[PAUL K]

Originally Posted by Cliff R

So bottom line here is that even armed with all the information a converter company may or may not be able to build one that makes the grade, or at least it may take them a few tries to nail things down........FWIW.....

X 2 ...... First experience with Continental; we were working working on a quick 401 AMC and wanted a 3800 stall converter with good street manors. Recieved something that stalled around 5k and dropped zero RPM's on part throttle shifts. Received the converter on Friday sent it back on Monday to have it fixed. Reinstalled the corrected Continental converter and it stalled to 4400 and drove like a mid seventies six cylinder Granada. Sent the converter to JPT and they nailed it the first time. 3800 on the money, quickest ET and highest MPH first trip down the track. Drove like a 13" factory converter.

Years later had a customer running elevens with a basic 455 6X heads HFT cam using a Coan 11" converter. He hung out a lot on the Internet and got suckered into to buying a custom built 10" Continental. He had (paid a transmission shop) the converter installed just in time for Norwalk and flash backs from the AMC debacle came back to life. The tight "3200 stall" was closer to 4200, the driveabilty was a step above poop compared to the Coan. It killed the gas mileage driving out to Norwalk and the car slowed down a whole bunch. The owner thoroughly disappointed and motivated by disgust pulled the old Coan unit off the swap meet table and decided to install it in the pits at Norwalk. Bingo the car picked up ET, gained all the lost mph and the gas mileage jumped back up to normal on the drive home from Norwalk..... A hard couple of lessons learned.

[Formulajones]

Originally Posted by PAUL K

X 2 ...... First experience with Continental; we were working working on a quick 401 AMC and wanted a 3800 stall converter with good street manors. Recieved something that stalled around 5k and dropped zero RPM's on part throttle shifts. Received the converter on Friday sent it back on Monday to have it fixed. Reinstalled the corrected Continental converter and it stalled to 4400 and drove like a mid seventies six cylinder Granada. Sent the converter to JPT and they nailed it the first time. 3800 on the money, quickest ET and highest MPH first trip down the track. Drove like a 13" factory converter.

Years later had a customer running elevens with a basic 455 6X heads HFT cam using a Coan 11" converter. He hung out a lot on the Internet and got suckered into to buying a custom built 10" Continental. He had (paid a transmission shop) the converter installed just in time for Norwalk and flash backs from the AMC debacle came back to life. The tight "3200 stall" was closer to 4200, the driveabilty was a step above poop compared to the Coan. It killed the gas mileage driving out to Norwalk and the car slowed down a whole bunch. The owner thoroughly disappointed and motivated by disgust pulled the old Coan unit off the swap meet table and decided to install it in the pits at Norwalk. Bingo the car picked up ET, gained all the lost mph and the gas mileage jumped back up to normal on the drive home from Norwalk..... A hard couple of lessons learned.

What time frame was that for you Paul?

For me my experience with Continental like that was the last couple years in business when Kris explained to me how difficult it had become to get good cores and the parts he liked to use inside them.

The very early Continentals were fantastic, and I still have 2 of them I've kept on the shelf. The last 2 years of existence however the converters were miserable, went through 4 of them before I decided enough was enough and I had to switch gears to another company. Wasn't Kris' fault really, just couldn't get the parts he used to get.

[PAUL K]

Originally Posted by Formulajones

What time frame was that for you Paul?

.

Around 1995 for the AMC and approximately 2005 for the Pontiac

[Formulajones]

Originally Posted by PAUL K

Around 1995 for the AMC and approximately 2005 for the Pontiac

That's in the time frame I was having good success with his converters. This was in mid 11 second street cars. I'm talking 500-600 HP stuff. It was the last couple years he was in business when I couldn't seem to get one on the same level I did previously with similar powered cars. Then dad pushed the power up making the problem worse and it became a game of swapping converters fairly regularly.