Packard Forum Index » Modification Discussion

Appreciate the FYI about Mike's. Sorry to hear another resource "bites the dust". In the back of my pea brain, it seems like someone else was also working R4 but since I didn't save a link, it may have been on a thread somewhere or else hallucination. Maybe someone will chime in.

If Nordstrom can do the TH400 then why not the 700R4 ?????
If i rememeber rite, they are the same or nearly the same trans case. In fact, if he can do the TH400 then he should be able to do ANY chevrolet trans from 1955 to present or maybe even as early as 1951.

Jack N. did tell me a few years ago that he could do a 700R conversion. That was after I had already installed the TH400 setup. I agree that it should be do-able in that the machining would be similar to that for the TH400 conversion. At any rate, the TH400 remains troublefree in the 56J, and is now coming up on 35,000 miles since installation.

Joe H

Just thought I'd post a link to another thread on this topic:

LINK

Joe H. How can I contact Jack N. in Texas concerning the Ultra 400 kit? Do you have contact for the R700 Kit.

Thanks
John Miller

Thanks, the info was received. I am going to contact Jack Nordstrom and ask about the 700R conversion.
John Miller

Please let us know if he can covert the TH 200 as well. Thanks

It's an old subject but I reed some information here and there about the compatible transmission for V8 Packard, because I have some problems with my Ultramatic.

I don't know if I must rebuild the original Twin-Ultramatic or replace it with a TorqueFlite or TH400, or so, and with witch adaptation kit ...

I also have a push button unit (the car has been converted to column shift in the past), but don't have the actuator and relay.

Most if not all are now using the Bendtsen kithttp://www.transmissionadapters.com/PackardV8.htm to install the 700R4 in place of the Twin Ultras. Other than Nordstroms conversions, I believe it is the only other kit still available and comes with almost everything except the cross member. The cross member may have to be fabricated but it is also possible some of the universal commercially available crossmembers could be adapted.

To the best of my knowledge the pushbutton setup has not been seriously looked at to see if there is a way to adapt it to the 700R4. That has put a stop to many who want to convert their 56 but since you already have a column shift conversion that should no longer be an issue for yours.

There is a poster I believe in Spain who is in process with a conversion and another here in the US who may have just completed his 55 install --although the rest of his car has a long way to go. The transmission part starts around page 46 of his blog..

Some photos of the first conversion taken by Bendtsen as they developed the kit are here

The shift now is converting to a 4l80e. I assume that's the same bolt pattern as the 700r. Many enthusiast are mating old engines to the GM's 4L80e. Some are even finding ways to make thier own wire harness,use existing computer, and even the throttle position sensor so the computer can shift with out having to manually shift it as that's ANOTHER cost effective solution to the after market controllers and wire harness. My Packard is on the back burner but with time I would like to fully understand and perform a successful Packard v8 / GM transmission. Sorry is that rubs anyone the wrong way, that's not my intention.

Good read...
sites.google.com/site/sloppywiki/everything-ls/cheap-stand-alone-trans-controller