I have a 68 coupe that has been sitting for the better part of a year while work was done on the body. I recently started it, reletively easily to my surprise. But reverse is not working. Putting the car in drive is works fine, but reverse is a mystery. Is my transmission completely gone? Or is there something I can do to salvage this old one?

 

Did ya check the fluid? Automatic I assume.

 

Yeah, it takes more pressure to have it go into reverse than into forward. It needs to be driven after checking the fluid level.

 

I ran it several times and check the fluid...it seemed good. I pushed it out and drove it up and down the street, checked again and it still seemed fine. Do you recommend a complete transmission fluid change or just try adding some first?

 

The reverse band is most likely shot if you ran it in forward for a few miles and it still won't go into reverse. Either that, or the pump is weak. My suggestion is to take it to a transmission shop and have it checked.

 

The linkage hasnt gotten out of adjustment has it

 

Well GLen, if the reverse band is gone, then it wouldn't move in First gear either, since it's the REVERSE-LOW band.

 

Well I didn't quite run it for a few miles b/c the car still has work until it is truly road ready. But when you put the car in Drive you can feel it go into gear. But when you put it in Reverse, you don't feel anything. It feels almost like you put the car in Neutral.

 

There is posibility that reverse band is too loose. Try to adjust it.

 

I'm kind of a learning as I go. How do I adjust the band?