Projects jailhousebob scores the mother load of 39 ford transmissions

This is part of a collection from an old time hot rodder that i lucked into.buckets of gears,shafts,syncros and assorted hardware.Eight or ten 81A double detent tops with the 3 inch shift fork.Shifters,bearing retainers etc.Alot of the parts are N.O.S.. A couple of complete transmissions and one rebuilt with a beautiful set of 25 tooth zypher gears.Looks like i'll be building transmissions for a while.

 

That's a great score and will be fun to sort through everything.


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Bob, that ought to keep you out of trouble for a few weeks! How is the 32 coming along? Still looking for that panhead?

 

So tell us about this old Hot Rodder.

 

Old rodder's stashes always contain interesting oddities, rarities, and puzzles...show us interesting stuff you find in there!
I once met a poor damn Chevrolet restorer selling a Ford sideshift trans at a flea market. A "spare trans" that came with a friend's '40 Ford. $25.00. I thought I couldn't miss finding that much value in spare parts inside, but I paused to look it over before getting out my wallet.
First, I noted the the serial number began with "H". Red alert, you better figure it out if you don't know! Grabbed it and took it home. As expected, innards were 26 tooth, detailed search showed them to have no trace of contact marks...the thing had been rebuilt with NOS parts, probably back in the day when nothing in there cost more than about $10 at Joblot.

 

Hey Walt,great to hear from you! 32 is comming along,chassis is almost done.Hope to be driving it around this summer.Always looking for orig panhead or knucklehead and parts.I wont be riding much anymore,I had a bout with Cancer last year and only have part of one kidney left so i have to be careful.Riding riged frame bikes is not a kidney friendly activity! Hows the syrup business treating you?

 

Sadly,i was not able to meet him.He went to his reward and a family friend ended up with all the parts.The friend had no interest in the old ford stuff and that's where i came in.I have bought collections of parts in the past and usually about half of the stuff is scrap.Old guys( like me) have a habit of saving everything.This old gent apparently only wanted to keep the good stuff.So far i only found a couple of bearings and one zypher 26 tooth cluster that is obviously junk.The cluster had a bunch of sheared off teeth that someone was trying to repair with a stick welder! It will make great garage art.All the 78 part# cases are really nice as are the lids and most everything else.There was also some chevy stuff that the friend was interested in and is keeping.I should be in line for some more stuff,we'll see. In the meantime i'm building transmissions.Most will be for sale and hambers will get first shot before anything goes on the auction site.Bob

 

Wow, I did not know about the kidney thing. Lucky that we all start out with two!
We just got back from Fl and are right into the syrup business. Received a bunch of sugar snow yesterday and more tomorrow.............that should help the season along.
Still working on the 31 when I can.

 

Compared to our Canadian winters, that's sounds pretty sweet.

 

Yea,cancer sucks! slowed me down for a while but not too long.So did you guys ever do anything with that olds motor? You arent putting that in the 31 are you? Let me know if you need a 39 trans,i have a few.LOL Bob

 

Great score! I saw a ad on Craigslist north of Chicago, was this it. A friend called about it, guy said someone already got the trannys. Glad it went to a hamber. Congrats!

 

OK help me/us figure it out...

 

Bob, that Olds engine I packaged up and shipped to a fellow HAMB'r down in Sydney. He is putting it in a 32. I sent it out of here in a crate in April and he received it in Oct. Have not heard from Mark since the big shake hit down there now that I think about it. He is a wheat farmer 100 miles outside of Sydney and has a nice collection of rods and antiques.
My 31 is getting a different 324 bored to 371 specs with as seen in my avatar hooked to a 37 Buick tranny and a 9 inch out back.

 

Glad the olds is getting used,especially in a 32! I'm guessing the shipping cost way more than the motor.That should be a fairly stout drivetrain in that 31.I had a 37 buick(roadmaster) trans that i planned to use behind the 303 i sold you.I couldn't believe how heavy duty it was.I had a few caddy/lasalle's also but i liked the buick better.They make these early fords look like kid stuff!

 

Yes the Buick box is stout especially with the 57 Olds tranny gut inside it. I picked up another one out in CA this last trip out. I got it off of a fella in Visalia who had a 37 four door. He had swapped out the two trannies because the one I have now had a bad gear.
What did you do with yours?

 

Nice! Lots of projects for the winter you can do right in the house.

 

I had to sell alot of stuff when the house sold.It wound up getting shipped to the pacific northwest.I took that one out of a low mileage 37 sedan and the inside was mint.Hated to sell it.

 

Actually i'll be building these in the Garage but before i built my last shop i restored a 46 Harley Knucklehead in an extra bedroom of the house and kept my 48 panhead in the dining room! I have an understanding wife.

 

When I was in the Army back in '68, a guy in my barracks from N.J. brought a panhead motor back to the base to assemble. We had a surprise inspection one Sat. morning, and the look on the Officer of the Day's face was hard to describe when he did a crisp left face and saw that in Richie's wall locker. We were giggleing like 12 year old girls. ( the Lt. even snickered a little)

 

That's a great score!!
Since you have all these parts maybe you could shed a little light on me.
Is first gear as weak as people say or not so bad.
I'm building my car now with a 39 tranny and a lot of people are getting me nervous about first gear.
Enjoy your find.


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yep....good case's are like good hot rod women.....kinda hard to find....

 

I don't know who is saying that first gear in these transmissions is Weak, The whole damn thing is weak ! Not really,but that is the perception that some have and really is unfair. These things were designed to back up a powerplant that had 85 to 100 horsepower but as hot rodding evolved they were used behind everything including Hemi's, Cadillac and Oldsmobile OHV's ,Small block Chevies and whatever else guys wanted to run.Often doubleing and tripling the horsepower and torque specs they originall were designed for.Not to mention the hard use they saw on the stock car track . It's amazing they held up at all.In addition,they were plentiful in the junkyards of the day so if you did disintergrate one doing hole shots with your Caddy powered roadster on friday night quick trip to the neighborhood "junkie" and ten or fifteen bucks had you back on the road.Often the replacement trans wouldn't be rebuilt and simply put back in the car for another round of abuse and may have been worn out when it was put in so it's days were already numbered at the time of installation.They eventually developed a reputation for being "weak",and guys began substituting units from Cadillac,Buick,Packard and other big luxury cars of the 30's 40' and early fifties.
OK sorry to get long winded ! My experienc with these,and i'm no expert on anything,is if you rebuild your transmission with good componants,including a case that isn't worn out,american bearings,and everything is in spec.AND you don't abuse it by powershifting,doing hole shots , overrevving,downshifting into low while the car is in motion and a bunch of other stuff that transmissions don't like you should be ok.Plus,these things are a big part of hot rod history and were by far the transmission of choice for traditional Ford hot rods up to the late fifties so don't be nervous,build a good transmission and enjoy your hot rod. Bob

 

happen to have a V8-60 '40 Ford passenger car side shift trans?

 

sorry,no v/8 60 stuff. Bob

 

Can't wait to get my 39 trans!!! Thanks jailhousebob!!!

 

happy to help

 

Sent ya a PM Bob.

 

I ain't nervous, and I sure would like to do just that. Looking to buy a case and top, maybe some other stuff. Can you help a brother out?

 

I guess that proves they are still out there. Mercuryguy

 

Just got my 3 speed top loader! Bob went above and beyond for me building this transmission, he even saved me a 8hr drive (not saying that will work out for everyone) If you are in the fence about have a transmission build just go for it and if you get to meet him, be ready for a real handshake!!! Man I hate a limp fish handshake lol
Thanks again bob!