Sorry to take so long to answer! Been out in the shop.
With the 300:1 gear, the engine was turning around 1,800 rpm at 65mph in overdrive and the tcc locked up. That's on flat ground cruising. the numbers for the 3.50:1 gear may be slightly skewed because I swapped rear tires too, but under the same conditions, it was running about 1,950.
The PowerGlide "takes less horsepower" to operate. The numbers aren't totally accurate, but a 'Glide takes about 19hp and the 350/400 take around 40hp. Most of your three and four speed automatics are similar to the GM offerings. The 200 and 700 both pull about the same hp. Where the PowerGlide shines is on the drag strip and stop light to stop light. In a light car, the 'Glide will outperform even a good manual transmission, given all other thing being equal. We replaced the Richmond five speed manual transmission with one of our racing PowerGlides in a record holding D/Gas Camaro, just to prove our automatics were capable of being competitive. With the exception of adding a transmission oil cooler and a different drive shaft and shifter, NOTHING else on the car was changed!! Same driver, same track, same weather conditions. The car was actually 0.10 seconds faster on the eighth mile and 0.13 faster through the quarter mile!!
YES! For daily driving the TH350 is probably better, particularly around town and in heavier vehicles. On the highway the overdrive transmissions, of course, have a distinct advantage, simply because of the better effective gear ratio. As my little rat rod experiment proved however, you CAN have too much of a good thing!!
YES!! The 700R4 is NON computer!! The detent cable is the only control for shifts and TCC lockup outside of the gear selector. The 4L60E is the electronically controlled version of the 700.
The 200-4R is a good transmission and if you already have one, I probably would go ahead and use it. IF you're still in the looking around phase, I recommend the 700!!
