anyone still run a 4 speed trans? i've seen alot of cars on here with t-5 conversions. not alot with 4 speeds. got a 4 speed in mine, but exact specs are highly confidential. trying to keep my mouth shut on this one. i also wanted to say, that i really like the mavs on the forum.
Let me guess, you used a Chevy Saginaw or Muncie 4 speed? Before I put in the T5 I ran a TopLoader 4 speed for a lot of years, but the 3.89 rear gears made highway cruising tough. The T5s OD cured that.
i plan on putting a wide ratio 4 speed toploader in mine. 2.75 rear gears should make it very usable on the german highways with pretty high speeds.
Actually, I have a Toploader. Had alot of bad luck with t-5's over the years. My problem has been too much horsepower and abuse. BTW, Sag's and Muncies are riddled with problems, especially breaking 2nd while power shifting. I have gears (3.91's), but I don't do the highway thing. I just drive local roads. I have, however, heard alot of good things from the Tremac series. Alot of friends still use them for drag racing. I am trying to stay old-school.
2.75's are a little compiclated around town. I'd say you may want 3.00's or (if you can find them 3.25's. I run a wide ratio, but looking to swap to a close, even a gearset if I can find one reasonable.
I'm gathering the last remaining parts I need to swap my C4 for a top loader 4 speed and 4.11:1 9" into mine. I've had this trans and rear end since my first Maverick in '79. Bruce
i am building my 347 for low end torque to compensate for that. i had a close ratio too, but chose the wide for better driveability instead.
I tried a 3.00 in my Falcon which is a lot lighter than a Maverick and wouldn't pull from a dead stop without riding the clutch. This was with a T-10 that has a 2.36 first gear compared to the 2.32 in the close ratio Toploader. I now have a close ratio Toploader and 3.25 gear but I still gotta pedal the clutch a time or two to get my roll quietly rolling on flat ground and this is with 24.5” tires. I miss my 3.70 but not on the hwy screaming 4000 just to keep from getting ran over in the slow lane.
I had the stock 2.70 gears in my Maverick when I first swapped the Toploader into it. I didn't have a problem at all.
Being on a budget, I was actually considering one of the overdrive Toploaders (three speed, with 4th overdrive) for my Mav with the 4:11 rear gears. I've heard the 3+1 Toploaders aren't as strong as the standard 4-speed TL's, but my engine's going to be mild performance, '71 302, Thumper cam, headers and a 4-barrel. The 3+1 should satisfy my stick-shift cravings 'til I can afford a Toploader 4-speed (with a switch to 3:00 or 3:25 gears out back) or a T-5 swap with the 4:11's (note: My car's a 69.5, so tranny tunnel room is a deciding factor)
I had a 70 Torino GT with a 4 speed and 3.00's and didn't have any trouble around town with it. That thing would cruise down the hi-way though. The pic of you r tach reminds me of my GTO, 4.10's, 3500 TCI convertor and a 455. It would screeeeem at hi-way speeds.
3+1 TL is a good choice, and you can still have decent highway. The only drawback is the step between gears, which can make around town a little difficult. My uncle's 66 Mustang had a 3+1 in it, he used 3.55 gears to balance out the driveability factor. The reason for my choice is sheer "muscle car" factor. This is my second Mav with 4 speed and I really like it. Banging through the gears is fun for the whole family. My current Mav is a 70. It has been difficult to get the proper fitment of the linkage to the trans. I actually had to modify the tunnel to accomidate the shifter rail for the 3/4 link. It seems the floors are a little different on the later ones. My other car went right in with tons of clearance. The current car I don't plan on drag racing. I may, if I feel like it, but road racing seems much more challenging. I've also found that there are parts that deem it easier to make it "road" ready with little difficulty.
I need to get my 5.0/289 hi-bred on the dino. I am running a wide ratio top loader and have no problem getting the Mav. rolling from a stop, with 1st or 2nd gear running the stock 2.79 gears out back. At 80mph im running 3000rpm.
Wide ratio Toploaders has a 2.78 1st gear. The cam size has a lot to do with choosing rear gear ratio also.
