PS - Stock or Quick Ratio Conversion?
 

'64 GTO. Looking to have PS pump and box rebuilt. One of the rebuilders I spoke with quit upgrading the GM Saginaw to 12.7:1. The reason is customers complained that it gave more of a manual feel instead of a modern feel.

I have searched thru old posts but have not seen this observation.

I am changing from manual to PS so I have no point of reference.

Thanks

I got a 12.7 box off a guy on Craigslist. (so I'm pretty sure it's 12.7...)

I really like it, it totally changed the driving-miss-daisy feel of the old box for something a little sporty. It's still not as aggressive a ratio as a normal modern car, you're definitely still steering a lot. The wheel is also heavier, but again, not as much as a modern car.

The new box did create more pressure which made a tiny steering fluid leak I had into a major one. Got new power steering lines, and now I'm fine.

Manual is much slower than power which helps, but if you are going power I don't see any reason to not go to an even faster ratio than original power steering. Our GTO has the "quick ratio" manual box and it is an improvement on the turns lock to lock over my basic manual ratio on my Chevelle (though the Chevelle is easier to steer since it is lighter up front and the "quick ratio" on the GTO requires a lot more leverage). On my Chevelle wagon project I went with an aftermarket AGR quick ratio power steering box and it makes that car a LOT more pleasant to drive in general. Though, that said, I would NOT recommend AGR. I would suggest buying as high quality quick ratio conversion box as you can afford. Inexpensive ones are generally more trouble than they are worth. Not that AGR was inexpensive exactly, just their quality sucks and their CS is even worse.

I've heard really good things about Lee's quick ratio boxes though I've never owned one myself.

The 'feel' of the p/s box is controlled by the diameter of the torsion bar; the bigger the TB, the heavier the steering. So some research/enquiries with a company like Lee should get you the steering feel you desire.