I agree with other responses that gearshift patterns "on the floor" usually
are the same for RHD or LHD configurations. Although most cars normally
shift to higher gears as you move the shift lever farther to the right, '53
through early '55 Austin-Healeys (including my '54) have the following shift
pattern (regardless of which side the driver sits on):
2
3 1 R
I understand that it was adapted from a column shift. The "backwards"
pattern takes a little getting used to. It was the only "fully
synchronized" tranny in the Big Healey line, but only because the real first
gear was locked out. That gear was good for pulling stumps. Sometimes,
folks have removed the lockout. The real first gear was upwards to the
right (above 1 in the diagram, above).
I know of someone who test-drove (and later bought) one such A-H, without
knowing the correct shift pattern. This caused excitement when he caught
what he thought was 3rd gear (I guess the gears ground a little, but it went
in!).
My '54 Austin Princess Vanden Plas limo has a column shift that you shift
with your left hand--the car is RHD. I recall that you typically hit your
knuckles on the windshield when shifting upwards into reverse.
Keith Edwards
Suffolk, VA
kedwards@norfolk.infi.net
2 '62 TR3Bs
2 '67 TR4As
1 '54 Austin-Healey 100-4
1 '54 Austin Princess Vanden Plas limo (For Sale, rather cheap)
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