Projects Had enough of automatic trans

That seems a little harsh. I prefer automatics due to a bad knee, nothing girley about automatics to me.

 

I just like the shirt, we're replacing the Merc-o-Matic with a 700R4 in our '55 Montclair

 

700R4 is good choice. Picked one up for $125 with shift kit installed. 7 years now in my '41 IHC and no issues. Auto was chosen cuz that's what I found cheap!

 

The trans were putting in the Merc was in our old '55 Handyman. B&M shift kit and stall converter, Gennie shifter, kickdown cable, everything is there except the Y-Block adapter, that's on the way!! Nice tranny, really like the overdrive.

 

I changed the valve body and once it warms up no third and I do have a AOD that needs gone through and since a rebuild is needed on the existing trans I might go o/d. Been wanting to go back to a Y block too so I might go with a 292 and a 3 speed manual and never deal with a automatic in that car again.

 

I yanked the perfect shifting C4 out of my 48 Ford Tudor and put a T5 in. Not only can I change a clutch in a parking lot I can also skip gears if needed, slip the clutch, or shift clutchless! I prefer manual transmissions for a ton of reasons number one being I can limp a poorly running car home with a manual where with an auto you're dead in the water.

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search around for a 3 speed with overdrive, which will provide a much better ride

 

must have air bags that really raise your ride very high to do that

 

I'm sure you know this, but this is for the internet searchers:
Stall converter doesn't tell us much of anything. All converters have "stall".
Also , a 700R4 does not have a kick down cable. It's a TV cable.

Carry on...

 

One of my pet peeves....cringe when I hear or read this

 

I've been a 3 pedal guy for many years but I'm now throughly enjoying the 2004R in my 60 Poncho Bubbletop. Sure is nice to see 1900 RPM's at 75 MPH and the ability to drop it into 3rd gear if more go power is required.

Gary

 

You wouldn’t think twice about welding in a floor pan to fix a rusted hole, why not save the piece you remove for the shifter so it could be welded in later if you changed your mind, just saying.

 

Jeff
You're an able guy. If you can do manual trans, you can do an Automatic.
20 years ago I rebuilt a C-4 for my Ranchero. I bought a rebuild kit from B & M.
Just followed the instructions and all was well. Just had to make sure stuff was
clean
Actually, pretty easy
Jim

 

This might not translate to hot rods, depending on how clean the bottom of the car is.... but. When I was outfitting trucks with flat beads and hay handling equipment,it was sometimes necessary to cut a large chunk out of the beds and or bodies. I would then take the piece I cut and would weld it under the truck near the cut, so that down the road if the truck was repurposed, the new out fitter could just weld the piece back in.



Bones

 

I have both stick and automatic equipped vehicles, both on topic and off topic. As a general proposition, the sticks are preferred for lower torque engines and the automatics for higher torque models. Nothing seems more ridiculous to me (especially for street driving) than a 5 or 6 speed manual behind a higher performance engine. I do not find it appealing to ‘row’ the car through traffic. With the higher torque engine I tend to skip using 2nd and 4th as they are totally unnecessary in that use.

My Mopar Flathead sixes, Buick Straight 8’s and Flathead Ford’s are better suited to manual shift than the automatics offered in those days.

But that’s the nice thing about living in a free society......run what suits you.

 

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yes, just a few locals don't get why I run a top shift 3 speed behind the big Rocket, sometimes saying the pain of non syncro 1st gear.. I rarely use first on a typical stop sign, or in bumper traffic. The Olds just puts out massive torque at any rpm. I love it., and love the feel of that tall stick.

Last weekend a C/L buyer from Mass came to buy my Model A to keep it stock, but then says he'd like to build an old time rod with a 34 chevy body he has...and said he just bought a 56 Rocket 324. He was here for hours looking at stuff so I gave him a ride. Never had anyone say this before, but he was thrilled to hear those straighter cut gears as we ran the local hill country roads. He "get's it"..

 

I keep a Jack and Jack stands in my trunk on long trips... not rocket science

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The GM turbo 350 is the best automatic transmission on earth in my humble opinion.
Everything I build from here on out will probably have one. They make sense, parts are everywhere, they’re bullet proof for the most part and they work in just about anything.

But, I’m a poser. What can I say?...

 

Going to look at a 3 speed trans from a 65 galaxie and original 3 speed column from a 55 to possibly go in over the winter.

 

When life gives you lemons make a lemon cake.

 

Learn what Moriarity knows, Jeff! I don't blame you for not wanting to cut a whole in the floor of your classic. Go back to top-notch stock in '55: a column shifted 3 speed OD! And have some fun. Automatics are boring and redundant, and for the lame!

 

Its going to be a adventure to get those 3 speed parts,the 65 galaxie has been sitting on the gound with no tires for over 30 years and the 55 has a huge tree right up next to the drivers door. Its sawzall time.

 

I used to fix them for customers. Don't do that any longer. I will still fix my own. The filter in a ford trans is a coarse screen. lets stuff pass that can jam up valve body and governor. When you fix one and add clean fluid and good fluid pressure. You can easily dislodge crud hiding in the oil cooler and torque convertor. I always cut a piece of filter material from a GM filter and placed it between the ford filter and valve body. This will catch the small particles. When a set of clutches fails the drum they reside in gets hot. and a heated and discolored clutch drum is likely warped and the aluminum piston inside it is also suspect. that why a used working trans that hasn't been burnt to a crisph is the best candidate for a refresh. However I still like a stick shift better for most stuff.

 

I have a few of those early ford overdrive transmissions. And I will sell them.

 

Yes indeed! all real hot rods have three pedals!

 

Usually you can find a low ditch it get straddle of. My 66 GMC I can get under it without jacking it up. And the High Hump floor pan unbolts . If you remove the seat and floor pan its not too hard of a task.

 

For you guys that converted from auto to stick, what are you using for clutch pedals and linkages?

I am realizing it may be easier to convert my '48 Poncho over from hydramatic to stick shift when i put my new Jimmy 302 in

 

I just sold tefevered the stick pedals and linkage from a 56 Pontiac. Ive got a 86 chev that has a hyd clutch system. I think one of those could be easily used in conversions. Put a add in the Hamb wanted classifieds might be someone here has the factory parts you need?