4 speed auto into '65 Barracuda?

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Do they make a 4 speed auto that I could put into my Daughters '65 Barracuda or and I crazy? 273 W/ 7 1/4 rear has 904 now. Positive input welcome, TIM
 
Poor choice, 904 fits space better and could be "built" if needed. Rear end gear ratio change would work better for keeping engine rpm lower. What are you trying to achieve? I am working on a 64 barracuda right now.
 
Yes and no. To answer your question there is a 4 speed auto variant of the 904 called the a-500. The A-518 is based off of the 727. Making the transmission fit your car is another story altogether. It is not a bolt in deal there is much cutting and fabricating required. The trans itself will bolt directly to your 273, but you may need a special torque convertor made to fit the crank hub(not sure on 273's). You would need a custom driveshaft made for the longer sliding shaft trans output and 106" wheelbase. Here is a thread with many pictures of installation in a later/larger a-body.

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=178459
 
The big question is why change what you got? I cruise my 65 cuda w 318 904 all day, everywhere no problem! If it needs rebuild, do it correctly, get it done well and enjoy the ride! If driven respectfully gas mileage is decent so why go to hassle to convert to odd ball transmission? Actually with my 4bbl gas mileage is decent if one stays out of 4bbl and into the smaller carbs......JMO
 
I THINK I have a 2:96 rear and it is going to be my Daughters D.D. so Gas is a big factor. From what I see and hear here it will be just too much work for what We will get out of it. It was just a thought...... Thanks, Tim
 
Chrysler used 2.93 not 2.96 gears. But if you truly plan on keeping the car and driving it the overdrive might be worth the effort. You just have to have fabricating skills and a willingness to hack into the car to make it fit. Consider the fact that instead of 2800 rpms at 65 mph you would more likely be in the 1800 rpm range. That is not just a fuel economy savings that is also lower wear and tear on the engine due to lower operating rpm. You know that we are not going to be seeing $1.50 a gallon gas ever again so is a fuel economy improvement going to pay itself off in the long run. It all depends on number of miles put on the car.

Someone called it an "Oddball" transmission. That is far from accurate they were produced by the millions. If you see 2wd dodge truck with a 3.9 v6 in it from approx 1988 to 1996 it should have an A-500. If it has a 5.2 or 5.9 in that same year range it will have the A-518. It was used for some years after 1996, but it was computer controlled. They are plentiful, have common rebuild parts available. They did have some documented failure prone areas, but they are problems that can be addressed.
 
mcnoople, Yes, you are correct it IS a 2.93. I love the Link to your Project ! That is just what I had in mind! It is good to see people pushing the "Normal" Envelope. I am getting parts togeather for the 273 right now but will VERY SOON adress the Trans Issue. I am hoping I can find a more Light Duty less power robbing automatic. I don't think I will need one as H.D. as the one you have installed. Looks great though ! I kept the 7 1/4 rear for the less mass is better group (I agree with the same thought) and am going to use all of the MPG "Tricks" I can dig up for the 273 and throw in a few of my own that I have learned and used over the years. My Hat is off to you ! I will watch updates as they come in. Thanks, Tim
 
Try a GM 200R4, it's MUCH MUCH smaller then a Mopar o/d tranny. Do a search on the site and you find a thread about putting a 200R4 into a Dart Sport.
 
Not to be a downer, but an OD with a 2.93 gear is gonna be a problem once it gets into that 4th gear. You could gear it up a bit more and you would actually see better around town mileage.
 
The basic answer is to look for an A-500/42RH out of an early 90's Dakota, van or truck with the 3.9. The OD transmission is wider where it passes through the rear "crossmember" in the unibody, so this area of the chassis needs to be modified. The drop out section and rear motor mount need to be modified as well. Nothing here is super cosmic, a local hot rod or race car fabrication shop should get it done for $500 or so. You'll need to convert to the later style slip yoke driveshaft, and have it shortened. You'll either need a later universal shifter, or a special adapter cable set if you want to keep the original shifter.

Honestly, with 2.94 gears, you have a pretty street friendly setup now. The 4th gear would have the engine lugging below 65 MPH. I don't think it would improve fuel economy much. As it is, you should be getting 20-22 MPG, which is probably about as good as it will get.
 
As mentioned, many issues to deal with - cut tranny tunnel and reweld, rebuild 4-spd tranny to use your small snout torque converter and input shaft (if possible), adapt your cable shifter to the tranny, custom driveshaft, ...

The easiest way to lower hwy crusing rpm is tires with a bigger OD (see Tire Rack website). Most people here go the other way to low gear ratios for 1/4 mile times, but I am with you. Before that, consider associated changes. If you have 13" wheels, bigger wheels will look better anyway. If you have drums and want front disks, you may need different wheels anyway. You can get affordable new 17" alloy wheels that fit your car for the "big wheel, thin tire" look that is popular ("Fossified").

Other things for better mileage include electronic ignition. See posts for a cheap HEI upgrade. EFI would help mileage and driveability. The cheapest is a used Holley Pro-jection setup (~$150), but they are a bit quirky. I have a plan for cheap MPFI for my 273 someday. Any EFI requires plumbing a high-pressure fuel pump (see my post).
 
1970Duster, I could not find the 200r4 swap that you talked about. You got a Link? Thanks, Tim
 
As I said before why change what works, mopar set it up one way for a reason. i am getting ready to move my 65 formula s from Maryland to Chicago in a few months! he car will be driven by me! I have shopped around for shipping it and finally realized i trust nobody to do this the car has been totally mechanically restored! Front disc brakes, dual master cylinder, 318 v8, mopar rally wheels, modern u joint drive shaft! Lets be realistic car is ment to be driven! I have less than 500 miles on it since resto! Went through a medical battle for a year with epilepsy, now 100% restored myself!!! I and my baby will be together again, now looking forward to a nice road trip to get here to my new home! Why would you mess with mother mopars set up? Leave it alone and enjoy the ride!!! How often will you run the speed that needs overdrive? Come on be real and let it be! I am on my second early a body and never thought to change its set up too much, drag raced the 66 cuda won many trophies in street class and was very good at it! car was consistant and fast! low 13's soon to go fast till an old man crunched it one day going home in the rain! Reality is Keep it simple silly!!! Have fun and enjoy the ride!!!!

Mopar or No Car!!!!!
 
65cudalover said:
As I said before why change what works, mopar set it up one way for a reason. i am getting ready to move my 65 formula s from Maryland to Chicago in a few months! he car will be driven by me! I have shopped around for shipping it and finally realized i trust nobody to do this the car has been totally mechanically restored! Front disc brakes, dual master cylinder, 318 v8, mopar rally wheels, modern u joint drive shaft! Lets be realistic car is ment to be driven! I have less than 500 miles on it since resto! Went through a medical battle for a year with epilepsy, now 100% restored myself!!! I and my baby will be together again, now looking forward to a nice road trip to get here to my new home! Why would you mess with mother mopars set up? Leave it alone and enjoy the ride!!! How often will you run the speed that needs overdrive? Come on be real and let it be! I am on my second early a body and never thought to change its set up too much, drag raced the 66 cuda won many trophies in street class and was very good at it! car was consistant and fast! low 13's soon to go fast till an old man crunched it one day going home in the rain! Reality is Keep it simple silly!!! Have fun and enjoy the ride!!!!

Mopar or No Car!!!!!
Click to expand...

For the most part o/d kicks in right about 40-45 mph so that means anytime you hit freeway speeds longer then 4-5 miles. Oh and the 200R4 is hyd controlled o/d some computer, that's keeping it simple just like a 904.
 
I understand that but it doesnt easily fit the a body drivetrain, this is the point! One must go through a very serious redevelopment of the drivertrain to make it work! Why do all that when the original tans fits right in easily....Again it is up to the owner to make the decision, spend the money, do the work or find someone who can..I again am a Keep it Simple Silly person who knows how good the original equipment will work! I drag raced well with a 904 never came close to hurting it or having an issue even after increasin hp quite a bit!!! My 65 has the same set up and will over time go through the same transition in hp!!! So it will eventually be quick and take on any Ford or Chevy classic car on the road and the jap crap any time!!! LOL...
 
Ford AOD, I hear its short and skinny, like the 904. Bolting it up is another story. How about this: Find a old P1800 Volvo and snake the electric OD out of it, its about the size of a glasspack.
 
Tim...there is an EXCELLENT transmission shop not too far away from you, in Cowpens. William Cook, of Cooks Racing Transmissions if you want to Google it. You won't find a better shop, especially for the money. If you rebuild your 904, that would be where I would take it. He did my last 727, and it shifts awesome. If you want a spare 7 1/4, I have one I will give you for free if you'll drive and hour or so to get it. Came out of a 70 Slant 6 Duster. Just PM me if you want it. Good luck with your girls car.:prayer:
 
1965 barracuda is a poor choice for a young female driver. As good of a driver she maybe the saftey of a newer car for someone unexperinced is not there

first problem is the one circuit (single line) master cylinder. blow a brake line and its hard to the carpet with no signs of brakes

second is even with an O/D transmission you may get the best of 25 MPG which is good for what the car is but its not ground breaking and its no where near being good fuel economy for someone who is trying to travel

next is the non collapsible steering wheel with the harpoon style steering shaft

don't forget the lack of any protection in the form of air bags

Don't get me wrong the car would make a great daily driver, just not for a young driver. best that you get her a newer car and use the barracuda for yourself
 
Thanks JDMopar ,I know his work well. He has also built me a few over the years. Thanks for the support! 66plyValiant thanks for your input also, and I am trying to address all the issues that you have posted. It will be the best it can be before I turn her loose in it. At this point SAFETY is # 1 for this project. At a later date I will update for everyone to see and get input as to how I have handled these sensitive issues. See ya ! Tim
 
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