<VV> 1959 Impala - Grade Retard - NO CORVAIR

[Sethracer at aol.com]

In a message dated 4/26/2006 8:44:45 PM Pacific Standard Time,  
corvairduval at cox.net writes:


>  'Grade retard' on the Turboglide wasn't a lower gear; it worked sorta 
>  like the reverse thrusters on a jet engine to slow it down on landing.  
> I forget exactly how it worked, but it was a braking action, not a  
> lower gear.
>



That was needed to compensate for the Drum brakes still prevalent on all  
American big cars at the time. Downshifting - (or GR in this case) - was needed  
to preserve the brakes on downhill highway stretches. I remember my fathers 59 
 Impala 4-door fully loaded with the family on various driving trips. That  
must have been a handful to stop! (it was PG equipped). -  Seth