Projects Manual transmission searching

I am building up a 1937 Chevy truck. I have picked up a 350 that I intend on doing some mild work on. Not doing anything off the wall or expecting massive power. I want to back it up with a manual transmission but having a hard time finding viable options that are reasonably priced.
An automatic option (700R4 or 4L80) would run about 1000 but a manual transmission rated for anything over 300ft/lbs will run closer to $2000
The T5 I thought would be a viable option but it depends on which side of the street you are on. The Ford community uses and abuses them yet the GM side of the house hates them and claims they won’t handle the mild power boost I plan on since no 350 was backed by a T5 in the 80s. A Muncie four speed that’s upgraded will run $2k at that price I might as well just go TKO or T56
So what am I missing. Manual transmissions are run all day at the tracks and have been used for decades but the internet is skewing the info I find
I haven’t committed to a rear gear until I figure out what trans is in front.
I want a cruiser that I can play with from time to time. Leave a light strong and enjoy towing thru the gears with a little spirit. Not planning on drag racing but a clutch drop now and again may happen

 

Muncie, borg warner, saginaw. With the power you are thinking of and in a pick up, the saginaw would work. Has a low first gear and they came in about every thing. Cheap in this part of the country.
Pete

Looking back I see that you have one post. How about an introduction so we can be of some help? Filling out your profile would be a start.

 

I’m running one on an off topic ford behind a stroked ford small block that displaces 347 CI. It sees regular street and strip duty without any problems. I did a rebuild using a performance parts.
There are different models but if u find one that came out of a v8 car it should be find behind a mild small block.


Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

We Ford T5 users do use them and abuse them, but they can handle it.... 13 years on the factory clutch and still going strong....

 

I'll say it again; the Richmond Super T-10 is pretty hard to beat.
Lots of applications, gear spreads and torque handling (as important as horsepower).
There are even gearboxes set up for roadracing.
Granted, if you've only bought used transmissions, the initial sticker shock will be there.
And do yourself a favor and get a new shifter too.


http://www.jegs.com/p/Richmond-Gear/Richmond-4-Speed-Super-T-10-Transmissions/746183/10002/-1

https://www.google.com/search?q=ric...AUIEigC&biw=1280&bih=752#imgrc=s9WWjqudzGZDoM:

 

Pretty much any GM manual transmission will hold up to what you're doing unless you put sticky tires on it, that's when stuff breaks.

 

I have installed T5's in a ton of cars, large and small, World Class, and Non-World Class.

I have never seen any of them get broken, even when driver has engaged in repeated spirited romps.

A World Class T5 will do fine on a drag strip, with a few minor mods, that don't cost a ton of money.

As has been said, if you are hooking up on sticky tires, we might be talking another story.

 

You have a pretty big variety of transmissions you can choose from. The Super T-10 used in the Corvettes and Camaros in the 70s is a pretty stout transmission, you might be able to find one reasonably

If you really want to cheap out, you might be able to score a Saginaw 3 speed dirt cheap, and it will hold up fine, and probably do everything you need. Except you won't get the same running-through-the-gears experience that you would with a 4 speed, or 5 speed.

Bonus is that it's quite traditional to use a 3 speed manual trans, most hot rods had them until the mid 60s, after all.

 

3-speed with overdrive. Most fun for your money

 

Check out the rod-sters s thread on here. He used the NV3400 a little big but good 5 speed.

 

I'm running a Muncie M20 in my car, cost me $750 (bought here) and I threw another $200 in it, new side cover and some other parts. Put my old shifter on it and it shifts nicely. The transmission is one of those things you buy ONCE, unless you blow it up. Richmond had a nice array of new 4 and 5 speeds, my next one will be made by them.

 

There's an M-20 and an M-21 on my local C/L for 850 each and a T-10 for 375.

 

I got my M-21 for $1000 and it came attached to a 389 and an entire car that I parted out and got my money back.

(there is a point here and an answer to your question)

A friend just got a Turbo 350 with a new T.C. for nothing. The guy that had it wanted it out of his way.

 

I run a 50 dollar and an 85 dollar saginaw in my elcamino and studebaker. Spirited street useand had a big block in the elcamino and both are behind 327s now. 11 years in the elcamino, 9 in the stude.

 

It just amazes me how varying the opinions are when it comes to this. How can almost every GM guy says T5s suck yet every mustang guy loves them. I’m really leaning toward the Super T-10 at this point. Even thiugh it’s a four speed It will come in a gear ratio that lines up with my other daily driver and if just change to a 3.55 gear I can gain a little Highway out of it and still be close to what I’m used to daily. Now to just piece it all together since my project started as an automatic
Thanks to everyone that shared their side of the story

 

pretty simple. chevy motors make power, 5.0s don't.

 

I pounded the crap out of a bone stock Vega Saginaw 4 speed for years behind a beefy 350. The secret is to not hook up

I put T-5s in the same category... If you are not taking them to the strip and hooking them with slicks, and you have half a brain, you should not be tearing them up with a basic small block build. This assumes that they were not wore slap out when you started.

 

I have the 2.56 1st gear in my M20, wide ratio. So it rolls out good. I don't drop the clutch hard from a dead stop either. That is how you find the weak links in the drive train.

 

The 77 bandit car I sold last summer was a 400, 4 speed, Super T-10, 3:55 gears, 255 60/15 rears. An absolute blast to drive! Decent freeway tach, great off the line, good second gear scratch. Those are good trannys.

 

A T5 will take the torque of a 300" motor all day, but go more cubes and the torque becomes more than the T5 can take. That's why the Chevy guys don't like them and the Ford guys do. Even Ford refused to use one behind larger motors; the 351-powered '93 Mustang Cobra R got a tremec instead of a T5 for just that reason. With that said, if you can find a 'World Class' T5 (and these are like 'Corvette' small blocks, they're all WC until proved otherwise... LOL) it will work if the engine build is mild, the vehicle not too heavy, and you don't beat the crap out of it. You can upgrade most T5s to WC, but the cost will end up being nearly the same as a new aftermarket box and still won't be as tough.

If cheap and strong is important, look for a 3.03 Ford three speed (bulletproof behind a small block) or a Ford toploader OD four speed. For the latter, look for a car version with the cast-iron case. The truck versions have odd gear spreads (usually a very low 1st with a big jump to 2nd) and the aluminum-case versions are flimsier than a T5.

 

My 63 Belair 2 door post car has a T5 WC out of a 91 IROC Camaro behind a pretty stout 350 and shifts like butter. Not a race car with no speed shifting as there are no physical stops on the shifter. However it has taken a lot of abuse with no problems. With a 3:36 rear and going to fifth gear at 75 MPH the RPM's drop to 1900. The T5 first gear is still low enough to light up the tires. Needless to say I love the T5.
The 63 Impala in my avatar has a Muncie M-21 behind a 327 that should be in the 375 HP range and a 3:73 posi rear end that performs just fine. I like the M-21 its just a different animal then the T5. I can almost watch my gas gauge go toward empty.

Gary

 

I don’t know where you are located, but if you are close to Central Illinois I have a complete take out ‘69 Muncie M20 (from a Chevelle) with very nice Hurst Comp+ shifter, stock style cast 153 tooth light weight flywheel (16#) and nice Complete Diaphragm clutch and “403” bellhousing for $1100. The clutch was new about a year ago. I just swapped this entire set up out for an automatic for a lady that bought my truck and didn’t like driving the 4 speed.

 

You might look at chevy 833 overdrive trans used in pickups 1980-1985.

 

Hey Squirrel. I'll be your Huckleberry and when I get my car done . I'll run my little 5.0 against your mighty blown big block.

 

Sure, we start in AZ, drive to Wisconsin, race, drive back to AZ. sounds like fun!

 

Give him a break, Jim. Meet him in Witchita, loser runs blocker for winner going home. He’ll have time to see Arizona if he makes bail.

 

I ummmm.... No comment!

 

Oh, there are a few of those little Ford motors that run pretty damn good. But they're kind of rare.

 

If you're not in too much of a hurry you could keep your eye out for a nice used street Doug Nash/Richmond 5 speed and possibly not hurt the budget too badly. First gear is about a 3.27 and fifth gear is 1 to 1, so you could run a highway gear (2.50, 2.75 or 3.00) in the rear end.