Projects 1956 322 to 1964 turbo 400???

help me......

My son just got his decesased grampa's old hot rod for christmas and is all over getting it running again.

1935 chevy truck with a 1956 322 nailhead. it came with a 1964 turbo 400, torque converter and flexplate in the bed.....manual tranny in it needs to come out along with torque tube rearend. will this bolt up directly??...flexplate??...from 401 I'm guessing??

Jef

 

This is the one outfit that makes an adapter
https://www.transmissionadapters.com/Nailhead_install.htm
They bolt up to A chevy pattern trans rather than a BOP pattern trans though.

 

so....what in that adapter kit would I need??....this is a nailhead tranny

 

The 322 has it's own specific transmissions, no later ones will bolt on without an adapter. The adapters convert to Chevrolet style bell housing bolt patterns, so if the TH400 you have is Buick Oldsmobile or Pontiac it will NOT work as the bolt pattern on the bell housing is different.

 

As stated , a 64 T400 will bolt to a 364/401/425 nailhead, but not a 322.

 

It sounds like Grandpa mated the Buick to the early Ford 3 spd trans and banjo rear end. There's nothing wrong with that combo. Just rebuild the trans if it needs it and get it running. On this site that's the preferred traditional set-up.
For what it will cost you to install an automatic, with adapters, open driveline, shifter, etc. you can rebuild that 3 spd three times. If the grandson tends to have a lead foot he will learn real quickly how to drive after pulling and fixing that trans a few times.

 

Thank you guys....here it is

 

So cool. He is very lucky, sorry he had to lose his Grandpa to get it.

 

Yup, that truck only need a wash job, and a stick shift tranny installed....it deserves both!

 

I agree with the stick shift.....but I am 6'5 and the 16 year old is 6'6........that cab ain't very big. existing tranny is lasalle....

 

Hey , he's young and flexible..... If that is a Cad/LaSalle, that's an even cooler classic combo!
Put in a thinner seat!

 

Well.....engine is running great...gonna keep the large 6 bolt buick 3 speed and chevy torque tube rearend....

 

sounds like the rear end is the weak spot.

 

If you have the 6 bolt Buick trans, you are waaay ahead. If you need an open driveshaft, there must be a way to convert the trans and then go with the rear end of your choice.

 

Well...it is back on the road. I took your advice and left it all as built in 1959. ....and saved a ton of money. All new wheel cylinders, master cylinder. Repositioned master cylinder to correct the swinging pedal geometry......he had it positioned with a 3:1 ratio...took both feet for brake or clutch. At 6:1 it is a pleasure. Rebuilt the carb and installed a small cap HEI distributor. Engine runs great. Put new modern core in the '35 chevy radiator....seems to cool fine.

Remade the floor shift linkage...still backwards H pattern but shifts nice.

 

That is a cool truck. Lucky kid.

 

Early Dodge’s used a reverse “H” pattern. Being big guys you will like that when it’s in third gear and the shift is all the way up near the dash, it’s a space maker that way.

Nice truck, good to see it handed down and enjoyed.

Cliff Ramsdell

 

I ad a '50 Buick with a stick and the column linkage broke. I made a floorshift conversion much like the one you have. It worked the same way, but I used heim joints (a large one on top and a smaller one on the bottom) and it worked real slick. I also spring-loaded it to bias towards the 2nd-3rd side. It worked very well. I agree with you that the reversed "H" shift pattern is a benefit; not only does it get the shift lever up under the dash most of the time, it also serves as an anti-theft deterrent.