gearhead1218

Here's my situation people.
I hurt my 'built' 455 last fall idling out of a show.
Motor and tranny are out of the car.
Motor is at BTR getting the Bill Trovato makeover. Looking at a 500+ HP fully streetable combo when done. Engine is being built for durability, in other words I want it to last. It may go to the strip a few times but will be primarily a street driver.

Problems lie with the rest of the drivetrain. I'm torn right now with leaving the 3.73's in the chevy 12 bolt rear and going with a 200-4R, or going with 3.08's and sticking another TH350 in it.
TH350 was in it before, and if was built as well as the engine was built..... well you get the idea. Right now that tranny is on my shop floor bleeding fluid all over.

I'm looking at this from a couple different angles.
One is of course cost. A new 350 trans and gears will cost half of what a 200-4R will installed.
I already have all the stuff to put a 350 back in.
The 3.08's will get the revs down for highway driving.

The 4R will allow me to keep the steeper gears to get out of the hole better.
The OD will keep the revs down.

The car sees less than 2000 miles a year driving, so the payback will take forever with the OD. Yes the 200-4R is cool but I'm just not sure. I could swing the price, but there's that bang for the buck thing working. Plus I'm not really made of money, so the extra funds could go elsewhere.

I know of course that this is my car to do what I want with, but I'd like some input from some of my fellow car-nuts out there.

Octania

spend a little extra and put in the OD and 3.73

oldcutlass

Tough call, I'd probably stick with the T350. And use the difference for something else or gas.

sammy

X2...3.08 and T350....burn up a little more gas with the money saved.

Ted

Charlie Jones

OK, So you will drive 2000 mi a year. If you keep your present drivetrain (3.73's and TH 350) my guess is that you would get 8 MPG in a worst case scenario with a not too radical 455. At 8 MPG your 2000 mi will consume 250 gallons of gas. At $3.75 a gallon your total cost for a season of cruising will be $937.
Now, If you went to Jeg's and bought a TH200R4 TCI "Streetfighter" tranny for $1920 (plus freight) you might probably expect to get 16 Mpg at best with the 3.73's. Your total gas cost per season would be $485. That's a saving of $485 per season over the TH 350.
It will take you more than four seasons to recover your investment. Only then will you be saving any money.
And all this is assuming that the time spent installing the trans by yourself is chalked up to "recreation" !

gearhead1218

Decision was made tonight. I came into a few bucks over the weekend selling a tractor. So I said 'screw it' and ordered up a 200-4R.
Went with California Performance Transmission. Ordered it thru the man himself, Art Carr. Was a bit suprised there.
Pulled the trigger on the 750HP unit w/10" converter.
I'll be running 500 to 550HP so I wanted the leeway for durability.

With the 3.73's this should be a pretty fun and stout combo.

oldcutlass

Let us know how it works out.

joe_padavano

Basing this decision on gas cost savings is the WRONG thing to do. The bigger question (which the OP has already answered correctly) is WHY OH WHY would you spend all that money on an engine, and then handicap it with 3.08 gears and a 2.52 first? That's crazy. 3.73 gears and a four speed trans with a 2.74 first (and 0.68 fourth) is by FAR the better choice.

gearhead1218

Nice politically correct way of explaining it to the wife.

Overall though, I think bang for the buck my choice may not be the best one. But for the fun factor, that's another bang.
If I look at the overdrive situation and the reduced revs, the motor should live a lot longer and less stressful life.