1962 4 Speed transmission options

If it was 1962 and you had a 354 HEMI in a 1932 Ford chassis what 4 speed transmission would you use?

 

The BW T10 4-speed was available from GM in 1957 until GM started using the Muncie M20 in '62.. Or was it '63? Not much knowledge on Mopar or FoMoCo transmissions but hopefully my recently acquired knowledge of GM transmissions helps you out some..

Edit: just went and looked.. GM started using the Muncie M20 in '63.


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Thats were I am, I want a finished car that I could have built in 1962 with all 1962 or older bits in it. Reality of ever finishing it is remote, but the project is enjoyable.

 

T-10, I am looking for one too. I am accumulating pieces for the same kind of deal, 1959/60 is my cut-off. As far as the "run what you like" bs, my response to that is "period-correct cars ARE what I like, I AM building it my way". If you think its funny, then why are you reading it? Title of the thread is very clear. Muncies are '63-up.

 

Just toured that "Auction site" the T-10's don't go cheap do they?

 

I can relate. I was sitting at my car club's Christmas party telling the older guys that I wanted to run a '39 Ford 3-speed in my A and they all gave me this puzzled look as if I had just committed a sin for not running an automatic..

That's when I realized they really are street rodders.


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All T-10's aren't created equal, so do some research on them before going too far.

 

Back in the early 1960's and earlier there wasn't a lot of stick shift options that were strong.

 

That's true. I realize the '39 isn't strong either but there's no reason it can't be reliable. I'm not looking to set the world on fire with my A.


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That's what I plan to do, are there long tails and short tails and different Hurst shifters?

 

It does matter to me, that is why I asked the original question. I need to have the transmission and adaptor to setup the chassis. The rebuilt ones are pricy, not the as pulled ones.

 

I have a spare '46 I can pull the guts from. Early Ford transmissions aren't extinct. In fact, I see there are several in the classifieds right now. Sure, it won't be an all-out hot rod like some of the others on here but it will be a hot rod in the sense of if a kid just put together what was available at the time. Just over 200 horsepower in an A will make it scoot just fine.

Anyone can put a 5-speed behind their Hemi but it takes dedication to run a '39. Personally, if 37kid wants a T-10 in his period correct for '62 hot rod, I can appreciate the effort and thought he is putting into it and would encourage that based on the fact that he has a goal and is sticking to it.


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What I was talking about were the gear sets. Some are weaker than others. There were some healthy trans' behind some of the big Chev and Ford engines, that's probably a good place to start looking. I'm not sure what Chrysler was running for transmissions back then.

 

The Super T-10 is a big improvement over the originals, looks the same. A well broken in T-10 shifts better than a Muncie in my opinion. With a 354, you shouldnt have to worry about breaking an original one. They took big blocks back then.

 

I also agree that a T10 is the way to go. I've had a lot of 62/63 Impala's some 327 some 409, never broke a trans. Axle shafts on the other hand didn't fare so well.

 

How true. Even in the middle 60s, a 4 speed for a hotrod build was out of reach for most backyarders. So, if a 62 built rod had one, the rest of the car would be very upscale as far as money spent on other goodies and chrome.

Bob, you could get a cheap broken T10 just to get the car set up. Spend your money on the adapter/flywheel for now, then a good priced T10 should pop up during the build.

 

Post #1 was clear, and it's a real HAMBer's concept. Nothing after 1962. The main person whose opinion matters is the owner/builder. If it's as-conceived, that's an achievement he can be proud of. Any post '62 components, of course HE will know it himself.

That said, one of the best I let get away (story another time) was a '62 Hawk TT (TwinTrack) coupe with 289 4-B and B-W 4-sp, coupled to the TT rearend. All factory stock (and with HillHolder, too!).

SO, if 37Kid uses the B-W AND the limited-slip diff, THAT would make it even better, wouldn't it? I think Stude was offering the TwinTrack a year before GM offered it on (what?) Pontiac?

 

Of course, GM called their limited-slip the "Posi." Should have said that detail.

 

Facel vega and Ford Comete Pont moason (sp)
4spd alu case
I think a few 300s used it to

 

I had a close ratio Muncie in a coupe with a 283 and it was a ball to drive and the music from the motor at hard pull was sweet. The 3.50 gear was a tad high in first and a tad low in fourth though. My current ride has a t-5 and though I have a gear for any occasion it isn't as much fun to drive.

 

Some old adapter companies made trans adapters to fit the 49-up Ford 3 speeds. If there was one made for the 354, and if you could find one, you could use the Ford "big car" very early T10 with that tall narrow trans pattern. That trans would be the right date.

Heathen would know if an adapter was made for a 354, and if they are possible/impossible to find.

 

I think the only 4 speed in an American car was Chev 1957 up until 1962 when Ford and Chrysler introduced theirs. So unless you went to the Ford or Chrysler dealer parts dept and bought a brand new one, the Chev was the only choice in 62.

There is a tiny chance someone adapted a Moss 4 speed out of a wrecked Jag sedan. They were sold in the US from 1951 on and a few must have found their way into junk yards. But off hand can't think of anyone who actually used one in a hot rod.

 

Thanks for all the help! Are all T-10 cases the same lenght overall, if so I'll get a junk one for setup then find a good one later on. Bob

 

I think cases are all the same length. There were Ford cases cast in late '61 and '62. They have the narrow bolt pattern and long tailshaft housings. They used a slightly wider ratio gear set, with a 2.36 1st gear. Pontiac started offering the T10 in '61, they're very similar to the Chevy boxes, but the tailshafts were longer on Bonneville and Star Chief models due to their longer wheelbases. Studebaker offered T10s through the early 60s, with the '62 models having a Chevy style bolt pattern, and later boxes having a Ford bolt pattern ( see http://www.348-409.com/forum/index.php?threads/t-10-transmission-identification.19367/ ). Chevy transmissions are all mostly similar, but aluminum cases were introduced in Corvettes and 409 cars around January 1961, with iron cases remaining in most passenger car applications. In 1962, Chevrolet introduced a wide ratio T10, with 2.54 1st gear instead of the close ratio 2.20 1st gear. These gearsets are usable in earlier T10 cases if you like.

Good luck with your project!

 

Thanks Tom! Welcome to the HAMB! That's the type of info that everyone here likes to share. Best wishes for 2012. Bob

 

Ford and Chrysler didn't introduce their own four speed transmissions until later (Chrysler in 1963, Ford in 1964) and the Muncie didn't show up until 1963, so a T-10 is pretty much your only choice.

Besides Chevy, Pontiac also used wide ratio and close ratio T-10 transmissions, depending on the rear axle ratio. As mentioned there were long tailshafts on Bonnevilles and Star Chiefs (my car has one.) They were first available on special order in Pontiacs in midyear 1960, 1961 was the first year they were a regular option.

Those early cast iron case T-10s weren't very strong compared to later versions, plus they're pretty rare and therefore valuable to restorers. I'd go with a newer Super T-10, you can paint the aluminum case to look like cast iron and no one will know the difference.

edit: if you do go for an early iron case T-10, if you can find one chances are it will have a short tailshaft - they were all rare, but the long tailshafts even moreso. (note: the 'short' tailshaft was the same length as used in Chevys.)

 

I'm actually thinking about buying a eighties s-10 and putting the cast crank 350/t350 I have in my shed in, for a parts chaser/trash hauler ect. The horror...the horror...

 

Rusty, no disrespect, but Borg-Warner's 4-speed was in my dead-stock Studebaker Hawk. I don't know about the '57 Chevy choices.

 

Sorry. I meant '62 Hawk.

I looked up the '57 Chevy (great, iconic cars), and Wiki said a 4-speed WAS an OPTION in '57 (and, presumably, thereafter). But it may well have been a T-10, as well, as another source says the Muncie 4-sp was used from '63 through '74 in numerous GM applications.

Yet another source says that Chrysler's first 4-sp in '63 was the B-W T-10, changing to the A833 (their own design) for '64.

 

You're correct. Mopar still used a 3-speed until '63.. As far as my "Google research skills" can confirm.


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