?  Or you start out in L and shift to D every time?  Just curious how people lived with them.

Also what cars did they come in?  I don't think they were in the B-Bodies at all, where they?

-- Edited by davepl on Monday 26th of February 2018 07:21:11 PM

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 VW Bettles had a similar set-up in the same era....(1968-  ) Automatic Stickshift or semi-automatic.

I have one in my (long term project )1971 Beetle.

Introduced in 1968 and made available on the 1300 and 1500, the semi-auto Beetle was a peculiar beast. With its inherently more stable double jointed driveshaft type independent rear suspension instead of the conventional swing axle, it handled better than the manual Bug of that era. But apart from that (and its rarity) its always remained something of an enigma.

The most obvious difference inside, of course, is the fact that there is no clutch pedal. The gear lever itself looks stock, but theres only four positions; three forward gears (L, 1 and 2) and reverse, arranged in the conventional H-pattern. Because the torque converter is able to apply power over a wide rev range, only the top two gears are used for normal driving, with L only being needed if starting on a slope or tackling tight parking manoeuvres.

The engine can only be started in neutral and when cold it idles much faster than when warm, so before engaging gear the brakes have to be applied to prevent the car lurching forward. As soon as the gear lever is moved, a solenoid in the top sends an electrical instruction to disengage the clutch. When a gear is selected, the accelerator is pressed and the torque converter takes up drive, with first being good from rest up to 55mph. Position 2 takes you right up to motorway cruising speeds. If the oil temperature warning light glows, however, its telling you to drop down a cog. You dont need to take it out of gear when at rest, although you do need to keep a foot on the brake to prevent creep. If youre used to driving a manual Bug, its all a bit unnerving

seventy2plus2 wrote:

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CdnGMfan posted a page from the brochure, but it doesn't have the description for photo 6 of the Torque Drive shift indicator. I'm curious as to what they say about it.

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"(6) Don't let THE MAN tell you what gear you should groove in.  Pick your own course and speed and set sail for your local Chevy Dealer today."

You really have to wonder why GM would ever offer such a dumb transmission option.