Register now to get rid of these ads!

Offenhauser aluminum transmission case ???

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by flatheadkid1, Sep 3, 2012.

  1. flatheadkid1
    Joined: Jan 6, 2007
    Posts: 100

    flatheadkid1
    Member
    from OHIO

    Has anybody ever seen one of these trans cases made by Offenhauser. It uses saginaw 3 speed internals with a 37 chevy top shifter. Love to have one.
    Thanks in advance.
     

    Attached Files:

    mgtstumpy and Sixhundred sixteen like this.
  2. Didn't they call it the X Shift?
     
    Sixhundred sixteen and Hnstray like this.
  3. hoop
    Joined: Mar 21, 2007
    Posts: 643

    hoop
    Member

    I had one back in !962.
     
  4. Wow, talk about rare!
     

  5. young'n'poor
    Joined: Jan 26, 2006
    Posts: 1,281

    young'n'poor
    Member
    from Anoka. MN

    Wow that is neat! Did they make anything similar that used ford or other internals?


    Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
     
  6. olcurmdgeon
    Joined: Dec 15, 2007
    Posts: 2,289

    olcurmdgeon
    Member

    had one in the sixties too. Had a '34 Chev pickup I used it in and if I remember right, I bought it from Honest Hisself! Would have been '61 or so. They were neat, let you keep closed drive shaft but have synchro gear set. And yes I think they were "x shift". Will have to check an old Honest catalog.
     
  7. DualQuad55
    Joined: Mar 5, 2005
    Posts: 1,382

    DualQuad55
    Member
    from NH

    Did you sell it at Greatwoods a few years back?
    I have one in my collection. It uses the stock 55 style internals with a 37 shifter/plate setup. Also uses the 55 style open tailshaft housing.
    Essentially lets you put a 'modern' internal trans with a floor shift in your 55-up chevy.
     
  8. flatheadkid1
    Joined: Jan 6, 2007
    Posts: 100

    flatheadkid1
    Member
    from OHIO

    I am unaware of Offy making any other trans cases but I know that Chassis Research advertised an aluminum transmission case for Cad/Lasalle gears. I have no information on them and the pictures create more questions than answers. Another one I'd like to get my hands on.
     

    Attached Files:

  9. DualQuad55
    Joined: Mar 5, 2005
    Posts: 1,382

    DualQuad55
    Member
    from NH

    Offy made the housings and marketed them in a joint venture with the guy who designed it; Jim Lower.
    Pretty cool, but was a bit of effort compared to putting in a then new Hurst style floor shifter on the stock 3spd.
     
  10. Piper106
    Joined: Jul 29, 2006
    Posts: 126

    Piper106
    Member

    Related question. Were there any other aluminum cases for GM three speed transmissions?? Any factory aluminum cases for a three speed??
     
  11. PackardV8
    Joined: Jun 7, 2007
    Posts: 1,170

    PackardV8
    Member

    Also, most of the old top shift boxes didn't shift as well as the Hurst side shift conversion. I've done a few on Borg-Warner T86 using a Jeep top plate. They will not speed-whoop as well as a Hurst.

    jack vines
     
  12. hoop
    Joined: Mar 21, 2007
    Posts: 643

    hoop
    Member

    Nope. Sold the whole deal to a friend that put it in a 55 pontiac with a v8 Pontiac,after that no clue where it ended up.
     
  13. Andy
    Joined: Nov 17, 2002
    Posts: 5,117

    Andy
    Member

    I had a project to make an X shift. I found a couple of '30's cases and shifters. I welded a plate on the tail housing side and had the bearing hole machined out. I would have to redrill the bell housing for the early case. I needed to drill the holes in the rear mount but never finished it up. The later gears fit the early case. I even wanted to make it an overdrive.
     
    kidcampbell71 likes this.
  14. Bruce Lancaster
    Joined: Oct 9, 2001
    Posts: 21,681

    Bruce Lancaster
    Member Emeritus

    One of the articles on the X box, either the one in HRM or the Petersen transmission book, mentions the process that led up to it, converting an earlier Chevy box and shifter for '55 type gears and open or closed drive...
    I think it is rare because of timing. It was likely too expensive and a bit complex as a project for the average guy with a Chevy street car in comparison to just buying a floor shift kit, racers were moving on to Cad/Lasalle or Packard because Chevy and Ford boxes were too weak for the engines of the day in racing, and within a couple of years the T-10 started the four speed period and no one wanted anything else.
    The availability of much bigger engines both for Rods and for stockers at this time period made any Chevy 3 speed too weak for anyone that could afford this thing!
     
  15. DualQuad55
    Joined: Mar 5, 2005
    Posts: 1,382

    DualQuad55
    Member
    from NH

    Bruce, I agree. I think by time it made production the T10 was already out. Didnt take long to start finding them at junk yards and such. Making the X shifter essentially obsolete before it could take off.
    Really neat piece to have now days though.
    I have both the little page version and full size print of the Peterson publication about transmissions. Neat history, just not fast enough to beat borg warner to a better setup.
     
  16. F&J
    Joined: Apr 5, 2007
    Posts: 13,222

    F&J
    Member

    Most hambers would not know that top shifted transmissions were used in race type 55 and 56 chevy cars, in that small window of time before the 4 speed came out.


    There is a reprint scan on hamb ,of a 56 HotRod mag article, showing how to put a LaS or 37 Buick top shift into a 55 chevy. that's crazy stuff. I think if you showed up with one in a 55, you'd get called rat rod.
     
    kidcampbell71 likes this.
  17. DualQuad55
    Joined: Mar 5, 2005
    Posts: 1,382

    DualQuad55
    Member
    from NH

    yes, they used the Lasalle, Buick and even Packard topshift trans in most highpowered drag cars back then as the stock 55 style trans was not strong enough for constant abuse. Plus until the early 60s the 4spds were not as cheap to come by as a 20 yr old 3speed.
    But, you'll find that many guys who did real well racing preferred the sideshift style cad/lasalle box with a hurst style shifter as it could be shifted faster than a top shift 37 style.
     
    Sixhundred sixteen likes this.
  18. Mike Brock
    Joined: Jul 24, 2010
    Posts: 1

    Mike Brock
    Member

    I had a Offenhauser x case trans in my 32 5 window in 1964. It used all the 55 thru 57 3 speed guts and tailshaft. You could use the overdrive unit with it also. My buddy bought the case and was able to get nos 37 chey top cover and forks. Traded a 4 speed for it. Sweet set up behind a 283 fuelie Vet motor, it shifted great. I have been looking for one for the last 15 years.
    Mike
     
    Sixhundred sixteen likes this.
  19. chasmatik
    Joined: Aug 19, 2011
    Posts: 11

    chasmatik
    Member

  20. Andy
    Joined: Nov 17, 2002
    Posts: 5,117

    Andy
    Member

    This was at LARS a few years ago. Terrible pictures but the best I could do. It is the only one I have ever seen.
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Sep 26, 2016
    banjeaux bob likes this.
  21. There was an article in one of the rod mags back in the 60's showing how to build an x-shift from a '55-57 trans and a '37 trans. A friend of mine built one and it worked, but not real well. Required a lot of welding (brazing) of case parts.
     
  22. D.N.D.
    Joined: Aug 15, 2012
    Posts: 1,385

    D.N.D.
    Member Emeritus

    What is a X shift

    Thanks, DND
     
    kidcampbell71 likes this.
  23. Frames
    Joined: Apr 24, 2012
    Posts: 5,083

    Frames
    Member

    i own TWO at this time. one i shortened [open drive] for a supermodified i am building. the other one has been converted to 32-48 Ford torque tube drive. someone recently replied to my X-shift want ad. he said he had 2 still in the crate. after several phone conversations he quit calling. i guess he realized i was onto his scam and gave up.
     
    kidcampbell71 likes this.
  24. John Burk
    Joined: Jun 19, 2008
    Posts: 6

    John Burk
    Member

    Had an X Shifter in my B dragster in the early 60s . Weighed 19 lb if I remember . Shorty with an aluminum top cover for 2nd and high . Lightest possible transmission but slow shifting .
     
  25. 56sedandelivery
    Joined: Nov 21, 2006
    Posts: 6,695

    56sedandelivery
    Member Emeritus

    It's actually for the MUNCIE 319 transmission, not the Saginaw that arrived in 1966. There is a member here, and he's also on ChevyTalk.Org, that cut and welded his own "top" onto a 319 transmission to make it into a top shift. Finding a setup like the Offenhauser part is probably close to impossible these days. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
     
    kidcampbell71 likes this.
  26. jimmy six
    Joined: Mar 21, 2006
    Posts: 14,799

    jimmy six
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Not HAMB friendly but we have a 70-80's style aluminum case Saginaw 3 speed. It's cast by Mitchell Machine for circle track racing. 2speed + reverse. Cut down gears and ceramic bearings. It's called a Michell Bullet. Really cool stuff IS out there.
     
  27. rClev
    Joined: Feb 7, 2019
    Posts: 2

    rClev

    I have an x-shift transmission with the offenhouser case. My grandfather and I built a 1936 Ford roadster together when I was growing up. He always wanted an x-shift transmission when he was young for street racing. Anyway we built the 36 with a M22 rock crusher transmission instead. At the time we could not find the x-shift transmission he wanted. After the 36 was built we started on our next project. 1940 Ford hard top. During the build my grandfather finally found an x-shift trans. Although he really wanted it in the 36 roadster, we decided the 1940 Ford was going to get the x-shift trans with 327 Corvette engine. My grandfather had the trans built and tail shaft painted the same color we were going to do the 1940 Ford in. The trans, engine, rear end, and chassis were all finished. We were now moving forward on the rest of the project.
    My grandfather had a stroke and thus curbed the 1940 project. My grandfather never believe in insurance. He never purchased health insurance and because of this he had to sell off his assets to afford his care. In the end, I received the cars, projects, and things the family had a hard time determining value. A sad situation for my grandfather but, all the things I loved doing with him as a kid, all found their way to my garage. Like the fresh x-shift 3 speed trans. I never thought about selling it until I read this post and saw how excited some of you are about this transmission. My taste in hot rods is modern power plant. I like to drive them over 60 mph and enjoy the road. This usually requires a 4 or 5 speed transmission. If anyone is really interested in this x-shift I have, maybe we could work out a trade. Selling it or trading it had never been a thought until I read this post. Some of the passion behind the posts is the same passion my grandfather had about this transmission.
     
    Andy likes this.
  28. oldtymehiboy
    Joined: Jan 2, 2008
    Posts: 285

    oldtymehiboy
    Member
    from Indiana

     
  29. oldtymehiboy
    Joined: Jan 2, 2008
    Posts: 285

    oldtymehiboy
    Member
    from Indiana

    Hello rClev, I just read You post about You and Your Grandfather and the 40 Ford. I am looking for an X Shift 3 Speed Transmission. If You still have the one You mentioned - I would like to buy it or possible do some trading with You. Thank You Very Much. Sincerely, Bernie Sievers. ( 812 ) - 499 - 4824
     
  30. '34 Ratrod
    Joined: May 1, 2019
    Posts: 268

    '34 Ratrod
    Member

    My son has a 3 speed trans with an aluminum case, he says it's a Muncy. He took it out of a 1939 Chevy PU. I don't know anything about it other than it's heavy as hell!
     

Share This Page

Register now to get rid of these ads!

Archive

Copyright © 1995-2021 The Jalopy Journal: Steal our stuff, we'll kick your teeth in. Terms of Service. Privacy Policy.

Atomic Industry
Forum software by XenForo™ ©2010-2014 XenForo Ltd.