200R4 or turbo350?

[megaladon6]

i never said that old guys don't know anything. but you were saying that the old cars didn't come with OD so you shouldn't use it. and even though there are many other choices you automatically say th400. which by the way is not one of the 2 trans that he has, so why did you tell him to use that? and you don't seem to know about the newer transmissions, so how can you make a recommendation?
if it was a strip only or abuse car i'd agree with you on the th350, but if it's gonna be on the street why not use the trans that will take the power and give him more driveability? especially since they both need to be built up.
no i haven't owned a th400 myself, but i have had 2 th350's, my brother had 2 or 3 th400's and at least 6 th350's. actually there's a th350 sitting on my lawn. i know them relatively well. the fact remains that they are 40yr old tech and that 20yr old tech and modern tech is quite a bit better.

 

[84GP455]

As far as the engine goes the Chevy 396 was never used with the 200-4R from the factory therefore i would use the TH350.

Hey Megaladong show me where i told him to use a TH400!
learn how to read youngster

 

[84GP455]

As the original post said a stock trans, the TH350 is stronger in dead stock form than the Th200 4R. Either transmission can be built to handle the power, but stock the TH 350 is better for a big block.

I agree

 

[Vern]

Its an upgrade an improvement like any other he just has to decide whether its worth it for his goals. No different than when rebuilding the ole 396 upgradeing to forged pistons instead of the cast pistons that it left the factory with. Or upgradeing to newer better flowing more efficient aluminum heads. You still have to decide whether the upgrade is worth the money for your goals.

In your case if you are going to try to make do without building up the 200-4r don't be stupid cheap to the point of shooting yourself in the foot. Get a good shift kit such as the one www.ckperformance.com sells sometimes on special for $99 and a large cheap transmission cooler. That way it has a fighting chance of liveing long enough to make it worth your while. Now is the time to do this while you have it out of the car. They may also have some springs or other parts that you can do that don't require a tear down and rebuild. Leave slicks or drag radials off the car.

Oh yea for an on the cheap upgrade you can put the car up on the lift carefully heat the crossmember with torch and reshape read beat with a little 8lb hand sledge a groove for the dual exhaust. Took about twenty minutes start to finish. I know it can weaken it and lead to stress cracks but so far three years and 9,000 hard miles no problems. Cost zero.

84GP I love the looks of your car and the Pontiac 455 in a Pontiac. Naturally you don't want to be left in a much lesser cars dust when you punch it. Have you ever considered at least upgradeing to like a 3.08 gear? It would help acceleration a lot without eating much more fuel or buzzing it on the highway. BTW yea the only substitute for cubic inches in a powerful street car is cubic dollars or to spin the snot out of it ie fix and rebuild it often.

 

[megaladon6]

if your building over 450whp run a turbo 400 for sure.

I agree!

 

[megaladon6]

I don't know how young anybody is on this forum but back in my day there was only the TH350, and Th400 for GM, both of which were used with all the muscle cars of the 60's and 70's

lets recall that you brought up age. and you forgot the powerglide.

 

[84GP455]

Thanks for the compliment Vern,,, but let me ask you something.... if i can leave a 40ft. posi stretch just by punching it with no problem with the gears that i have in it,,.. do i really need to change them? then my mpg's will go down and my rpm's will go up on the highway. My car launches very good as it is and i also get a second gear chirp! So i don't think i need to change my gears. Like i've said before,,, the big cubes make up for the smaller gears.

 

[84GP455]

Hey megaladon6 how about a ----------------> truce! I respect your knowledge and i hope that you respect mine too as i have been building cars and experimenting with different combos for over 23 years!! I was the first in my area to put a big motor other than the 350 into a Gbody back in 1990.you prefer the 200-4R and i prefer the old but reliable TH350, and TH400's ok>>>???? We are just giving our opinions on here,,,,we are not debating which transmission is better than the other.......just experiences and opinions dude!!

 

[dan2286]

Thanks for the compliment Vern,,, but let me ask you something.... if i can leave a 40ft. posi stretch just by punching it with no problem with the gears that i have in it,,.. do i really need to change them? then my mpg's will go down and my rpm's will go up on the highway. My car launches very good as it is and i also get a second gear chirp! So i don't think i need to change my gears. Like i've said before,,, the big cubes make up for the smaller gears.

I dont believe you! We need to see a video! :wink: :wink: 😀

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

C'mon now, if we are gong to talk old GM transmissions, why not throw the 4 speed Hydramatic into the mix as well? B&M Hydrostick? How about a hybrid Cad/LaSalle transmission with an adapter plate? You so-called "old" guys have forgotten your past! :lol:


As a compromise, may I reach across the aisle and suggest the 4L80E? It's a TH-400 with overdrive and an electronic valve body.