O.K. here she is...actually i guess this one is a he (license plate reads "FAT FRED")
Saw it on E-BAY, description sounded awfull, but it was ten minutes from my house, so I had to go see it...This thing is awesome. '73 with ooold school v-8 conversion (I'll come back to this-need help) but no motor, front disc brake axle from '76 FJ40, 4speed trans and transfer and rear axle from same '76 fj40, Jt Outfitters rear disc conversion (looks NEW), bucket seats, and 4 point cage. There is rust in the usual places, but not anywhere enough to make this a parts truck, and nothing like it was advertised.
This is gonna be my trail truck. I wan't to SOA and run at least 35" tires, power steering, and all that happy horse crap.
Now here's my hang up: I parted out an '89 Chevy Burb several years ago, and have been waiting to find a home for it's TBI 350 (it's going in this truck!), and had planned on keeping it together with the 700r4/np241 and the tilt column and all the wiring and crap ( to kind of keep it plug and play).
The new pig came with an old Downey conversion (chevy bell-5and 1/8th inch hole/ alum adapter plate/ toyota trans & transfer/downey crossmember).
I know I want the overdrive of the 700r4, and that it can climb fairly well (and that it's one of the best 700s...K-case/ electronic lockup). But I also know that no 700 is bullitproof, and I don't know how badly it will lack compression braking (I've never wheeled with an auto that had low range). No compression braking AND lack of trust in reliability kind of = deal breaker.
I don't know anything about the downey adapter from 1980 (I wasn't even born yet) except that they don't make the plates anymore (buy new bellhousing). The kit is still complete and everything looks great. I am kinda thinking of throwing it back together the way it is now, with the h42, and looking for a new tranny down the road (will an sm465 bolt onto the chevy bell I already have?, or would an H55 bolt right onto my adapter plate?) Big tires and H42 = crap, and not being able to reuse anything later is also kind of a deal breaker.
I AM going to put this together with the stuff I already have...
And whichever route I go (auto or manual) will have a totaly different set of issues, and more, or less fab work, but as far as I can tell they both will end up costing about the same in the end. So I just need to make up my mind and go for it. I want to start yesterday.
So the important questions:
1) Would I be able to use the bell (or clutch/slave setup) I have now, for a SM465 later?
2) Would a H55 bolt to (and function with) the old Downey plate?
3) Would either 1 or 2 necesarily affect driveshaft length much (since they are going to get worked over for the SOA...don't want to do it twice)
4) What do YOU think I should do, and/or what would YOU use if you had both drivetrains sitting on YOUR floor?
Thanks guys!
Saw it on E-BAY, description sounded awfull, but it was ten minutes from my house, so I had to go see it...This thing is awesome. '73 with ooold school v-8 conversion (I'll come back to this-need help) but no motor, front disc brake axle from '76 FJ40, 4speed trans and transfer and rear axle from same '76 fj40, Jt Outfitters rear disc conversion (looks NEW), bucket seats, and 4 point cage. There is rust in the usual places, but not anywhere enough to make this a parts truck, and nothing like it was advertised.
This is gonna be my trail truck. I wan't to SOA and run at least 35" tires, power steering, and all that happy horse crap.
Now here's my hang up: I parted out an '89 Chevy Burb several years ago, and have been waiting to find a home for it's TBI 350 (it's going in this truck!), and had planned on keeping it together with the 700r4/np241 and the tilt column and all the wiring and crap ( to kind of keep it plug and play).
The new pig came with an old Downey conversion (chevy bell-5and 1/8th inch hole/ alum adapter plate/ toyota trans & transfer/downey crossmember).
I know I want the overdrive of the 700r4, and that it can climb fairly well (and that it's one of the best 700s...K-case/ electronic lockup). But I also know that no 700 is bullitproof, and I don't know how badly it will lack compression braking (I've never wheeled with an auto that had low range). No compression braking AND lack of trust in reliability kind of = deal breaker.
I don't know anything about the downey adapter from 1980 (I wasn't even born yet) except that they don't make the plates anymore (buy new bellhousing). The kit is still complete and everything looks great. I am kinda thinking of throwing it back together the way it is now, with the h42, and looking for a new tranny down the road (will an sm465 bolt onto the chevy bell I already have?, or would an H55 bolt right onto my adapter plate?) Big tires and H42 = crap, and not being able to reuse anything later is also kind of a deal breaker.
I AM going to put this together with the stuff I already have...
And whichever route I go (auto or manual) will have a totaly different set of issues, and more, or less fab work, but as far as I can tell they both will end up costing about the same in the end. So I just need to make up my mind and go for it. I want to start yesterday.
So the important questions:
1) Would I be able to use the bell (or clutch/slave setup) I have now, for a SM465 later?
2) Would a H55 bolt to (and function with) the old Downey plate?
3) Would either 1 or 2 necesarily affect driveshaft length much (since they are going to get worked over for the SOA...don't want to do it twice)
4) What do YOU think I should do, and/or what would YOU use if you had both drivetrains sitting on YOUR floor?
Thanks guys!