I saw something on the internet about some company in India that made a conversion kit that engaged the clutch electronically because automatic transmissions are so expensive there. I've tried to look it up but wasn't successful. Worth a shot though.
While not an early banger in 1972 I built a deuce highboy with a Mercruiser Chevy 4 cylinder and an aluminum Powerglide and it worked great. You just left it in low until you got rolling good. I drove that car all over the country with no problems. It was not a racer but was a good road car
Thanks for your help , much appreciated !! Sadly, Im funky old without computer skills. I know minimally enough to be here. Not internet aware.
That was 1972 and I'm thinking the glide was a direct bolt on to the Chevy II style 4 banger, I could be wrong?
Yep. Mercruiser used many automobile based engines for their various I/O marine drive units, 4 cyl, inline 6, V6 & V8. Ray
Thanks for explanation Ray. Maybe if I had any sense, Id use mercruiser. I like to stay with older stuff.
As a newish guy who went into this hobby not knowing how to drive a standard (shame on me ) can I ask why you want to convert to an auto? Not challenging your decision or judging but I'm curious as to the reasons. I thought I would want to go the same route but I settled in with the manual. As for which transmission to run, I would think the Mopar 904 to be best suited to a banger... it was designed with a low power application in mind.
Hey trevor, Thanks for your input regarding the 904 mopar. If you dont mind, where did you get the info…’designed with LOWPOWER application in mind ‘. As far as to WHY (in my case) I decided to use an auto trans vs manual shift….. Im 78 and ******ed up - that is- both of my knees have had surgeries-worn out and hurtful 100 percent. time bone/bone; Complicating that condition, I have arthritis thru out body … including back. Having emergency back surgery asap… next couple weeks to relieve pain (sciatic nerves pinched… down both legs) that pain keeps me from activity. Have had work done on both hips. I have driven stick forever. Sometimes life gives lemons. What you do with that is each guy’s personal choice. Im NOT quitting yet An auto will help me move on in my hobby. Does this help/ make sense for you ? Thanks for your input.
The 904 performed pretty well with the Chrysler Slant 6. My friend has a Slant 6/904 combo in his (OT) Dart and it made pretty good use of the meagre power the stock Slant 6 can put out (~140hp, which is in the ballpark of a hot banger), and puts up with a lot of added power these days. It think it is also smaller and lighter than a C4, therefore probably easier to tuck under a prewar car- ***uming adapters etc are available? But I'm not an expert by any means so take my 2c for what it is. Thanks for elaborating. Like I said, I'm not trying to be snide or p*** judgment (even though a lot of guys are when they ask that question). I gathered you have driven manuals and it wasn't lack of familiarity that made you want an auto, so I was just curious what the reason was. Might help me help someone down the line. I'm glad you're sticking with it and pushing forward and I wanna see what you come up with.
Went to a GM school on the 200 when it first came out. I couldn't believe that GM would build something like it. Every component was cheap, cheap, cheap. A far cry from a 350 or 400.
Hey Trevor, Your input is valuable/welcome to me ! Curiosity is what drives most of us. YES, I am looking for small auto trans. I’m trying to contact ‘Gene’ of Flat O Matic. He has the knowledge I need, enen if he does not have kit. Thanks for your help.
Mike Davidson in Australia ( Flat attack racing) makes a kit to put a Toyota overdrive trans behind a flathead. Now if I am not mistaken a flathead gearbox will bolt up to a B with the right bellhousing adapter , so no reason the auto wouldn't work with the same adapter. I think some of these guys here are confusing horespower with torque .A banger motor has it in GOBS with some to spare, which is what you want to drive an automatic, in fact they have way more torque than the flathead V8 . I think the Toyota gearbox, would be lighter than the other options and probably give better MPG. http://www.flatattackracing.com/cressida.html. http://www.flatattackracing.com/home.html Her also sells a C4 adapter which is similar to Gene's flat o matic one. and a [powerglide adapter too. They are about 5-600 Aussie dollars , the Aussie Dollar isn't worth much!
Done that and know others who have (V8's, not bangers.) Compact box and the OD is a simple on/off ****on (no computer.) The ****on is on the T bar shifter stock, but you can put it anywhere.
What was the 200 made for originally ? Were they tough/ light weight ? What was attraction of 200 to drag guy's? I do not know this 200 trans. Thanks
The TH200 is a GM transmission in the same family as the TH350. They are not known for being power tolerant, but are lighter and lose less power than the TH350. As 38Chev said, might be a good pair with a banger.
Dunno, but GM even had trouble with them, and kept changing them. Each version were only made for a couple of years , before they were canned. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turbo-Hydramatic I think they are just as heavy as a TH350, as big as a TH400 , There ain't much room in a Model A , I think a bulky GM< trans is a step too far in every respect. If you want easy to find and made in USA go for the C4 , if you want tough and compact go for the Toyota . Either way I think the only place you can get the trans adapter new now is Mike Davidson, the other, banger to V8 adapter comes from Clings.
The C4 has been talked about by guys who advised in this thread. C4 it is… I think. Now the problem is….WHO MAKES OR CAN SUPPLY the auto adapter kit….C4 to B Banger ?? Ive used the Cling adapter v8 trans to Banger for 20 yrs. Have a new kit stashed now. That is NO HELP to this discussion . I need info relative to where to get a kit for auto to banger. Thank you
Haven't done this but just putting it out there... Sometimes you need to use two adapters. In this case a V8 trans to banger adaptor which creates a situation where a whatever auto to V8 adaptor could work. Just a thought and like I say, could be way wrong.
That is what I was thinking. I KNOW Clings sell the Model A to flathead pattern, I know Flatattack ( Mike Davidson) sells the Toyota and C4 adapters for flathead, so I ***ume that you can use one of each to make a working setup. However ...................................................There are also Advance Adapters, Wilcap, TCI , Speed Gems, www.transmission adapters.com Bendtsens ,and others who also make some , I do not know if they make a Model A adapter!. There is a company been around since the 50s called surprise surprise Trans-Dapt, its owned by Hedman headers and guess what, as far as I can make out on their website they sell everything else except trans adapters. Summit , Jegs and Speedway advertise that they sell them, but I cant be bothered trying to navigate those websites, you will have to do that yourself!. If it came down to it and I wanted to use an auto behind a banger, I would just sit down and nut it out and make my own!
The above post contains some inaccurate information. it seems you may be conflating the THM200 with the THM2004R. The THM200 has a noticeably more slender case and certainly weighs less than than a THM350……it therefore cannot be as “big as a TH400”. The THM2004R main case is similar in girth to a 350 and the case is one piece (not a separate tail housing). I believe the 2004R is modestly heavier than a 350 due to the added overdrive components. I do agree the early THM200 was a ‘cheap’ design with several shortcomings but was subsequently beefed by GM before it was phased out. Ray
Im asking because my memory is not always so good , wasn't the 200-whatever the trans that , in the 80's, GM was shipping to dealers by the pallet loads because the failure rate was so high ? They didn't want them diagnosed , just swapped & returned
Hey Ray, Thanks for sharing your knowledge !! Every bit of accurate info helps to ….solve my problem. There is hope for my goal. For instance, I know a guy who built/raced his own cars. He is well experienced in research/development. He said…yeah, it can be done ! With a CNC machine this guy can do. He is a busy man though. He may be a definite option !
Yup, memory loss seems to be a pest… when a body p***es 70+ Thanks, I got your drift and info regarding 200 !
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