Hot Rods Shop truck 4 speed

I am thinking of selling the '27 T Tudor and really trying to be practical for my own needs. I am fighting myself to give up on the idea of building a '35 to '41 Coupe. The practical side says ,hey you need a shop truck hot rodded a bit. So, I am going to start looking for a 1948 through 1956 F 1 /F 100 or a '55 through '59 Chevy. Now I love me some inliner sixes . I will be using the truck to haul anything from wood to engines and transmissions, car parts etc. Towing wise , it will be a utility trailer and a car trailer. I guess what I am asking is for any and all of my fellow hambers opinions on what you have done or likes and dislikes between using a car four speed or Gm Saginaw, Muncie or truck trans or Ford running an T 10/Super T 10 or a Ford truck trans. I want the fun of shifting but I want something that is going to be up to the task of whatever I tow with it. Would be interesting in a side note if any of you ran different gears than 3:73, 4:11 4:56 ? Example 3:36 , 3:42 or 3:55. I want my cake and eat it too.

 

I got a 435 behind a CJ and love it, in a one ton. It will pull anything, it has 4:10 gears. Smoothies out at 65 mph. Fast enough for me, maybe not everyone. Going to be doing some engine switching soon and this truck is going to get a 416 FE with a New Process 5 speed overdrive. Those transmissions are not speed shifter transmissions , but shift alright. Justmy experience.




Bones

 

NV 3500 for light duty truck work
Or a3spd OD
NV4500 for HD truck work

 

My 235/3 speed/3.38:1 rear truck is absolutely useless for backing a car loaded on a trailer up a steep driveway. I'd go for an original SM420, around 7:1 1st and reverse, then for normal driving it works like a full synchro 3 speed. You could run tall rear end gears but still have low gearing when you need it. I've had my 1/2 ton shop truck 27 years, and there's been a lot of times I have wished it was a 3/4 ton with a the longer bed and SM420. Otherwise it's nothing a big block V8 wouldn't fix.

 

inline 6 and towing, you might think about why they originally used a granny gear 4 speed and 3.90 or steeper rearend gears in those trucks, originally.

 

300 6cyl and Zf 5spd

 

300 are not 'known' for being easy-on-the-fuel but they are great for torque.............T-5's are EZ on the fuel. You don't plan to drag race it with slicks ...do you?! I vote for 300 with a T-5 and maybe 4.11:1gear set.
6sally6

 

The granny 4 speed maybe a better option with six and cheaper then a Muncie

 

My Dad had a 1960 Chevy long bed with a 340 Buick and a Muncie 3 speed. He towed his '37 Chevy coupe dirt modified with it. The truck was fast enough he got racing a guy in a 1957 Chevy car with a 427 on a back road and could keep even with the 427 until he floated the valves. I guess that is sort of an inspiration yet I like my sixes.

 

On hand, I have a 250 6 aluminum intake , headers but it has a pglide and I don't want to use that. I have a Ford 240 with 300 internals , 4.88 lift cam, manifold etc , a 283 all machined ready to be built. My first thought was to take the 9.3 Olds rear (1964), do the 283 up and use the Saginaw 4 speed and put it in a '55,'56, '57 short bed.

 

I like what you are suggesting.

 

No racing just a run around/hauler/cruiser. The plan is to build it as a daily driver 365 days a year.

 

1957 Chevy shortbed
350 4 barrel
S10 T5
open 3.08 12 bolt
Seemed to work well for me

 

Stay away from the 283 if you want a shop truck to haul stuff with. You’ll be happier with something that produces more torque. That is the key. The 283 will ‘work’ but you’ll always be lacking in the torque department. And as we all know, torque actually moves things.
r


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I just picked up another Saginaw 4 speed an hour ago. Collecting parts and it doesn't hurt to have spares, I guess.

 

Especially when using a Saginaw

 

If this were strictly a parts getter, you would be pleasantly surprised with a 250/PG combo, in a 1/2 ton Task Force truck. The SM420 is a good trans, especially if you can run enough motor to allow a 3.08 or so rear gear.

 

See that's what I would like to get some semblance of a overall package that cruises at a good rpm , will tow decent and doesn't drain the tank. I like to eat cake as you can see.

 

I had a Dodge dually , 360 4 barrel, 4 speed and 4:11's. It would pull a stump but at 55 mph it would start singing and by 60/65 mph was yelling back at me.. My Dad had a Chevy step side with a inline six and automatic and I am guessing how low can you go gears and you could just watch the gas gauge go down as you were going down the highway.

 

Ttt

 

there was a 58 or 59 apache short bed in parts section in portland for like 800 bucks the other day and they were in a hurry to sell it

 

1950 Ford F1 with a 56 324 Olds Rocket mated to the original top loader 3 speed and rearend. It gets around.....

 

Thanks . I will look it up.

 

Love the old school flavor.

 

I had a 1964 El Camìno w/ a 283, 2bbl, & a powrglide combo that pulled every hot rod I knew home at least once. Can't remember the gears, but it wasn't anything good. Got about 14-16 mpg with it in every day driving, with A/C (Sears under dash unit) blasting most days. May not of been a rocket when towing, but it got out of it's own way. Eventually put the 327 out of my Camaro in it, ran much better, didn't get much mileage after that.

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My last 6 cylinder Chevy truck (1953 vintage) I had...the truck was originally a 1 ton, I swapped out the rear end for a 1980's Chevy Blazer with 4.10 gears in it...it still had the SM420 transmission in it...it was geared so low I literally could shift it out of first gear in my garage...top speed was 53 mph too...it would pull tho...I never tried to tow anything with it tho...
Good luck with your search

MikeC

 

If you go with a truck type trans, you may want to consider an aux trans like the ranger...
https://www.advanceadapters.com/categories/complete-units/91/
I used one in my COE with a 300 six and the T18 truck trans and 4.10 gears. Direct/over giving you 8 forward speeds/2 reverse. It made my truck usable.

 

Thanks. I want my cake and eat it too. Especially on a long trip .

 

That is an interesting idea. Thanks.