Transmission Advice

[gillkustomz]

First time on an online forum. Please pardon the excessive detail and I hope my posting falls within forum etiquette.

I am restoring a 1968 Camaro with many mods in store. The engine will be a 454 (Approx 450 hp) and the rear end was purchased from Quick Performance and is a Ford 9' converted to fit the Camaro with 3.70 gear ratio, 31 spline trac-lock posi. I bought a TH400 transmission (with 6" Tail Shaft) for $300 from a guy who said it has a B&M valve body and that he needed the short shaft because of his drive shaft length. Would there be problems with using the long tail shaft th400 transmission or is it decent enough for the set up I have? My plans are to drive this car like a muscle car and fuel consumption isn't an issue but not used for racing. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

[nicke]

A th400 would work well for your application. The question you would have to ask yourself is, how much highway driving do you plan on doing. With 3.7 gears and a 1:1 final drive ratio of the trans, your RPM's will likely be high when out on the open road. If you are ok with that, no prob. There are many RPM calculators online that you can put these metrics in, with your overall tire diameter and they will tell you your rpm at a specified speed.

Another option would be a nice overdrive trans....
-Nick

[Steve Chryssos]

Yes. Most cars in the pro-touring universe--manual or auto--employ overdrive. It is truly useful. A lock up converter is a big help as well.

[gillkustomz]

Thank you for the feedback guys. Any thoughts on the short shaft and long shaft issue?

[Steve Chryssos]

I'm a big believer in having my local driveshaft shop build from my exact measurement. If you have dump trucks in your town, there's a good chance you have a driveshaft shop, so tail length shouldn't be bothersome. Driveshafts are one of the last steps that I complete when building a car. I'll call the shop and ask them for their preferred measurement, then measure accordingly and order up.
Steve