[55Wagon]

Looking into a 200r4 trans. My wagon has 3.23 rear gear. Is this to tall a rear gear to see any advantages other than highway use?

[b-man]

Moving thread from ‘60 and earlier forum for Street forum for better exposure

The 3.23 rear combined with the .68 OD give you a nice 2.1964 final drive ratio for fuel economy. The 2.75 low gives you a 8.8825 ratio that will move out nicely from a stoplight.

Compared to a common TH350 with the 2.52 low gear at 8.1396 overall the 200-4R provides a noticeable improvement in acceleration.

I wouldn’t spend money to change from that 3.23 gear for a street cruiser.

[Bill Hanlon]

... and you'd only be turning 4000 RPM at 146 MPH, assuming a 27" tire and you have enough HP to push it through the air that fast.

[77 TRASHCAN]

The engine displacement and power band of said engine could be a factor in the combo youe are adding about. A455 or 400 with mild cams, properly built would handle the load easily. My 77 TA with its 7.6:1 400 engine and its 2.41 rear gear had NO issues cruising at highway speeds. Going to a 2.1 actual gear with a more powerful engine, should be fine.

[b-man]

The vehicle in question is 350 SBC powered as I’ve gathered from his previous posts.

A ‘55 Pontiac wagon is roughly the same weight as most well-optioned late 2nd gen T/As that didn’t have more than 180 to 220 hp at best. Most were running TH350 automatics and 2.41 or 2.56 rear gears so they really weren’t known for screaming out of the hole from a stoplight.

Perhaps a 3.55 rear would be better but certainly a 3.23 isn’t a bad rear gear for it.

[242177P]

89 TTAs were equipped with 3.27s

[Formulajones]

Heck no, I'd run it with 3.23's and see how ya like it.

I run a little 302 with a rowdy camshaft with a .64 overdrive and 3.55's using a 27" tire and it drives really nice. It's only about 3 mph better than what you're looking at.

I can go as slow as 35 mph in 5th and accelerate without the need to downshift..

If anything the weight of your 55 wagon may play a small role but the automatic makes it much easier to deal with. When you lock the converter is what will make or break it. In 4th without the converter locked still gives some torque multiplication so it won't care. Delaying the converter lockup is key. Not as easy to do with a cable operated 2004r.

55 Pontiac wagon should be similar boxed frame as the Chevrolets???
Our 56 nomad here is a friggin tank, well over 4000 lbs. Full boxed frame, lots of steel and lots of 1/4" thick glass. I'm going to do 3.73's with a .64 overdrive with the 327 in it only because the 12 bolt I have sitting here already has 3.73's and I don't need to change that.

Run it and make a decision after you put some miles on it

[jerry455]

Lots of the 80's and 90's cars, T/A's, Grand Prix,etc., used anywhere from a 2.41-3.73 gears in various models. You need to drive it to see what it feels like to you.

[Scarebird]

I had a 462 with 200-4R and 3.23's - you won't like it.

On the freeway it is too low in the powerband. Switched to 3.55's and everything improved, including mileage.

Fuel injected motors can run lower RPM vs carb.

[Formulajones]

Naaa I had a 2002 SS Camaro with a 700r4 and 3.23's and it was fine. And that's with a little 346 LS1 that everyone says don't make torque
Shucks that thing would lock up in 4th at 40-45 mph and drive fine.

I'm running the factory 780 Holley on the 302 I mentioned above and it cruises in 5th at 35 mph fine.

How these things are tuned is a huge player in drivability. It doesn't have to be a torque monster to make this work.

[Scarebird]

2002 is fuel injection - huge difference

[Formulajones]

The 302 isn't and it does fine

3 minutes in shows how well it drives. That's a high strung DZ302 with 3.55's and a .64 5th gear. That's with a 780 Holley.

https://youtu.be/e39e6p7NMY0

In all honesty the Qjet is way better at metering fuel through the primaries and would be even better at this with some fine tuning. A big 455 shouldn't have a problem, even easier with an automatic overdrive.

[Radman]

My white 62 Tempest convertible weighs in at 3250. Engine is a 61 389 Tri-Power, transmission is a 700R4 rear axle is a 3.50 Ford 9 inch. Tires are 28-9.50-15 that are a 27 inch tire in real life. Loads of grunt in 1st gear 2000 RPM at 70 MPH on the interstate. The lock-up torque converter is controlled by a vacuum switch, and will only lock if you are in 4th gear. I do have a lock-up disable switch on the console. I use it on long upgrades where you will get a lock, unlock, lock, unlock, lock dance.
Your rear end should do just fine.

[Steve C.]

I can highly recommend the Bowtie Overdrives TV and Throttle Cable SYSTEMS.
That is we used on my 200 4R


http://www.bowtieoverdrives.com/

.

[SRR]

I had a 70 307 Chevelle with a 200R4 and 3.23 gears. I loved it. On the highway it was at 2100 RPM @ 70 MPH. Around town was great too. I had a Q-jet on it but never got around to tweeking it just right and was only getting 15-16 MPG.

[55Wagon]

Hello, no 350 chevy, looking at bone stock 76 Pontiac 400 2 barrel. I have a choice of th350, or 200r4. Thanks to all for your input! Hope to get started soon..

[lust4speed]

I had a 200-4R in my red 67 GTO with a 3.36 rear and 28" tall tires and it was great. Later on swapped to a 3.55 and ended up driving about six MPH slower if not watching the speedo because I was used to the feel of the engine at a certain RPM. Don't really see where one higher gearset would make that much of a difference, and the 28" tire compared to a stock height is right at a gearset change anyway. Cam was a Crane HR 214/224 so it was comfortable at lower RPM's.

[76TA462]

I put in Extreme Automatics 2004R stage 2 during the winter of 2020. Behind a stout 462 in my 76 TA. Still using original 3.23 rear end and I have 27 inch tires. The overdrive gear is fantastic and a huge improvement over the TH400 gearing. Highway cruising is sweet. Absolutely no complaints. First works great for me and is a ton of fun as a street car. With the torque of these engines I think the first gear in the 7004R might be too crazy, for some of us LOL.

[54nomore]

My 85 Caprice wagon came from the factory with 2.73 gears behind the 305/700R4 combo, your 3.23's should do just fine.

[61 vent]

Thanks, everyone for the feedback, I feel confident in an OD transmission now.