Packard Forum Index » Modification Discussion

Just wondering if anyone had any success with trying to hook a modern t5 trans to a 29 standard 8

Why?

I love the Packard transmission. I know there is some nut advertising a synchro trans for those cars for people who don't want to learn how to drive, but the only reason I can see to shelve it is if the double bearing becomes unavailable.

Other than that, get the car moving and put it into high gear if you don't want to shift. Packard advertised that any girl could drive those cars.

The t5 transmission is an overdrive trans . I have no problem driving the car but I would like to go a little faster. Also my wife drove the car 1 time and that was enough to tell me that is a bad idea.

As I recall, there was a poster who added a modern aftermarket standalone overdrive unit to his car made in that era. I don't remember details on the unit but maybe someone else will remember who it was and supply the into.

I believe the unit was mounted inline between the transmission and differential so it involved splitting the driveshaft and providing support for the unit. Most if not all the photos of the install were on his website or stored at a photo site rather than being posted on the forum but it was a very neat installation and seemed to do the job. Maybe worth considering something like that unless the synchro advantage is something that must be part of the package.

Unless the two transmission bolt patterns and overall sizes are the same I imagine the work to add the separate OD unit would not be too much more involved than it would be to adapt a different transmission to the bellhousing and fabricate new supports and driveshaft.

Gear Vendors is a well-respected company that builds overdrives and has experience with installations for classic cars:

gearvendors.com/restorationclassic.html

They have pictures for a 1929 Packard.

IIRC someone at Northern California Packards has one of these on his 1930's V12:

norcalpackards.org/

These guys also make an inline overdrive designed for vintage cars, which I know less about;

mitchelloverdrives.com/products/mitchell-model-1000/

I have looked into a T5. The national "transmission hot rod" shops - aren't. If you're not one of their cookie cutter kits (think small block Chebbie), you're basically SOL.


Figure to fabricate all of your own installation bits.


I kinda called one of them on it, questioning their advertising. It was a wasted comment which didn't even make me feel better.

Good Morning...Just a comment on the Mitchell Overdrive...I've had one in my 1931 Model A Ford Tudor for 17 years and it has not given any trouble at all. About 20 Thousand miles of use. Steve Mitchell is the second generation of the business and he is great to work with...long wait times, they are back ordered almost all the time. Ernie in Arizona