[arbys]

( years ago I bought my 66 LeMans convertible factory 326 HO with 4 speed.It's a sharp car and I love it. Two years ago I developed nephropathy and no feeling in my left foot. Needless to say driving with a clutch pedal is difficult. Do I sell the car and buy an automatic car or do I buy an automatic and put it my 66? What automatic would you recommend?

[ZeGermanHam]

It will ultimately be a personal decision, but if I was in your situation, I'd keep the car you know and love and simply convert it to an automatic so you can continue enjoying it. When you buy someone else's car, you inherit all of its needs, quirks, and problems. Your '66 is a known quantity and doesn't have any surprises laying in wait. Converting to an auto is easy enough.

[b-man]

Put a TH350 automatic in your car. The TH350 is pretty much a direct bolt-in, it uses the same crossmember and driveshaft yoke plus the driveshaft length is the same.

Keep the 4-speed parts you remove to retain the value of the car if someday you should decide to sell it.

Plenty of us as we get older either have ailments that make driving a manual transmission difficult or impossible or we simply don’t feel the need to shift gears manually anymore.

[Geoff]

That is such a nice looking car I would keep it & fit a Turbo 350. You could also use the original 2 speed auto, the ST 300.

[arbys]

OK, I'm settling into the TH350 transmission so what about the coolant lines? Do I need to change the radiator or can I just add an auxiliary fluid cooler? PS, I've had the car for 9 years.

[b-man]

Installing a TH400 requires that you move the crossmember back approximately 6” and drilling holes in the frame to bolt it down.

You must also shorten the driveshaft about 7/8” and find a TH400 yoke to mate up to the transmission output shaft.

The TH350 would be a much easier and less expensive install, more than strong enough to handle your 326 HO.

I would change the radiator, the transmission cooler that’s incorporated into the radiator serves to warm up the transmission fluid in cooler weather and helps maintain the fluid temperature close to the engine operating temperature.

The factory transmission cooling lines (or reproduction lines) will work for both TH350 and TH400 as well as the ST300 2-speed auto that these cars would have been produced with originally.

[66sprint6]

You can do either an auxiliary cooler or the factory rad with the built in cooler. I bought a rad cooler and was ready to install it, but then a radiator became available. We got the coolant lines and the bracket that holds them to the frame from inline tube. We found that we had to get adapter fittings for the cooler lines, because they were designed to mate to an ST300.

[arbys]

Originally Posted by b-man

Installing a TH400 requires that you move the crossmember back approximately 6” and drilling holes in the frame to bolt it down.

You must also shorten the driveshaft about 7/8” and find a TH400 yoke to mate up to the transmission output shaft.

The TH350 would be a much easier and less expensive install, more than strong enough to handle your 326 HO.

I would change the radiator, the transmission cooler that’s incorporated into the radiator serves to warm up the transmission fluid in cooler weather and helps maintain the fluid temperature close to the engine operating temperature.

The factory transmission cooling lines (or reproduction lines) will work for both TH350 and TH400 as well as the ST300 2-speed auto that these cars would have been produced with originally.

Sorry, I meant to say the TH350.

[indymanjoe]

Originally Posted by b-man

Put a TH350 automatic in your car. The TH350 is pretty much a direct bolt-in, it uses the same crossmember and driveshaft yoke plus the driveshaft length is the same.

Keep the 4-speed parts you remove to retain the value of the car if someday you should decide to sell it.

Plenty of us as we get older either have ailments that make driving a manual transmission difficult or impossible or we simply don’t feel the need to shift gears manually anymore.

This ^^

[Andre]

I honestly believe that if you keep at it, you will be able to operate your car properly even without feeling in your left foot, but not drag racing or anything like that. There are a bunch of diabetics like myself who like you are suffering the same way.
Maybe a simple bicycle pedal type strap will be of assistance to keep your foot on the pedal. The addition of a heel plate might also do the trick.

[arbys]

Originally Posted by Andre

I honestly believe that if you keep at it, you will be able to operate your car properly even without feeling in your left foot, but not drag racing or anything like that. There are a bunch of diabetics like myself who like you are suffering the same way.
Maybe a simple bicycle pedal type strap will be of assistance to keep your foot on the pedal. The addition of a heel plate might also do the trick.

Great point Andre, I can't feel my foot on the pedal and a strap may be my answer. Thanks again.

If anyone knows where I could find that strap please let me know.

[Andre]

I think you can find something like that at the bike store, or you may be able to use the shoe clip on apparatus that they use on skis.

[OCMDGTO]

Beautiful car, I would definitely keep it and use a T350. Way too nice to get rid of and start over

[GT182]

Convert it to a TH350. In the long run you'll be glad you did. You might even find someone that would do it and take the Muncie and it's associated parts as part of the cost to have it done. Or keep them seeing the car was built with them to keep it numbers matching. Your choice Ross.

[GT182]

So what did you decide or do? Inquiring minds would like to know.

[arbys]

Originally Posted by GT182

So what did you decide or do? Inquiring minds would like to know.

For now I'm going to see if I can rig something on the clutch pedal to limit my movement off the pedal. Something like a 1" bar across the back of the pedal and then bend forward at the outside edges of the pedal for about an inch. The "U" shaped piece should position my foot correctly. Thanks to Andre for getting my mind going in the right direction. If that doesn't work then the TH350 and save the 4 speed for the next owner. Thanks to everyone for their insight.

[geeteeohguy]

You could also practice using your right foot to depress the clutch. You use it for the brake pedal, and the clutch pedal is pretty close to it. You can also shift without the clutch if you learn the technique. Truckers do it all the time.....I even do it from time to time when I feel lazy. It's called 'floating the gears'. Check it out.

[Scarebird]

Depending on the diff gears a TH350 may not be the best solution where an OD trans would be better. For me a 3.55 gears and ups would get the OD. Numerically lower gears TH350 and taller tires.