I'd run a 700R4 trans and a 8" or 9" Ford with a 3:50 to 3:80 gear. Lots of getup and go around town but in O/D with the 700R4 you would be able to keep the rpm down as if you had a 3:00 to 3:25 gear. Best of both worlds. If you want to do a stick do a T-5 and it will be the same for rear-end gearing.
My 30 Chevy coupe came with an 8" Ford ... gearing unknown. It is coming out in favor of a 58 olds. I will us a BW T-10 with it as I had it already.. original idea was to use a 200-4R to get the over drive as grasshopper mentioned but I traded that off.
A lot of folks do not realize that the " ride " of a vehicle is affected by the weight of the rear end. The lighter the rear end ( total weight which counts the rims/tires ) the better the ride. Lighter rears means a lower unsprung weight ratio. EXAMPLE = A Dana 60 is very strong but also very heavy !! If you are not running a lot of horsepower /torque... and have a light car ... a 8 inch Ford rear end is a good choice. The 5 lug Maverick rear end is also nice and narrow ( 56 inches ... wheel mounting flange to wheel mounting flange ) ... most of the early 30's Chevrolet rear ends are 56 to 58 inches wide so the Maverick is a good fit. The V8 Maverick rear end is easy to work on and parts are not that difficult to come by. My 32 has over 400 HP so I choose a 9 inch Ford. I still wanted a good ride so I installed a Aluminum center section and aluminum pinion retainer. It makes the rear end 24 pounds lighter ... which helps the " ride ". I also have a aluminum driveshaft ( added since the photo )
Running a 1956 Chevrolet rear in a 32 Chevy (Chevy in a Chevy), nice fit width wise, as time goes by I guess these rears are getting harder to find, 55-57 Pontiac would be traditional, but good luck finding one.
a tri-5 rear end is the same width as a 2nd gen camaro. fwiw, and very close to a S10/Blazer 4x4 rear end. More ratio options for ya that way.
What is your front bolt pattern? It would be nice to get a rearend where that is already the same so you do not have to redrill and change the BP. A 55-64 Chevy rear or 8-inch Ford will look better as older style, but a late model GM 10-bolt (S-10, Camaro, etc) or Ford 8.8 (Explorer, etc) can work fine. As suggested, what trans are you using? A non-OD trans will need a taller gear. Consider an OD trans if you have not made that choice yet.
As 38Chevy454 suggested, I'd try to find something that matches the bolt pattern of your front. An early 80's Monte Carlo/ El Camino rear is the right width. They come in a variety of gear ratios. You can even find them with a 3.73 posi with disc brakes. Sounds like a great build, though. Any pictures?
I have a 33 Chevy. I'm running a 283 mostly stock with a 700 R4 transmission. I used a 10 bolt out of a mid 90's Chevy S10 2WD with 3:43 gears. There are plenty out there and the prices are reasonable. I purchased a rear leaf spring kit from Posies and was very satisfied with how everything fit. Like 38Chevy454 said, I have the same bolt pattern for the front and rear wheels. I also wanted to be able to say my 33 had an all Chevy drive train. It won't be on the road until sometime this summer so I can't comment on how it rides.
9 INCH FORD ... Easy to set up ... look up (johns 9 inch ford ) in ohio ... He builds a good housing ... stay with the 28 spline axles unless youre going to drag race ... Go to junk yard get the 28 spline chunk ...
I'm using a 86 S-10 in the sedan and a '92 in the coupe. One has 3.07's the other 3.55's. Both work well and were easy to fit in. Normbc9
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