Can't figure out the shift pattern!!!!!!

[Nitekruizer]

R 2
1 3 Shift pattern would be similar to this, an "H" pattern. If this makes sense. R and 2 are up (column shift) or ahead (floor shift) and 1 and 3 are down (column) or toward the back (floor).
Your shifter might be out of adjustment.

[colnago]

I think that's a pretty common shift pattern for a three-on-the-tree. My dad had a '68 Dodge van with that "H" pattern. It was a real PITA to drive at the time, but now that I'm driving a piece of history, it's suddenly a lot of fun.

Joseph

[sargentrs]

As the column's moving parts wear it gets to be more of "hunt" for the gears. The pattern is a true "H" pattern. Neutral would be the center bar of the H. There's a spring in the column that maintains that position. As you move the shift lever from R - 1 it'll try to pop into neutral when it hits the center bar of the H. For reverse, pull the shift lever toward you and push up. For 1st, pull it toward you and pull down to neutral then down to first, holding the tension toward you. That's the left leg of the H. For 2nd, lift up on the lever back to neutral, it should kinda pop itself back to the center bar of the H, push the shift lever away from you and the push up into second. For 3rd, hold tension away from you and pull down to neutral, then continue down into 3rd. That's the right bar of the H. Every time you move the shift lever to the center bar of the H pattern the spring in the column will try to pop it to neutral so you have to maintain the tension toward you for R-1 and away from you for 2-3. When the parts start to wear, the spring loses some tension and then the hunt is on to find neutral and the definition of the center of the pattern gets lost. In those cases you have to guess where neutral is and move the shift lever yourself through the center bar of the H. It can be awkward to find the more the column wears and may have a tendency for the shift levers and the bottom of the column to get unsynchronized and "lock up" between gears. Take a look at this page and you can get a feel for the overall mechanism and what's going on http://www.fordification.com/tech/3spd-column_01.htm And oh yeah, from Georgia!