'64 Cruis-o-matic not shifting to first

[sseebart]

I picked up a '64 hardtop in December and just got it running this week. The previous owner rebuilt the motor in the 90's, but he (and the original owner before him) didn't touch the transmission. The car has 188k on it, so it's a bit of a miracle that the tranny is working at all.

Still, I'm hoping I don't have to dive into a transmission replacement right away. I've noticed that when starting from a stop performance is sluggish and there's only one shift--from 2nd to high. The shift linkage is sloppy ('natch!), so I haven't tried shifting directly into 1st. (A little afraid, too, that it may be the last straw for the transmission if I try.)

Is it possible that I'm missing a piece of linkage or a vacuum connection that would prevent the car from downshifting into 1st when rolling to a stop? Or is this just the first sign of a dying cruise-o-matic that need a rebuild?

[sseebart]

Answered my own question by rebuilding the shift column. Now that I know what gear I'm in, things appear to be working normally.