I have a 8ba that is currently in the machine shop. When it gets home, it will be going in a model a sport coupe. I have two transmission options at this point in time, and am open to more options. I have a 3 speed that came out of a 49 ford car, and a 2 speed powerglide. The only adapter I have found for the powerglide to bolt up to the flathead is about $800. Does anyone out there know of another source for an adapter? Any drawbacks to using the 3 speed from the 49? Im not building a race car, just a driver, with the possibility of towing a really light camper I am currently rebuilding at some point down the road. Thanks for the suggestions.
A flathead and a Powerglide? I wouldn't do that if it would bolt up as is, let alone pay $800 for the priviledge! Later Ford four speeds will bolt up to the stock 8BA bell housing with a minimum of fuss.
A ford 4 speed toploader with a Jeep T-176 shift tower. The shifter is right where it should be, looks original, and all 4 are syncro.
This is what I have and it works great! Everyone thinks its just an stock 3 speed because of the perfect location! Took a bit of time to find the shifter!
I started with a 50 f1 4 speed behind my flathead (horrible to drive)then ended up going with a t-5, it makes it so easy to drive well worth it, and there's a ton of info on putting these behind a flathead. Or I would do the c4 if you want an automatic.
A T 5 five speed is perfect behind a flathead. You have a gear for any speed you want to drive. If you are afraid of shifting for yourself, a C 4 in a good choice with the right rear gear.
I'm with Bat & Flatty V8, Toploader with the Jeep shifter. I also put a Gear Vendors O/D behind the transmission
I recently pulled a C4 out of my Sport Coupe with a flattie. I highly recommend a T5 out of an S10. I have an 8 inch rear with 3.00? gears and I only put it in 5th on the highway. Sooo nice! The Dwight Bond adapter plate was easy and cheap to work with and T5s are everywhere. Do a search.
Looks like I may be looking for a c4 in the future! The reason I stated the previous transmission options is because that is what I have sitting in the garage right now. Time to start gathering and selling some things!
I'm using a "RUG" big spline 3 speed,.... along with the CJ 5 shifter, and it comes thru the floor same as the factory,...You can also us the T 150 3 speed....If cost is a question, that's a good option. Speedway and Offy both have the adapters. 4TTRUK
T-5 would be a much better choice for flathead power (IMHO) than any automatic. remember, you only have 150 max horsepower- (you will probably have less) to work with. Straight thru gear drive that the T5 would provide would make better use of that limited power. Real hot rods have 3 pedals. it's yours, so it's your choice. Best wishes...jack
Thanks, I was just going to ask that! From what I understand, since it is set up for column shift, the linkage gets cramped in an Av8. Is that the major issue?
Good afternoon. Just curious on what this looks set up looks like? Do you by chance have a year, make, and model of the Toyota transmission so it can be looked into. Thank you in advance for your response. I’m currently in the market to convert over to an automatic and seeing what additional options are out there. This has been a great thread some years later. Stay safe, blessed, and be well.
I run the T5 with newly installed 4.11s and relatively tall tires (31"). It had a 3.55 but was a bit of a dud to drive using the S10 transmission. Its still revs low at 70 mph in 5th.
I have an overdrive trans from a 1976 AMC Pacer in my avatar roadster, behind my 354 hemi. In reality, is a Ford full syncro 3 speed top loader with a Laycock overdrive mounted behind. That combination was offered as an option on 75-77 AMC Pacers, Gremlins, and Hornets. I installed a Jeep T150 top cover on it and the shift tower comes through the floor in almost the identical place the original 32 shifter came through. The Ford 3.03 (Ford's designation) is a 3 speed version of their tough 4 speed top loader. Laycock made overdrive for Jags, Volvo, and several other foreign cars. Plenty tough. I have almost 45k trouble free miles using 5his combination. The overdrive is a 70% unit and really let's the engine relax at speed. I used a dash mounted, lighted rocker switch to activate the overdrive.. they are rare. But are worth it in use. Besides, the look on people's faces is priceless when I tell them it came out of a 76 AMC Pacer! If you can find one, they are certainly worth buying. Most all of them came behind either a 232 or 258 AMC six, which couldn't possibly hurt that Ford box or the Laycock overdrive!
Toyota 5 speeds out of Supra’s or Celica’s were sometimes used here, in the ‘90’s as a cheaper alternative to such gearboxes as T5 (Borgwarner), and others, and could supposedly handle a V8. The ‘W’ series with steel band were the preferred one, W55 and W 56 I think, but as they came with different 5th gear ratios, you would need to do your own research on compatibility with diff ratio and tyre size. Due to the next generation that were into the donor cars for drifting, the gearboxes have been harder to find and are much more expensive now. By the time you find adapter plates or bell housing, it may not be worth the overall cost. Google: W series Toyota 5 speed. (BTW, you have replied to a 12 year old post , so possibly one of those times that you could start your own thread).
I have a column shift in my AV8 coupe. It's a 39ish Lincoln zephyr w overdrive. I rotated the shifter shaft to below the column because I had clearance issues with the Wieand head on the left side. That was 15 years ago?
Put a Ford 3 speed behind it. In a street driven model A it’ll live along time even if you’re hard on it. Ive done it and done it again. The 49 trans you’ve got will be fine or find a closed drive 3 speed and run a torque tube. You can bolt up the later v8 closed drive trans to your model A axle if it’s still in there. Fuck all those late model transmissions.
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