My error. I meant powerglide 2 speed.
Know what you meant
Damn what a tranny!
I worked at a place that worked on that stuff, and they are heavily modified and super expensive. This one dude had 7 second car he ran and the converter would blow after about three or four runs and the high gear clutch would get a good scorching.
Seven seconds(I'll never experience it like not even close) is scary fast & EXPENSIVE as you said! I've seen the glides online for as little as $1800.00 & well over $3,000.00. The less expensive glides NEVER COME with an aftermarket heavy/thick case(will not clear hotter NHRA classes). If I was to go with a glide I would pay to have it built locally(we got a couple shops in the area that do it right/I support LOCAL small business' whenever possible!). The problem with even the best of the glides is dropping out of the ideal RPM range between 1st & 2nd gear(catch up). The TH400 has the advantage of a lower 1st gear with two more gear ratios to keep the RPM in the ideal(close as possible anyways) torque/Hp range. The problem with the TH400 is it takes 40/45 H/p to keep it turning over(2 sets of gears spinning @ once). With an 800+H/p BBC one can afford to lose 40/45 H/p in a street brawl. With a 550/600 H/p SBC one CANNOT afford to lose 40/45 H/p ESPECIALLY when one is running for $$$$$!!!
Figuring out whether a 2 or 3-speed is better for your car. This article tells you the advantages and disadvantages of a Turbo 400 vs. Powerglide.
www.dragzine.com
Check out the Pro T 400 transmission(Rated 1200 h/p -7th down on the list)
ATI's Turbo 400 Drag Racing Transmission. Now available with the award winning ATI T400 SFI Certified SuperCase. 2 and 3 speed versions available with many gear set ratios to choose from. ATI has T400 street rod and drag race transmssions for vehicles making 600 horsepower to 3,000 horsepower!
www.atiracing.com
I think the**LENCO ST1200 5 SPEED** is the way to go/low maintenance co$t/launch with clutch/line lock & clutchless shifting through the rest of the gears(kind of like the old Mopar Clutchflite tranny/we called it the GRENADE, see below) gets one out of the hole FAST, but $PENDY!/ May be too long for an Opel GT? Strong enough to be used behind both SBC & even many BBC street brawlers.
The The Lenco Racing ST1200 5 Speed Transmission has been specifically designed and engineered for severe duty street/strip applications. The ST1200 gives you the advantage of Lenco brute strength at a lesser price than our full race units. All ST1200 Street units now come wit
lencoracing.com
www.moparwiki.com
For racing on a track or a street race for $$$$$ my cheater slick of choice would most likely be the size below, 28" tall as it would fit(barely) in a tubbed wheel well on a low rider Vega or Opel GT. The 10" tread width would be wide enough to hook up but narrow enough to minimize air drag on a 2600 Lb(max weight minus me) rig with 550/600 H/p. This cheater slick is of the HB-11 compound(STICKY when "warmed up"!)
So far my bumpstick of choice(@ least @ current) is the Lunati grind below. The LSA is wider than I prefer as I like a LSA of 108 for low end torque but the 110 LSA is needed to reach the 7200 top end RPM with max H/p. The 600/600 lift is about all the 23 degree SBC heads I have can handle without going into tip over. I can always purchase a set of 1.6 ratio(tip over may prevent any gains) rocker arms if the 406 appears to need to breathe deeper. The intake valves are 2.08" in diameter but of course the valve seat insert contracta is of a lesser dimension. The Lunati grind below may seem light on duration but I do need @ least some street manners as it is destined for a street brawler & not meant just for racing.
Solid Roller Cam. Rough idle. Excellent cam for serious Pro street/bracket applications. Excellent mid to upper RPM torque and horsepower in 383-406 cubic inch engines. Needs 3500 RPM stall speed converter, 10.5:1 or better compression, aftermarket exhaus
www.lunatipower.com
The truly sad part of all this is that most "normal" folks just get strung out on normal things like coke, meth, hallucinogens or the standard of drugs, good ole freakin' alcohol. But, for us poor young bass-turds that got introduced to side stepping the ole clutch pedal or releasing the transbrake as that nose of the rig starts climbing for altitude, the G Forces take over, trying to keep her heading straight, eyes on the tach/fuel pressure gauge & also center of lane while peripheral vision tracks the competition not to mention shifting/clutch work(one synchronized action) all @ that the same time... we got addicted to it. Once exposed to H/p torque it's like the Hotel California, "One can check out anytime one wants to, but one can never leave". If the addiction was not so $pendy it would be heaven on earth! Take care miketx, till next time!
