GASSER transmission decision help! muncie grenade or auto live long??

I live in the land of the "Big Parking Lot" (L.A. County) and have a Super T-10. During the week, I've really cut down driving to cruise sites because of the pain of shifting with a "heavy" clutch. I'll probably put an auto in it if I keep it.

 

Go to your buddys house with the $300 dollar muncies and see if he will let you take off some of the side covers and take pictures inside. Roll them over and look for broken teeth. Post pics on here. I am sure several people on here will give you good advice on buying a good one. Rebuild kits are available for about $120 so if you have $420 in a muncie it is still cheap. My 56 Chevy ran 12.50 @ 110 this summer with a muncie and I just put it together out of old parts I had lying around and I havent been nice to it at all.

 

500HP is NOTHING for an M-22. My Anglia was raced for many, many years with both small and big blocks that made more power than that and NEVER broke a tranny. The current motor is closer to 800 and runs a stock M-22 that is fresh.
Man Up and go for the 4 Speed!!!

 

See!

4 gear is the way to go!

 

3000 stall is nothing on the street, go more. I'd go with the automatic unless you have the big bucks for a bulletproof 4 speed. I had a clutch turbo in my Willys. Took it out 8 years ago, broke lots of 57 Olds rears & 3 inch chrome molly driveshafts with it. That thing was a blast to drive but man it was violent. Would give you whiplash on the 1-2 shift driving up the return road. Put a Turbo 400 with a 5000 converter in the car 8 years ago and never looked back. The clutch turbo is long gone. Remember too the gasser classes are where lots of racing automatic technology was developed. They all didn't have 4 speeds. Most of the top running higher class gassers ran automatics.

 

It didn't take me long to get rid of that super t-10 I just got after looking at prices of scatter shields, clutches, shifters and the parts to convert it over to clutch. I can live with the automatic and bigger stall.

 

automatics are great! my wife loves the one in her car

 

I used to run a th400 in my 3600 pound OT 67 chevelle.. car ran 10.90's at the time. I put a th350 in the car and picked up 2 tenths and have never looked back!!!! If your gonna run an auto i would run a th350. I foot brake this car with an art carr 3800 stall. The car makes 650 flywheel horsepower. the car is 3600pounds with me in it....

 

How much HP you got is like a pissing contest. From what I've read here your going to blow it up anyway, so put in what you have and replace it a few times. You will learn eventually. I've blown every trans I had in my, any one of my 50 cars at least once. There is no such thing as the best trans, or for that matter, engine, manufacturer, rear end, tach, plugs etc. But I digress. Its amazing some of the topics on HAMB. Some time people just don't listen.

Pat

 

My point was that most people don't think a th350 will hold up.... it will. I am sorry all of your transmissions failed!!!

 

I lernt to drive with a 3 speed on the column. my buddy bought a HOT ROD 56 Chevy Post with a 4 speed. had headers and fat slot mags and raised way up out back. he had never driven a clutch so the plan was I was going to drive it over to the farmland on the other side of the freeway and he was going to drive it on the back roads.

once I got over the other side away from everybody I jumped on it and speed shifted 2nd and got a big ol 2nd gear scratch. that was the very first time I drove a 4 on the floor. I think I was still 17. probably ruined me for life.

my 4 speed GTO went through 2 trannys, a driveshaft, and 2 rear ends. I never even thought of changing to an auto.

I couldn't imagine building a "gasser" without a 4 speed. at least until I broke something too expensive to break again.

 

I agree I love my muncie...

 

An automatic transmission is the perfect cure for insomnia...........go with the four speed.

 

Clutch-glides or a Turbo-Clutch can be built on a budget and they last, I've seen them offered as anywhere from DIY kits to remanufactured cases to turnkey units.

Bob

 

I have a 4 gear in my car now. i love it cruzin around town and on the street, but when i take it to the track i wish it had an auto. cant have em both at the same time i guess, unless u have a clutch turbo or flite.

 

Any one here runnimg a Jerico stick or Nash on a Street/Gasser or a all out race car? I am interested in feedback and $$ to do something like that. I am building a 1942 Chevrolet Coupe Street/Gasser and it has a 650HP BBC and I have already bought a Strange 9" with 35 spline, 5/8 studs, Center section, backbrace, etc so I am not worried about it and currently I have a M-21 and hope to use it to get it going but figure Iwill need to step it up when I put the big motor in it, any input on transmissions?

 

If you race to win then build a consistent car. A good automatic from a place like TCI or Bowler will cost about the same as a Muncie 4 speed. They will all break eventually and the rebuild kit for the 350 will be around $200, a main case for the Muncie will be twice that plus gears. U joints and driveshaft will probably last 50 runs if you're lucky.

I'm as old school as it gets but I spend my money wisely.

 

If all you can afford is the auto, then go auto and save for a stick. Remember, the heavier your car gets the better trans youll need for stick. Ive crashed a M21 in a 64 chevelle for years on slicks, it will take its toll on the case and gears. It was a street/race car. Now when I sold it the guy couldnt shift or push in the clutch, so we put a TH350 in it. What a different car it was. It drove and launched so much nicer it would have made me swap ealier if Id have thought about it.
Ive owned and raced sticks and auto. Autos are more consistant and wont kill you leg sitting in stop and go traffic, are by far the cheapest, consistant for a budget trans you can go.
Now the stick if you can afford it is fun just to grab gears and hear it wind out, cost money for a good flywheel and clutch (be safe here and dont cheap out and use a stock stuff) and is harder on parts. Ive had more fun with stick cars to play around with.
Autos cost about a 3rd what a stick setup will. Its up to you and what you can afford.
And clutch turbos, man you have no idea what thats going to cost you and have plenty of parts if you run one. Or look for a clutch hydro maybe, but those thing must weight 250#s or more.

 

4 speed, could not imagine a gasser with an automatic

 

I ran a tubbed '70 Nova SS on the street. Started with a TH350 (never had a problem with the TH350)... got bored and installed a Super T10 ... then another Super T10 ... then another Super T10. The four gear was actually too much fun and it cost me in parts. I now have a '38 Coupe ... started with a TH350 ... got bored and installed a T5. I do enjoy the stick but I no longer "abuse" my car, it's a driver.

Use what you have to get the car out (or what is cheap), you can always change over to a stick down the road (when you have the money to ""do it right" ... meaning good flywheel, scatter shield, shifter and a trans designed to take the abuse). Just my two cents ... but keep in mind my two cents are Canadian and not the equivilant of two American cents.

 

If it wasnt a stick car to begin with I'd just do a turbo 350 . If its your dream car and you really can't see selling it in the near future go with your heart and 4-speed it. Indy

 

I'm going through the same dillema for a '57 Chevy gasser project (in the parts gathering phase right now). I have pretty much decided on a manual.
I have a low mileage Super T-10 with a Competition Plus shifter, and one of my customers has a lakewood scattershield out of his '69 Z/28 that I could get cheap. Still, I'm thinking really hard about going with a T56 instead...sure, its OT and not traditional, but they are very strong, with plenty of aftermarket support, and the extra two gears will be great for long hauls like the Power Tour and the HAMB drags.

 

well my favorite comment so far is

automatics are good my wife loves the one she has lmao


thanks guys for all the responses but this is making it even harder on me..im thinkin auto cause the car is auto and itll work well with racing it and getting halfway decent launches...at the same time all gasser and T rods need a 4 speed so im back to confusion..a stick would be way more fun of course ahhhhhhhh theres only 2 options but i dont want to waste money on one and be unhappy


i think ill go stick and when i start breaking them ill go auto,ill try to make a muncie work though...i have tons of buddies that run them with big power and they never have issues one in fact beat the piss outta his goat and it keeps on truckin

cb

 

If you are racing for money and want to be consistant if bracket racing go with the auto,If you are just into racing to have a blast and enjoy it go with the 4-speed,keep in mind not everybody can drive a 4-speed.anybody can drive an auto .

 

well i found a set of HURST LIGHTNING RODS so im planning on an auto with PLANS of a CLUTCHTURBO build in near future

cb