I got hooked to your channel because of the 1963 Impala, I had one when I was 17-21 years old in the early to mid 1970’s. Getting that old junker running got my curiosity so I’ve followed the videos. I’ve also been a fan of tri-five Chevys and C2 Corvettes. So you check all my automotive boxes. Glad to see you putting new parts into the Vette, it’s well worth doing it once and doing it correctly.
I am considering this trans for my C 3 but I will pull the engine to install it. You have managed to do the impossible and there must be some award here in Hot Rod land that we can give you for attempting this and actually doing it. Thanks so much for showing what you did and clearing up some confusion. I hope it drives well. I'm sure it will as I have installed TKO's in Foxbody Mustangs and they were a good gearbox's too.
Thanks for taking us along. That's the car that I've always wanted. And, I've thought that the transmission swap is the perfect upgrade. Next comes fuel injection for the engine? CONGRATULATIONS on the car.
RestoDan, You can make a removable crossmember by cutting it on each side and trimming approx. 1/4" off each end of x-member and each end still on frame. Get 4 three bolt header caps and weld one to each end of x-member and ends still on frame.Make sure to index bolts to maintain alignment. When you want to remove or lower trans. for maint. or whatever you just have to remove the 6 bolts and nuts. You can even leave x-member section on trans. if you cut it in inside of exhaust pass throughs.
Running a 3-spd. OVER-DRIVE , in.my 1960 El Camino. Exactly a 80' s Ford Top Loader.w/ scattershield With 4 th. A little Higher, geared. Like the Cast Iron shell , better than Aluminum.(Stronger ) Bash the Shifter sideways ,usually stops ,the two gears in one mode.Tremec certainly looks cool Daniel !
If you were truly daily driving the car and relied on it as your means of transportation then the tremec swap would be awesome but they just cant compare to the charm,feel, and sound of that old muncie. That muncie will take years of no lift powershifting all day everyday with no problems. Them tremecs are really stiff and notchy to shift and if you try to shift them quickly or aggressively they like to bind up or lock you out or break but I will admit that having overdrive is a great thing. Personally I would have just tried to put a more highway friendly gear like a 3:08 or 2:70 in the car and stuck with the 4 speed or try to find one of those old school dough nash 4+3 transmissions that is just a super t10 with an overdrive unit on the back.
Thanks for the Vid. Im toying with this in my 66 roadster. Did you dial in your crank to the bell housing before you attached the Tremec? Mucho important. :)
So, how did the shifter work out?? My son is doing a chassis for a 57 Bel Air two door hardtop and was telling me recently about how the shifter on the Tremec has three possible positions as well as lots of aftermarket shifters. He made some calls and was told that all he needed to do for his car (with the stock bench seat) was to "flip" the shifter mounting plate moving the shifter to the "front" position. His is not as new as yours so it might be the TKO model.
