That's the oddest thing I've ever heard of. I guess with it in between the tranny and driveshaft I could see it working... But that's so weird. Why not just have 5th gear, which is overdrive?

 

Things were hard back in the days of dinosaurs.

Adrianspeeder

 

That is an overdrive switch, the thing you guys are forgetting is that is a British car and they did some weird things back when that was made and after spending 20 years restoring an MG Midget with my dad you learn some of the cool and wierd stuff they do with them. He currently has an MGB GT that is waiting for a heart transplant of a 231 CI aluminum block V8 with a Borg Warner 5spd mated to it. I can't wait to get that one done so I can whip up on my friends Trans Am with a 383 in it.

 

Cheaper to add an external overdrive to an existing transmission than it was to completely design and manufacture an all new transmission.

FWIW, these electric overdrives were around when 3 speed manual transmissions were the standard. Many car makers had them at one time or another. On some, you could go into overdrive in all gears, not just top gear.

Even Ford had an overdrive on their 3 speed, available in 1950. It would 'automatically' activate at speed, so you did not have to flip a switch.

One think I think is even weirder is two speed rear ends which were common on old trucks, but that's another thread.

 

My old man has a 1967 MGB, nice little car, much better looking than that. Very collectible.

 

Damn, I was going to say it's a splitter, -an 8 speed

 

Not crazy about the colour & now they put those nasty plastic bumpers on them whereas the earlier ones were chrome.

 

As if they wanted to, welcome to 1974.

 

If you were in 3rd and over 25 mph, all you did was lift your foot and it would engage overdrive. Floor it and it would kick back out. If you wanted to lock out the overdrive, you pulled a little "T" handle under the dash.

Remember the "Twin Stick" that Mitsubishi had? One stick was a standard 4 speed, the other was "high/low" - just like a splitter.

 

wasnt there a international that had 4 reverse gears and 4 forward gears???

 

yea, its for sale at a dealer ship, $2500 bucks. 81k miles 1.8L...i like it, only thing is.. im 6'3" tall and i had to let the top down so i could fit in it, im scared to take it down the highway because my head sticks up over the windshield!!! hahaha

 

You are thinking of the old Mack 5+4 transmission.

 

It happened.

 

sounds right, thanks

 

I think its a diff lock