I took advantage of my father being out of town a couple weekends ago and took his '65 2+2 out for a stretch.... sidenote: car is mostly original in the steering/suspension department and I was quickly reminded of how much I have improved my car ... back to the question:

The C4 in '65 has a different shift pattern than both my '67s had. I remember reading on this awhile ago, but what is the significance of the notches in the console and what is the difference between little dot and big dot?

 

Early 65's were "green dot" transmissions. For simplicity sakes, lets explain a non greent dot transmission shift pattern. P-R-N-D-2-1. For this transmission, if you put it in 1, you'll get one. If you put it in 2 and start from a dead stop, it will shift 1 and then into 2nd. D will give you a 1st-2nd-3rd shift from a dead stop.

Now the difference. A 65-66 green dot transmission's shift pattern is P-R-N-LittleDot-BigDot-L. If you start out in L, you'll get one just like the later C-4's. If you put it in the Big Dot, you'll get Low-2nd-3rd shift. If you start out in LittleDot, you'll get a 2nd-3rd shift.

For most driving, you want to be in the BigDot or the green dot to get a 1-2-3 shift. Takes some getting used to. The LittleDot was meant for driving in the snow so you wouldn't spin the tires.

Some people (myself included at times) that have driven a normal AT car will get into a car with a green dot and pull it to the little dot (the correct spot on a normal C-4, or "D") and think that they don't have any pop off the line. Which they don't because they're starting out in 2nd....

 

Of course, if the old man's out of town, you'll need to know how to powershift the greendot.

Start in L. Rev up to shift point, bump up to greendot. AS SOON as it shifts to second, shift back to L. That will keep it in second. Next shift point, bump back up to greendot.

So it's up, immediately back, and back up. Great fun. And everyone wonders what the heck you're doing.

 

This is exactly the reason that I have a '67 valve body in my C4. The dots never made any sense to me, and I'll never see snow down here in Tx., so the little dot doesn't do a whole lot for me. (patiently saving for T-5 conversion)

 

Greendot users have character. B) I never understood why anyone would swap out the valvebody to a later version. There's just no reason for it.

 

Except they could never figure them out and changed it in frustration. I too thought there was something wrong with my newly rebuilt tranny because it wouldn't shift out of 2nd.

 

Yea but you're an idiot.

Just kiddin. The greendot makes it different...and different is good.

 

I didn't perform the swap, but I am glad the previous owner did. There's no need for the complicated (and a little scary) powershifting method and it just makes more sense. Not that I manually shift this thing a whole lot, but it is nice to have the option without needing special directions.

 

:nono:


touche', my friend.