O/T 1950 Chevy coupe

Don c · Jun 17, 2009

Just got an e mail showing a 1950 chevy 2 door coupe and it shows that it has a powerguide transmission, is this right, I thought the powerguide came out in 1953. Thanks for your help.

Don c

Anonymous-0 · Jun 17, 2009

If it has a cast iron case its an original Powerglide from 1950.[Not all model Chevs had it but I forget what the other trans was].

Old Roy · Jun 17, 2009

I think all automatics were Powerglide in the cheveys till 56 maybe 57 only a two speed trans ,and the Tourqueflite was introduced with the 283 engine. So I'm leaning on 57.

Anonymous-0 · Jun 17, 2009

Introduced in 1950 via web search on "Hemmings Powerglide transmission"

Stan - Florida · Jun 17, 2009

Yep, Powerglide came out in 1950.

Stan

Anonymous-0 · Jun 17, 2009

The turboglide had three speeds.

Old Roy · Jun 17, 2009

Sorry I meant to add that in my post, Yep your right!!

I wonder how many remembers you could push start them too?

Barnheater · Jun 17, 2009

The powerglide transmissions were two speeds, and used until the early 70's or late 60's. Then they came out with the turbohydromatics, which were three speeds, models 350 and 400. The early powerglides were cast iron and the later ones were aluminum, the torqueflite trans was a chrysler trans.

Stockdale Dave · Jun 17, 2009

Yep 1950. Optional slip and slide Powerglide. Column markings PNDLR.

I had a 65 Impala with a 396 and Powerglide. Also had a 68 Nova with such tranny. Never let me down. I'd kill for a 65 Impala SS with 283/Powerglide. You couldn't kill it.

Stockdale Dave · Jun 17, 2009

Torqueflite was a Chrysler trans wasn't it? GMs had Powerglide, Turbohydramatic 350 and 400 series, etc.

Tim in New York · Jun 17, 2009

Yep - the 57 Chevy I had as a kid had the 2 speed automatic in it. And I remember towing it with something to start it.

I cry when I think about it. I was 14 and Dad made me get rid of it for some reason - it was Grammas car. Sold if for $50! Flamingo and white.

Tim

Vern · Jun 17, 2009

Barnheater;

The early Powerglides were like the Buick Dynaflows.
A continuous variable speed transmission.
The 2 speeds weren't until later.
I was working at a Chevrolet dealership in '52 & '53.

Vern

rustyfarmall · Jun 17, 2009

(quoted from post at 14:05:46 06/17/09) Torqueflite was a Chrysler trans wasn't it? GMs had Powerglide, Turbohydramatic 350 and 400 series, etc.

Yes, the Torqueflite was Chrysler.

You guys are correct that the Powerglide was introduced in 1950, but you have forgotten about the "Turboglide", which was introduced in about 1957. The Turboglide had only ONE speed. It DID NOT shift into a higher gear at any point. The torque convertor had variable pitch vanes, and those vanes are what actually advanced the speed of the car. The Turboglide also featured a "grade retard" for controlling the speed while going down a steep mountain road. The grade retard position was marked as "GR" on the shift quadrant.

old popper · Jun 17, 2009

Yup, had a '50 chevy coupe with powerglide trany in 1961. That Chevy just couldn't take that hard teenage hot roddin, and put a connecting rod through the side of the block. Went to a V8 flathead Ford, and been a Ford man every since.

Allan in NE · Jun 17, 2009

Yepper,

Cast iron Powerglide. First automatic transmission I ever overhauled.

Allan

Barnheater · Jun 17, 2009

Johnski · Jun 17, 2009

Allan, Weren't them 'glides air cooled back then? I seem to remember pulling one with a big air scoop on the dust shield and funky lookin' fins on the converter.

Allan in NE · Jun 17, 2009

Yes Sir,

But they were a bit later in the aluminum version and in the very light cars.

Think the little Buicks and Pontiacs mostly had the corner on those air cooled trannys.

Allan

Mike (WA) · Jun 17, 2009

And my recollection is that if you used the GR position for better acceleration, you burned up the Turboglide transmission in short order.

Old Roy · Jun 17, 2009

You're right Dave my minds slippin like a slush box in a 50 dodge. with a bad clutch.

Anonymous-0 · Jun 17, 2009

We used to call'em terribleglides.

RayP(MI) · Jun 17, 2009

I had a "60 Chevy BelAir- 6 cylinder, powerglide. Not a bad car, but not impressive amongst the muscle cars that followed!

GordoSD · Jun 17, 2009

But the three on the tree with overdrive, 4:10 posi was the real deal. My 57BA2DHT would do 95 in second and over! 120 plus in 3rd, and 115 in 3rd and over. It was a dual quad. I paid 1550 for it in 1960, and got 2000 trade in for it on a new 64 Vette in Sep of 1963. Buyer, some guy for his teenage son. Son totaled it a week later. So I bought the wreck, removed the engine,saved it for 23 years, and put it into a 57 resto I did in 1987.

Gordo

IA Leo · Jun 17, 2009

Gordo, there wasn't any choice in 1950 other than three on the tree (no overdrive) or the Powerglide, was there? You could do over 60 in second gear but you wouldn't want to call Dad and ask him for a tow home if you blew his engine. The split manifolds with glass-pack mufflers on those old sixes is still a sweeter sound than any V-8 IMHO Leonard who learned to drive on a 4-door Fleetline

teddy52food · Jun 17, 2009

The 1950 powerglide didn't shift automatically. You started in L & at 25 or 30 MPH shifted the lever to D.

Janicholson · Jun 17, 2009

Just a correction, Torqueflight was a Chrysler (fiat now) 3 speed trans. THM (Turbo Hydramatic) in various forms was the three speed. JimN

Allan in NE · Jun 18, 2009

The drive pin was sheared at your rear pump.

Allan

Dave 2N · Jun 18, 2009

Had a 1965 Chevy II with Powerglide. Was taking both of my toodler sons to a little league bseball game and had both in the front seat in car seats. Going along about 25 mph, one of the kids closest to me started swinging his legs and accidentally kicked it into reverse. The screeching and squalling noises coming from the car sure did make pedestians take notice. But--I just shifted back into drive and kept going. Apparently, no ill effects.

Bus Driver · Jun 18, 2009

Chevy first offered 3 speed with overdrive in 1955. The Powerglide did have two hydraulic pumps, one front and one rear. The rear one produced pressure when the car was pushed or towed and enabled push starts. New automatics have front pump only, the transmission works only when the engine is running, push starts not possible.

Bspauld · Jun 18, 2009

Wasnt the Tourqueflite used in Chrysler and the Turbo glide in Chevys?? The first one was an option in 1957

teddy52food · Jun 18, 2009

I don't think so. Dad had a 1950 & my brother has a 1951 & both were the same. You could start in drive with a lot of slippage but no upshift. Reverse went out on the 50 & it was repaired by the chevvy dealer & if that pin was sheared I think it would have been replaced.

Bspauld · Jun 18, 2009

The early power glides I drove had 2 speeds,and they were pretty tough,they used them in dragsters

LA in WI · Jun 18, 2009

Someone mentioned Buick had a Dynaflow auto transmission. With that and those long straight-8 motors in the early '50s there was a story that a man stopped at a gas station to fill up. The attendant (all stations were full-service back then) was pumping gas and noticed the Buick motor was still idling; the attendant said to the driver "Turn off the motor, because you are gaining on me".

Bus Driver · Jun 18, 2009

Back about 1953, 1954, the GM Hydramatic plant had a fire that disrupted production. Until production of the Hydramatic resumed, Pontiac used Powerglides and Oldsmobile and Cadillac used Dynaflow transmissions. The Hydramatic was a super good transmission, 4 speed. Durable. But not good for really high performance since it shifted so slowly and was heavy.

GordoSD · Jun 18, 2009

Amen to that. Buddy had a 47 Plymouth Coupe. Only guy in HS to have a plymouth. We put on a split manifold, dual Smittys, and it was the sweetest sound you ever heard. Draggin Main I always got behind him in my Flathead Ford with dual Smittys, chrome sidepipes, but Lakes pipes cutouts available in front of them. Now that was a racket!

Gordo

bc · Jun 18, 2009

My old nifty 50 chevy Deluxe had a 3 speed on the column. Floor boards of the back seat held a lot of empties. The floor board dimmer switch had some kinda short in it that would cause the headlights to shut off when the brights were on for a while. Then it would take an hour before the lights would come back on. I learned not to use the brights except while driving the country roads on a date. Finally had to replace the dimmer switch. Ran into a muddy road out hunting one day, buddy stood on the back bumper bouncing it up and down, and on every down bounce, it would move forward a little till we finally got past the mud hole. There was plenty of room under the hood to put any over limit birds.

GVSII · Jun 19, 2009

I think that beefed up pwr.glides were still used in raceing up into the '90's.Had a neighbor who bought a new '49 Buick,straight 8 and dyna flow.Could hit 60 in neutral.

O/T 1950 Chevy coupe

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