Anyone have any luck with Top loader "imposter"

[billy73mach1]

Hey guys, I recently bought one of those top loader "imposters" that has the overdrive fourth gear. I think it came out of a 78 e-van. Anyway I was just wondering if anyone had any experience with this transmission. It has only 4 bellhousing bolt holes and the speedometer is on the wrong side. It will be (maybe) put in a 73 Q code.

Thanks

 

[TommyK]

Hey guys, I recently bought one of those top loader "imposters" that has the overdrive fourth gear. I think it came out of a 78 e-van. Anyway I was just wondering if anyone had any experience with this transmission. It has only 4 bellhousing bolt holes and the speedometer is on the wrong side. It will be (maybe) put in a 73 Q code.

Thanks

No personal experience but there is a guy on the 460ford forum that runs one behind a blown 460 and he swears by them. Most people swear at them.

 

[FastE]

Do'nt do it. It has really weird ratios. Basicly a 3 speed tranny with a OD.I put one behind a 289 in a 68 stang many years ago before I figured out what I had. After many hours of making a Hurst shifter work on it I pulled it right back out and found a real top loader. Differant as night and day!

 

[MotoArts]

That trans was used in the late '77 production E-vans and Granada from what I understand.

Dad put one in his '57 Fairlane behind a 351W with a 3.82 rear gear but sold the car before completion.

For that particular car, it probably was a cool idea. He even kept the 3 foot tall van shifter arm for the '50s custom look.

In anything else, well... keep in mind where it came from...

 

[Totalled]

Is that also AKA the SROD 4 speed? If so, it was also used in early fox bodies.

 

[MotoArts]

No, not SROD.

It looks like a top loader, with external shift linkage instead of the integral shifter that the SROD has.

 

[FastE]

They look just like a top loader, very easy to take advantage of someone that does not know what they are looking at. Yes they were used in Granadas.

 

[billy73mach1]

Thanks for the info guys. I bought it on a whim thinkin it would help with gas mileage. Any chance the internals are worth keeping. Top loader cases are alot cheaper, or is it just a waste of time. Everything looks great inside. Are any parts interchangable?

 

[MotoArts]

Why not use it?

If it's a daily driver or cruiser, should be just fine especially with the OD.