Hi all I'm currently working on my first project. It's a 41 ford super deluxe business coupe. I'm in the UK so parts are scarce and expensive. My budget is tight but not so tight I can't afford the build. I have a 327 sbc that I pulled out of a scrap truck, it runs well and has a th400 attached. This is a do what I can with what I have build, until I can slowly change parts at a later date. The car will be used as a weekend car and be entered in some vintage race events (the sbc doesn't disqualify it, I checked). These events will be land speed races on sand, sprint hill climbs and drag racing 1/8 or 1/2. I'm not expecting to win, just to have a great time. So the first big question I'd don't want to chop the x-frame up and as a result the th400 is too big. So what other transmissions fit? What are other people running who have made the sbc swap? I'm still undecided on manual or auto. I know a th350 will fit due to its notched side. Please keep bias too a minimum. The 327 is going in it, it's getting a ford 9" rear. I just need the gap between them filled. Thank you
Thanks for confirming this. We had access to a friend's 350 that hasn't been fitted yet and took some rough measurements. We were sure it would fit but it's good to know for definite that it does
TH350 if you want an automatic (still might need to trim a little on the frame) or look for a Saginaw 3 speed, a lot slimmer and you can keep the column shift with some work.
May I ask why you don't just keep it simple and use a stock 3 speed gearbox with an adapter to the SBC? This less is more approach will save on converting to open drive, hanging a different diff from the transverse spring etc. As a bonus with the stock gearbox you also keep the awesome column mounted shifting system.
The 350 trans still needs the frame x member to be cut . Only the 3 speed manual trans will fit and thats tight . Better to get a original ford trans 3 speed with an adapter from Speedway .
Your best bet is the split bones and trans mount kit from chassis engineering they have a nice SBC mounting se up too. Without doing the center plate modification you’re very limited on trans choices other than what’s in it from Henry.
Nothing is set yet. A ford 3 speed might still be the way to go. Just fishing for ideas and seeing what people run. I was planning on switching to parallel leaf on the back to go with the 9" but I'll have a discussion with a friend who is an experienced builder. Parts aren't too easy to come buy in the UK and I would have to buy a lot from the states on good faith so getting rid of the banjo rear end might be better in the long term
If you’re keeping the banjo and torque tube set up it would be a no brainer to just adapt a SBC to the factory column shifted 3speed that’s in the car already. You may have to keep your foot out of it a little to not hurt anything. But assuming you don’t drive it like a wild man it should be fairly dependable.
"The car will be used as a weekend car and be entered in some vintage race events" You need to be real careful with a stock banjo when it's hooked to a SBC, they will break with a heavy foot. You can get anything that's the right width (or have it shortened) that can handle the power of a V8 from over there, it doesn't have to be a 9". You'll still need to either purchase or make an open (or closed adapter for the transmission) drive conversion for the stock rear banjo also. If you really want a 9" and don't know a person to trust buying used there are a few companies over here that will sell a new housing any width you want. The one rear you need to find (no cutting involved, just relocation of the spring pads) is the early Ford Bronco (1966-76). Also look for front drum brakes from a 1953-56 Ford F100 1/2 ton truck. You need the backing plates and hubs mostly. I know there is some over there and LOTS of people want to convert to disc brakes. Check out this thread: https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/voyage-of-the-dawn-treader.1036708/ The parallel leaf kit will come from here (I vote for @Weedburner 40 at Weedetr). Parts: https://www.weedetrstreetrod.com/ Rear: https://www.currieenterprises.com/ (looks like they have dealers in Italy and France if that helps) My '47 is going to get a 60's Ford 3 spd mated to a Merc flathead (I'll keep the column shift) to a Bronco 9". The whole thing should fit without cutting the frame or splitting the front wishbone (I just have to make a new trans mount). I will be knocking out the rivets on the lower frame plate and installing bolts so I can remove the plate to aid in clutch replacement.
Well good luck with your ‘41 build. I bet you’ll have a blast with it whatever you decide to do. There’s some solid advice been given. We are lucky and probably take for granted the ease in which we can get parts over on this side of the pond compared to you over there. I would say your easiest cheapest option for now would be to adapt the 327 to your stock 3speed and banjo . It pretty easy and cheap to do that for now and you’ll be able to drive the car right away and while you are driving it you can source the rest of parts for the drive train. As mentioned if you can keep your foot out of it you should be ok for a while, but sooner or later you’ll likely peel the teeth off the cluster gears or sheer the keys on the banjo. Those Are the weakest links IMO. Later after you source parts and have time to modify the chassis you can upgrade to whatever you decide to go with for a more permanent set up. The parallel leaf is also pretty easy and cheap to source. The transmission and rear differential you’ll have to do what you can do. A 9” would be the best choice probably, if you can get one, but there are lots of others that will work too. Same with the transmission. I have a SBC with a TKO5speed and 9” in my ‘40 and drive it on long trips and drag race it too. So I understand the driving in anger part too. Best of luck to you and keep us updated. Most importantly have a lot of fun building and driving it. Make sure to keep up updated as you go.
You can find my 46 build for note from ten years ago when I did mine. But using the chassis eng inc mounts all I really recall having to modify on the X member for a th350 was a slight cut to clear the edge of the pan on the drivers side I think, and depending on what center your x has you may have to heat and bend the front flange of the bottom half down to clear. the chassis eng inc kit also involved splitting the wish bones and spreading them a few inches. I was to say the trans mount plate also mounts the wishbone ends. It’s here somewhere https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/im-getting-married-project-46-ford-begins.621455/
Tim is right, I just remembered that my '36 has side mounts but the TH350 only needed a slight notch on the lower frame rail to drop the pan down for servicing (but I did cut out the top and bottom plates and used the ones supplied with the kit). Also no firewall mods.
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