Originally Posted By: snowman4839
Do any of you guys know of a way to add an overdrive to an old GM manual tranny (saginaw or muncie)? I turn like 3000rpm going 70 on the highway and not only do I not think that's good for the engine but i'm pretty sure that doesn't help gas mileage either. I'm going to be going to college soon and I really wouldn't like to risk problems with running relatively high rpms on long trips too and from when I visit back home. Do you guys have any ideas? and no, I don't want to just stick a tremec in there. I want to use my original column shifter so it has to have the linkages on the side for an external shifter (like in a saginaw or muncie). I just want 1-4 on the column and I can make shifters on the floor for reverse and OD.

This transmission would be absolutely perfect for what I need but they go for about $2500 by themselves (same price I actually paid FOR MY WHOLE CAR) so it's a little bit out of my price range. But it has the Overdrives like I need and it is a "rod transmission" I think is how it's called? (it has the linkages for it to be shifted via rods...

So any ideas on how to not turn serious rpms while keeping the 3 on the tree setup would be great... Thanks guys...


Snowman are you getting all this? I just took the '53 for a drive after the long winter. I was afraid to shift into 5th gear for fear of loosing power, wasting fuel, or something worse. Beater


"I wonder if God created man because he was disappointed in the monkey?" Mark Twain