Toploader vs TKO 600 Subjective Shift 'Feel' Rankings

[tkb289]

Patrick ... thanks for the sage advice of choosing wisely, that is crux of the question and as you state, there are a lot of variables. I have the ERA 289 FIA manual and have been poring over the various tables of transmissions & differentials for speeds in different gears and RPMs. The only thing I can't calculate is the 'feel' part of the equation, hence this thread.

One interesting part for me, is all of the choices when putting together a detailed build list ... no wonder these cars are so different! I guess that's part of the fun.

Also ... Thanks again to all ... for the posts above.

- Tim

[DAVID GAGNARD]

Tim;

For comparison purposes, my 65 fastback has a 3.25 rear gear,351-W,350hp or less, certainly no more than that. My Tremec 3550 has the .64 fifth gear, my tires are 15" short tires,about 25.5 inches tall. Cruising the interstae at 75 mph I'm turning about 1900 rpms give or take 50 rpms or so.

As I stated earlier, 1st thru 3rd gear are a lot lower than the toploader ratio and I can "stand on it" thru 3rd gear and the car really hauls the mail. I've run in the 12.90's at the drag strip with the only change from the way it is for daily driving is a set of drag radials on the rear.

For me a day at work is anywhere from 200 to 300 miles, 90% on the highway and I drive my car to work at least once a month,more when the weather is nice, so the 5 speed was a no-brainer for me....

Also, Superformance and I'm sure others have a shifter handle that looks exactly like the factory toploader shifter for the Tremec trans. , I have one on my car. Unless you look under the car, you'd think I have a toploader in it. I got my shifter handle from a Superformance owner, his car came with both shifters and he ended up with a toploader and didn't need the other shifter, bolts directly to the Tremec shifter "stub".

Just depends on what you plan to do with your car and how you plan to drive it most of the time as to what trans. will suit you best. For my use and needs, nothing but a 5 speed would do.

David