Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

Just an informal poll here. how many of you would be interested in putting a 700R4 GM overdrive transmission into your cars without cutting a driveshaft or hanging an adapter and extra flex plate off the crank? I just worked something out that put the 700R4 behind the 352 mates it to the stock flexplate and does not change the overall length of the trans.so factory driveshaft mounts etc just a 4 speed overdrive with parts on every corner. and less money then what currently out there to convert it.

Sounds GREAT to me!!! No adapter plate needed between trans and engine????

So then if the 700R4 will fit that way then the 200R4 should fit the same way???

I might be interested in hearing what you have.
I am rebuilding my 700R4 now but I have already purchased that $800 conversion kit so I don't really want that to go to waste.

There will be an adapter but not between the engine and trans. the turbo 350- 400 700R the 200 the 4L60 and the 4L60-65-70-80 Electronic shit transmissions will fit. without giving to much away you cut the bellhousing off the trans like the JW Ultrabell system and add the adapter I machined to the trans and Ultramatic Bellhousing. I think I can get the adapters into the couple of hundred dollar range and a re-drill template.No driveshaft modifications and the Ultramatic could go back in at any time

I'd be interested. Maybe not for immediate use since mine is PB but if a reasonable cost and relatively simple adapter such as you describe were made it could be bought while available and stored away for contingency.

Unfortunately there is still the problem of the fair number of 56 PB transmissions installed that would be difficult to swap without someone coming up with a provision to also adapt the shift mechanism.

I don't think it would be hard to adapt the shift mechanism for the 56 I don't have one in front of me but it's been done to the 700R4 mooneyes had a controller Coddington liked to use in street rods and with the Packard being electric it should not be hard to adapt that to the 700R4 I've seen it done with the Chrysler cable shift. I'd have to have one in front of me to play with. Matter of fact I now wonder if the push button control could be wired to a GM Encoder Motor for the transfer case and adapted that way. it would get a new motor actuator and maybe get rid of the glitches the original set up had.

I remember watching an episode when Coddington's crew installed the Mooneyes Smart Shift unit and thought at the time it was interesting. I looked it up on their website but there was not much info then -- just a few pictures. Doing a web search for the Smart Shift a page still comes up but not much else. Assume it has been discontinued or the download info is not available to the public since the trans ID and shifter download link appears inactive.

Not familiar with the GM encoder units you speak of but encoders need electronics so that might get involved. If the Packard unit will fit over or could be adapted to the GM shaft and the total rotation is roughly the same would think it should be possible to make a new finger block for the different spacing and layout. Mr Pushbutton would be the one to best answer that though.

You could always mount the PB unit at the rear of the engine ala Edsel and take care of any difference in shaft rotation with linkage.

Put me down for the first one.

jack vines

To bad it wouldn't fit up to the st8 that easy.... John