If You Were Buying the Car, What Transmission Would You Want

Status
Not open for further replies.

ssn696

Living in the Past
Supporting Member
Jul 19, 2009
5,543
6,662
113
Permanent Temporary
I spent about two hours last night reading the Pumpkn8tr build from end to end. It make me jazzed to get my 80 Malibu wagon going again. It then made me bummed when I realized how much money and work is ahead. There were brief glimmers of selling it. I have 7 car/truck projects in various states of taken apart, and I used up a perfectly good wrenching weekend building a fence and gate to keep out the zoning inspectors.
The Forum has once again hooked me up and I have a GN 8.5 in the mail. That means I have a 3.73 Auburn posi under the wrong car again (spent a long weekend this fall exchanging them between the coupe and wagon...)

I have two 700R4 cores in the shed, with about $1000 in rebuild to make one work (opening an automatic is beyond my toolbox and family obligations). A 200-4R would make more sense with a 3.73 rear (past experience), having ~2.42 1st and 0.67 OD (but I have no core - more money).
I also have a Camaro WC T5 in the garage, with 2.95/0.63 gears in boxes, may be two weekends or $750 to make a complete unit. I have all the pedals, linkage, 606 bellhousing, 10.5" flywheel, etc. to go manual. While these do not have great reputation, I prefer rowing the gears.

If I were offer the car for sale on the Forum, which configuration would result in the higher return on my investment, according to all you potentially interested wagon buyers out there?
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2512.JPG
    IMG_2512.JPG
    805.4 KB · Views: 668
  • IMG_2514.JPG
    IMG_2514.JPG
    883.2 KB · Views: 692
  • IMG_2513.JPG
    IMG_2513.JPG
    748.4 KB · Views: 722
  • IMG_2515.JPG
    IMG_2515.JPG
    730.7 KB · Views: 718

motorheadmike

Geezer
Nov 18, 2009
8,976
27,522
113
Saskatchewan, Truckistan

565bbchevy

Geezer
Aug 8, 2011
9,591
12,612
113
Michigan
Re: If You Were Buying the Car, What Transmission Would You

I personally would chose an automatic overdrive of your choice and budget from a sellers standpoint besides less time and effort on your part, if your plans were to keep the car and you like the stick shift then I would go that route as it would be more unique but as many people out there that would want a stick there will so many more that just want to get in and drive it and nowadays people seen to have a hard enough time driving without adding a third pedal into the equation.
 

Ribbedroof

Comic Book Super Hero
Supporting Member
Jan 4, 2009
4,865
6,893
113
Wellston, OK
Re: If You Were Buying the Car, What Transmission Would You

Where are you, what's in it now, and how much $$$ are we talking about? PM me if you'd rather not discuss it on an open forum
 

DRIVEN

Geezer
Apr 25, 2009
8,062
14,479
113
*CENSORED*
Re: If You Were Buying the Car, What Transmission Would You

Sell the 700-R4s and find a good used 200-4R.
 

Blake442

Geezer
Apr 24, 2007
6,864
1,996
113
Minneapolis
Re: If You Were Buying the Car, What Transmission Would You

What trans is in the car now?
Is it broken?

I would just put a th350 in it and let the buyer spend their own money...
 

ssn696

Living in the Past
Supporting Member
Jul 19, 2009
5,543
6,662
113
Permanent Temporary
Re: If You Were Buying the Car, What Transmission Would You

I'm not quite ready to sell the wagon yet. But, I don't want to pour money in a direction that makes the car LESS saleable. So far, no one has voted for the manual conversion.

There was a decent Q-jet V8 conversion done a while back in place of the 229 V6. It has (probably the original) TH200C with a broken TVS cable. I have not thoroughly explored to confirm that it is a 350, but the block is black with 'Goodwrench' valve covers on it it. It leaks oil inside and out, but who cares, I have a 330HP 350 sitting on a stand. Right next to that is a Ram Jet 350 (some assembly remaining) with the intake kit, CPU and harness in boxes next to it. Both engines I built up from cores and a Pace Performance catalog. I have a new fuel tank, and new Suburban TBI sender. I could go either direction. I'm leaning towards the Ram Jet and 200-4R, but the Ram Jet is likely to be worth almost as much as the car.

I live in New Mexico, near Santa Fe. The car was purchased in Nebraska and then lived in Colorado Springs, where the previous owner still lives. The whole underneath and door bottoms are in really excellent condition - looks like it may have had a Ziebart-style undercoating put on it. It needs all the window felts and glass channels replaced. These are sitting in the back in boxes, just need priority and time. Currently garaged with a cover on it.
 

Attachments

  • DSCN5091.JPG
    DSCN5091.JPG
    373.6 KB · Views: 607

Ribbedroof

Comic Book Super Hero
Supporting Member
Jan 4, 2009
4,865
6,893
113
Wellston, OK
Re: If You Were Buying the Car, What Transmission Would You

FWIW, I think most buyers are going to want to build their own. I don't know that if you have to spend a grand to build an overdrive for it that you're going to recapture that expense at sale time.

IMO, these sell BEST when near stock...there are always exceptions, Jim somethings black wagon a couple of years ago comes to mind...but to get a wagon (narrow market anyway, being a G body, then a wagon to boot) to the level that will bring 20K at resale, you'll be into it for that much.

I can't speak for everyone, obviously, but when looking at old cars, the MOST IMPORTANT thing for me is metal. I'll take a nice solid dry car with a shitty powertrain and rough interior over a mediocre body with a great powertrain every time. I also, like most, have my own ideas on what I want to build, and for me, none of the engines you have listed as options really fall into that plan.

This is just my opinion, I'm sure others would disagree.

IF you decide to sell in the near future, I'd be interested in buying it as-is. Not as big a payday, but far less expense, IMO...especially for a guy with 7 projects.
 

ssn696

Living in the Past
Supporting Member
Jul 19, 2009
5,543
6,662
113
Permanent Temporary
Re: If You Were Buying the Car, What Transmission Would You

Funny, you described exactly why I bought it. You also point out why I am debating whether to put the Ram Jet in there vs. the less-valuable 330HP 350.
I should probably make the time to post a build thread. I have already replaced all the brakes, ball joints and bushings and all the way around, plus a 12:1 steering box. Just scored a tach (from the Forum, thanks, Kevin!) to replace the clock.
I'm laughing at myself now. I should just drive the car, snort the nostalgia and see if it really sticks or not. The coupe is the Mod car with the 400 and Tremec.
 

King_V

Master Mechanic
Jul 17, 2013
307
5
18
Sicklerville, NJ
Re: If You Were Buying the Car, What Transmission Would You

I thought 1st gear on the 200/200-4R was 2.74?

In any case, my ideal, if I were in the market for something like this, would be the overdrive trans - I personally prefer then 200-4R, but if the 700-R4 were already in there, I would stick with that.

That's just me, though.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

GBodyForum is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Amazon, the Amazon logo, AmazonSupply, and the AmazonSupply logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

Please support GBodyForum Sponsors

Classic Truck Consoles Dixie Restoration Depot UMI Performance

Contact [email protected] for info on becoming a sponsor