need some advice on chevy trannys

I Have a 50 fleetline that I have been working on for a while now. I have a 54 235 that I had planned to put in it. It has hei, headers, clifford intake and a carter 500. It is backed by a T5 from an s10. The plan was to also install a 55 chev rearend and then complete it while i drive it (as much as possible anyway). But money is tight right now and I cannot afford to spend the money that it will take to complete the swap (hooking up power to my shop so that I can weld up a mount for the tranny, rewiring the car having a driveshaft built etc). So I started thinking that I should just put the 216 that I pulled out back in. (After some cleaning, painting and gaskets). It ran good when it was pulled so why not? I have a edmunds dual carb set up that i can bolt on and I think that I can put my clifford headers on it too. I still have the torque tube rearend under it as well. I sold my stock 3 speed tranny to a guy a while back thinking that I had no need for it. So I need to either get a stock 3 speed or find another inexpensive alternative. I can convert to an open driveline if it will give me better transmission options, but I have all new brakes for the torque tube rear so I could also go that route. I want to keep it cheap most of all. I am hoping to avoid having to change the tranny mount for now as well. If you have any ideas they would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

Update your member profile to give a location, sometimes it helps if you have HAMBers in the area.
Tito

 

I'd install the 235 and T5. the car will be much more drivable with the overdrive and the 2 extra gears.

 

you can source a used driveshaft from 70s midsize gm with a th350, rearend from a camaro is pretty much bolt in. here is my homemade trans mount (bottom left) http://geocities.com/david_fruits/
angle iron and two quick welds. its soooo worth it.
53 chev, 54 235/t5/55 rear 10" clutch

 

Ditto to what both guys said.

Make pals with someone that has a welder. Also, you might not need to have a driveshaft made, either. Do some measuring and hit the junkyard. Some S-10 driveshafts work in their stock lengths for the chevy swap. I have heard that mid 70's fullsize Chevys are a good bet as well. Do a search and the exact cars are mentioned somewhere... i think Fat Hack or DIRTYT did a post that mentioned them.