Technical EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT TRANSMISSIONS BUT WAS AFRAID TO ASK

If we are going to drive out hot rods or customs there comes a time when a decision has to be made whether you will have 2 pedals or three, naturally if you go the 2 pedal route the automatic transmission will be your choice, but there are a bunch of different ones available.

On the other hand if you want to row gears the vast array of straight drive transmission out there can confusing when trying to decide just how traditional you want your car/truck.

The 3 speeds definitely fall in the old school way of building traditional cars, there is also the top loader 4 speed and the more modern 5 and 6 transmissions.

What are you using in your cars and trucks and are you happy with the decision.

Feel free to offer any advice for the newer guys and old farts alike. HRP

 

I have a C-4 in my Coupe and I'm very happy with it. I'm done with manual transmissions. Injuries did me in.
The only advice that I can give on the subject is, don't keep doing what you can't do to please others or worry what others will think. It's not worth the pain.

 

Got an A833 Mopar 4 gear... Nothing better than rowing the gears with an old Hurst competition plus shifter...

 

Some general rules.

The more powerful the engine, the fewer gears you need. Lots of torque available means you can set up the gearing to be "lazy" getting the car moving. Little engines need to rev high to accelerate the car.

The use of the car might determine how many gears you need. If you are going to go racing and need to launch the car as hard as possible, but also spend time on the freeway, then overdrive is a good way to go.

Automatics are easier to shift, which is an issue if you have trouble dealing with a clutch pedal. And they can have a performance disadvantage, or not, depending which one you use, and how it's set up.

Three on the tree was the standard setup in most low cost cars from the late 30s to the early 70s. If you drove one back when, you probably hated it then, but it might be a refreshing change to have one now. For a while, at least. But the most serious traditional rod I ever had the pleasure to drive (Steve's 32 Cabrio with the blown flatty) had it, and it was great!

If you liked the move to muscle cars in the 60s, then a 4 speed and steep rearend gears (and limited highway driving) will probably do all you need. They're really fun to drive when set up right.

5 speeds suck, but I only say that because they used to be what economy cars got starting in the later 70s. Ugh.

 

Wide ratio T-10/blown 350 in my 5 window and a Turbo 350/283 in the Fordor.

 

bought a 64 muncie m20 out of a gto back in the early 70's, finally putting it to use in my 50 chevy truck. paid 100 for it.

 

Thanks Jim, this is the kind of information that helps members pick the right transmission for their project. HRP

 

Back in the day it had to be a shifter car for me, I liked the fun of rowing the gears, downshifting to make them glass packs rumble, had 3 speeds in the beginning with a Hurst floor shift kits I installed, then some 4 speed GM cars, what fun it was. I went to auto transmission cars/trucks as daily drivers in 1970 and have have had only 1 shifter car since, my OT ragtop now 33 years old. My HAMB cars were all SBC with TH350 trans. It's funny when I drive my ragtop, I occasionally stall it but it all comes back and enjoy the manual trans. I still enjoy driving/cruising in general, just not the big city traffic as IMO people drive like Idiots today, got me off motorcycles after 36 years of riding.

 

Squirrel (as always) nailed it. Transmission choice depends on your tastes, intended use, and engine. Although I went to a later OT SBF and 3.03 toploader in my 53, I kept the 3 on the tree. Fun for a car occasionally driven. My latest build (a 40 Buick) is getting a 64 ST400 transmission behind a 401 nail with a 291 ratio rear. Lots of torque.

 

Squirrel, good points, but I love my 5spd in my truck and I can row the gears.

Tony

 

I have a 5 speed in my 28 sedan.

 

My roadster has a Super T10 four speed in it. My new coupe has a TKO 500 five speed. Both have a 350 sbc and 3.50 gears. Love and enjoy them both.

 

<---------- My old beater has a 350 turbo transmission. HRP

 

Been doing ,an helping others a long time.
Built hotrods,customs n racecars.
When asked,I still give the same advice as I used in the 1950s!
When you pick the V8 you want?,get it with the tranny the factory put with it.
Doing so ,saves $ an time. Standard or auto,ether one.
If your going to race hard***,then an only then,think about some big HP tranny.
In the late 1950s,I used the Ford Y-block V8 and the 3 speed standard it came with.
I blow first gear slider out one time in 2001,cost me $35 in parts to fix it.
Other then that fail,between 1959 n now,the clutch has worn out a 3 times.That'd be me.
For autotranny,you can blow $$$ on stall speed TC,but don't do that,if your going to run
a mild cam and can get a stock idle speed at or a little lower then stock. High idle speeds above factory is why you would need a new TC designed for your higher idle.

 

that's great advice!

Also, see if you can get a rearend gear ratio to match what came in the donor car. Then it'll all work right.

 

Muncie M21. Hurst shifter.

 

I'm still afraid of transmissions, lol. I'll pull it and take it to the shop, but I don't crack um open. I've rebuilt velvet drive marine 'transmissions', but they're not really transmissions. Automotive trannys I take to a professional...

 

same here. I like gears. Most of my vehicles have a 5 or 6 speed, one has a 4.

 

Model A Coupe, 348 Chevy, 4.11s….. 700R4. A 3.06 first gear and a 0.70 fourth gear.

I love manuals, but the wife said automatic and it’s been great.

John

 

The same can be said for weight, the less weight you have to move, the fewer gears needed to get it moving.

 

My old Touring had a T350, got it for a song and it made the car easier to build and drive. My 54 Chevy had a T400, came in the car and was bullet proof. Both drove awesome. The Rocky33 had a T5 and was one of the most fun cars I ever owned and drove. Flat heads and T5s are a perfect match. Loved it so much that I sourced another T5 from @Rocky for my Model A tudor. My GMC pickup was also going to get a T5 until I fell into another built T350 like I had in my T. Came from the same local tranny shop that we used for all of our customer cars at the rod shop. Thing barely has a couple thousand miles on it and I know the car it was in. My wife said she would love the truck better with an Auto so the decision was made.
Final gear ratio and the end use of the car is the most important factor.

 

"street performance" . performance being driving on twisty roads, not just straight line drags.
Close ratio 3 and 4 speeds are mostly just kind of a pain if the engine has a decently wide power band
The wide ratios of a 3 speed with overdrive can be real nice, especially if a synchro 1st can be had. Bigger power means OD 2nd may not be wise for durability.

 

When I first put my T together with a mild can & single 4bbl , I could leave from a standing start in 4th gear with a 3.55 rear & 28" tall tires , it was kinda fun !

 

Depends on the power band of the engine & how aggressively you drive ...

 

Straight line fun I like shifting gears, for driving back road gravel and swinging the ass end sideways thru the turns and curves I prefer auto, it allows me to keep both hands on the wheel and yes I still like to hang it sideways when on the back roads !

 

Just ordered a very well built 200-r4 OD for my Model A Vicky project. It's be behind a blown 392 Hemi and will live just fine even with 650 HP being put to it. This allows me to run 4.33 rear gears ( 31" tall rear tire) and still drive 70MPH at 2300 rpm's. It's small size was also a determining factor as I need every inch I can get.

 

Milwscruffy, where did you order 2004R from?

 

When was building the Ranch Wagon I had originally though I would use a automatic, Brenda insisted that the car remain a straight drive,she was ok with the 3 on the tree.

I close friend passed away and his wife offered me his 84 mustang with a 302 & a T-5, so that was the engine and transmission, she loves rowing gears and the cable clutch bets the hell out of the Hayes clutches I use to use when I was a kid. HRP

 

Is the NP 440 that fits Chevy the same trans ?

 

I have a Camaro world class T5 in my 41 Chevy behind an I6 292 bored and cammed. Cant say I'm happy with it though. I already had it out once where it wouldn't go into gear (due to a couple of flexplate bolts backing out). I fixed that (with red Loctite) and it wont go into gear again. that was last May and I haven't touched it since. I gotta pull it again to see what the issue is now. Ugh.
Might go to a 200R4.