Re: 1955 400 Manual Transmission Conversion

Posted by Tim Cole On 2010/8/7 17:06:44

I used to be a member of the anti-automatic crowd until I took factory authorized transmission training. Today I only prefer a manual shift in older vehicles using a good old American three speed or where the transmission is a total slushbox.

I have driven an unusually good ultramatic that was working properly and thought it compared favorably to the same era Powerglide. It had no trouble pulling a 1932 Cadillac V-12 up a steep hill.

However, a good TU isn't a slouch. In fact, if the numbers I have are correct, the TU is a little over one second slower to 60mph and in the quarter mile than the 61 Chevy with 348ci and Turboglide.

Granted the Ultramatic requires a knowledgable rebuilder, but for performance the 727 TorqueFlite will outperform a standard shift even when being handled by a professional. This is not dogma but based on the results of Michigan and California State Police training course testing.