I have fresh 235 going into a 1953 3100 with a 3 speed trans. For ease of change etc I am wondering if anybody has installed Patrick's Antique Autos 4 speed transmission conversion and his 3.55:1 ring and pinion set up. Is it a viable option as opposed to changing to a newer trans and rearend? Seems to me if it is a good thing, it beats all the adapters and cross members and fuss. Also what gear ratio came stock in the rear on these trucks?

Likely it has a 4:11 rear. The Patrick's package is costly, but excellent and worth the money. You'll need his installation kit too. You will find more information about this install over at

http://www.stovebolt.com

If you can find a early chev with the enclosed drive shaft that has a power glide they are usually 3:55 gears. They fit the truck housings also. All I've took apart have shone Very little if any wear.If there behind an early power slide that transmisson is not going to hurt very many rearends. 1 OL REDNECK

I think it depends on what you want to do with your truck long term. If your goal is a driver with a really tall first gear - it will be fine. If you want a hauler, you might want to reconsider.

I put a 12 bolt from a 69 chevy pickup under my 1950 truck. I found that the width was within 1/8" and the backing plates accommodate the '53 wheel cylinders as a bolt in so you can retain the original looking brake lines / connections and stock flex line location.


The e-brake cables are an easy modification too - just buy new '69 cables and take the forward ends off and 30 minutes with a lathe and a small press and you have cables that are 1953 on the front and 1969 where they go into the backing plates.



I went with a 3.73 posi and put a mid 80's GM code MY6 4spd with OD of 0.73:1 in 4th gear and connected it to the stock 3-on-the-tree shifter with some garage fabbed linkage. I just stabbed it into the bellhousing - no tail shaft support or cross member was used



It works well and I have a nice low first gear and can cruise at 60 mph at about 1950 rpm. I drove several hundred miles averaging 70+ mph this last summer driving across the US and back - it was a dream to drive.



I have just over 11,000 miles on it now including some fairly aggressive street light drag races against a few buddies with 302 GMCs in their trucks. It is a solid drivetrain and I am very happy with it overall.

Ken, That looks and sounds like a good set up.

I used a Patrick's shifter on a Saganaw in my '53 3100 with a 270 GMC. The rear end is a '68 GMC Dana 44 limited slip with 3.54s. It would easily haul what ever I put in it. A full ton of hay flattened the springs but not the acceleration. The top end was not what I wanted so I installed a T5. Top speed is better but it is still not what I want. I think Patrick's set up will work well for you if 65 on the highway is enough. You can not add a Borg OD and use Patrick's shifter. A friend has a '50 3100 that has a Truxstill OD in the closed driveline. I'd like to play with that. Beater