Transmission
When I located the engine for this car, the legendary 241 Hemi, it had just been rebuilt by a man named Carl in Pennsylvania. He has been rebuilding Chrysler hemi engines since the 1960's. He told me that if I bought the engine at the price we had agreed to he would include a custom-made adapter plate to accommodate the transmission of my choice. I told him I'd let him know when I made a decision on what transmission I might use, since I wasn't going to pick up the engine for several months.About a month before I was to go to Pennsylvania to get the engine, I received a call from Carl, "the hemi man." He informed me that he had gotten a call from his "tranny man" that day. It seems that a young man had brought a 1969 Camaro transmission in to be totally restored. It was a so-called "Muncie 3-speed." This is a 3-speed transmission built in GM's transmission plant in Muncie, Indiana. When Carl's transmission man had finished rebuilding the unit, the young man didn't have the money to pay for it. Carl had the opportunity to acquire it for $325. As he put it to me, "Mr. Mead, you're never gonna beat this deal."
That's how we ended up with a Muncie 3-speed firmly attached to a 241 hemi, with a brand new clutch and throw out bearing when I picked up the engine. For the kind of driving I intend to do in this car, this should be an excellent transmission.
One aspect of the design that is driven by this choice is the trade off between a floor shifter and a shifter mounted on the steering column. This Muncie transmission is designed for use with a column shifter. I had debated this very issue and was leaning toward the use of a column-mounted shifter largely because the floor of the car is so small. A floor-mounted shifter simply consumes some precious real estate. So the happenstance availability of the Muncie 3-speed helped make that decision as well.
Change of Plans...
November 1, 2009 - Deron Shady has convinced me that a five-speed transmission would be a better choice to use with the little 241 hemi. The overdrive aspect will allow cruising with less stress on the engine and the closer ratio gears will permit less shifting in normal driving. We are on the hunt for a rebuilt Borg Warner T5 transmission. Deron has the casing from one at the shop and we held it in place under the car. The shifter will now be a floor shifter and will emerge just a few inches forward of the seat cushion. The gearshift knob will be conveniently close to the driver's right hand.
December 10, 2009 - We have ordered the T5 transmission. A company in Texas ran a Christmas special so we took advantage of it. The rebuilt unit should be here by the end of the month.
January 10, 2010 - Ordered the transmission adapter and clutch components from Wilcap in Pismo Beach, CA.
February 15, 2010 - Here is a photo of the 5-speed transmission in the car:
April 1, 2010 - Here is the mount that Deron built for the emergency brake. You can barely see the rubber transmission mounts that support a steel saddle passing underneath the transmission to provide support. See the Chassis Page for more details on the transmission mounts and the transverse stabilizer that comes off the bell housing.