So Much Frikkin Information...Help!

[novajess1972]

I have a 72 Chevelle on the way to me now. Bought it out of Massachusetts last week....actually from a P-T Member. Great guy to work with!

Great paint/body/interior. SBC 350/TH350 combo. Nice 15in rallies and tires. Dropping a 454 in that bad boy soon after it arrives.

The motor is the easy part. And I thought the tranny was, too. Until I started considering all options (th400, 700r4, 4l60/4l80, gear vendors, etc) and reading the pros/cons between them. There is just way too many options/reviews/opinions out there to make a decision on my own.

Car will not see track or autocross. Just want a nice tranny to hold up to 500hp and torque and drive decent on the highway...at least up to 80ish with little whining....but within budget of $1000-1500.

While I know there is no one perfect answer, and that much of it is based on how I plan on driving, engine hp/tq specs, and a number of other values/criteria, I would appreciate some advice from those that have/had a similar setup.

72 Chevelle
BB 454 (350 currently)
430HP
500TQ
3.42 gears
10 Bolt
19x8/20x10 Intro FLOW ordered (4-6 wks out)
Nitto Invos on the way
For the sake of those calculating rolling diamter - Rear tires 275/40 - 20 (28.7in tall)

All input appreciated. I even value criticism on my choices, as long as you're not a "RICHARD" about it.

Jesse

[novajess1972]

Anyone???

[neki67]

4L80 or 85E. You can drag 'm out of the swamp, install 'm and they'll work just fine. Obviously you'll need stuff like controller (simple shift), wiring harness, converter, etc. Just PM Steve Chryssos (Twistmachine.com > sponsor here) or Jake @ Jakesrodshop (http://www.jakesrodshop.com/public_html/Home.html) and they'll help you out.

Many advantages to going to an electronic A/T.

[novajess1972]

Will look into it...appreciate the info!

[Steve Chryssos]

We'd love to hear from you.

The big fork in the road as far as the decision process is overdrive vs. non-overdrive. Then it comes down to budget vs input torque vs available traction. Judging by your wheel and tire selection, I would rate your application as traction limited. That helps soften your load rating requirement some. Traction limited or not, 500 FtLbs of input torque usually requires more than a $1000-$1500 budget. A stock 4L80E definitely helps, but even then, the stock converter needs to go or your driving experience will be miserable.

If the budget is firm, you might be better off with a 3 speed and a highway gear. They are simple, reliable and inexpensive.

Hope that helps.
Steve

[neki67]

If your budget doesn't allow it right now, wait a bit longer and try to save a bit more and go for the OD trans, you'll love it! So many advantages to an electronically regulated O/D A/T you'll never want to touch any other kind of A/T again.

Like Steve said, you'll also need a good converter. It might be more expensive but let me tell you; Steve can provide you with one of the best lock up converters out there.

[novajess1972]

We'd love to hear from you.

The big fork in the road as far as the decision process is overdrive vs. non-overdrive. Then it comes down to budget vs input torque vs available traction. Judging by your wheel and tire selection, I would rate your application as traction limited. That helps soften your load rating requirement some. Traction limited or not, 500 FtLbs of input torque usually requires more than a $1000-$1500 budget. A stock 4L80E definitely helps, but even then, the stock converter needs to go or your driving experience will be miserable.

If the budget is firm, you might be better off with a 3 speed and a highway gear. They are simple, reliable and inexpensive.

Hope that helps.
Steve

Steve,

Thanks for the input. I would love to talk more on this. Thanks for even entertaining my questions knowing that my budget is tight. That says a lot about you, IMHO.

I will give you a call soon.

JW

[Steve Chryssos]

It's more fun this way!