You guys sure are good at spending my money lol. The only thing that I know I’ll be wishing is for this to be going in a convertible…. Anyone got a good one laying around they want to trade for a swinger? lol.
Guy at SST says majority of people don’t do the upper hoop on the cross member and they state it’s not needed, but have seen a couple people fab stuff up. (Don’t shoot me I’m just regurgitating what was said)
T56 is 1400 more than the TKX which is 6800 with the QuickTime bell housing, he forgot to send that quote over and I’m assuming it’s going to be around 8k before shipping?
He has it all in stock but nothing will ship out until Friday at the earliest and Bellhousngs get drop shipped from Holley.
Here is the difference in tunnel modifications shown between the TKX and the T56 for anyone interested.
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I ended up buying my kit from SST three years ago for $5.1k including shipping. I know prices have gone up since then, and that was with an end of the year discount (10% off), but I share that because the first quote I got from them was for $7.1K. I had to work the price down by removing stuff I knew I didn't need (or want) like their crossmember kit. I even told them I had a 4 speed in the car and they still quoted me a a 4 speed swap pedal kit. Other things I had them removed was their hydraulic clutch kit, shift handle/boot/knob kit(s) and the reverse lockout control module. And I went with the bigger but cheaper cast aluminum bellhousing. So, a careful read of what they are sending you might be worth the work.
Funny thing is, the plan had been to put it in my '74, which is a 4 speed car, but now it is going in the '73 which was an auto car. So now I will need to swap in a clutch pedal. But even then, I know I can do it for far less than the $400 they wanted for their kit. I always planned to run a Camaro TO bearing, the trans is a GM trans anyways. I have a mount for a clutch master, and all in I am pretty sure I can cut the cost in half when I get to that point. I plan to build my own handle and work up a pistol grip since I like the one in my '74 so much, so why buy something from them I'm not going to use?
About the crossmember, I got the same thing from them. I haven't seen anyone prove the upper crossmember is needed and I know many have run without it, so to each their own. But I won't run my car without one. And I would ask, doesn't it make it easier to sell kits if the crossmember "isn't needed"? So who is benefiting from that line of thought? Is it factual, or a convenient "fact"? I understand that's what they said, not pointed at you.
Holley used to have a crossmember brace kit for the TKX that bolted in under the tailshaft and above the lower crossmember. It was part of their G3 swap parts so the trans was forward from where the stock setup would land so no idea if it would fit with a stock motor location. But it makes me think they must have admitted that maybe it is a good idea.
Personally, I don't think you can get these cars
too stiff. And I feel that removing that upper crossmember will make it
less stiff regardless, so I don't like it. Even if the lower crossmember can make up the difference when it is bolted in, I would feel like the TB's need to be de-tensioned before dropping the lower crossmember, assuming there are torsion bars. In the end, I want the best foundation I can get and I think a solid upper crossmember is worth it.
But again, to each their own.
