Next to the engine, the transmission is one of the most important parts of your classic muscle car. Depending on what your situation is, maybe you just put in a new big block motor or maybe you blew the transmission, like I have several times, you need a transmission that can handle your need for speed. Here are some tips on upgrading your transmission.
The first step is choosing which type of gearbox that suits your needs. This will determine the amount of power transmission in your muscle car. There are several types of gearboxes which include the following.
Manual
For classic muscle cars this is the way to go. If you haven’t driven a car with manual transmission before there is an obvious learning curve. When it comes to high performance vehicles it’s important to be able to anticipate oncoming situations which requires the control you will have with a manual transmission. Especially when it comes to timing in a race when you need the boost of power at the precise time.
Automatic
If you are going to use your classic muscle car for everyday use and you like to hold your coffee in one hand on your drive to work or maybe you just refuse to learn to drive a stick then an automatic transmission will get the job done which is getting you from point A to B. Just as long as you understand that you won’t have the kind of performance you can get from a manual then at the end of the day, the choice is yours, even it’s going the automatic route.
Once you figure out what transmission route you are going with the next step is to get one. You have a few options, if budget is an issue you can a used one from the junkyard or online but you still have to get it refurbished. The other option is get a new transmission, there tons of companies to choose from online or straight from the manufacturer.
Now you are in the final stretch and it is installation time. First disconnect the battery and drain the transmission oil pan. Then disconnect anything connected to the old transmission, remove the bolts connecting the transmission to the engine.
Once you removed the old transmission it’s just a matter of redoing what you just removed but the other way around.
Keep in mind this article just gives you a rough overview of what is involved in upgrading your transmission. If you want to get your classic muscle car restored from top to bottom without any hassles just contact us at Resurrection Muscle Cars for a consultation and a quote at (561) 729-0911.
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