Hey everybody, long time lurker, first time caller.
Once I find the right place on the forum, I'll start documenting the full drama of the rebuilding of the Purple Impala, but for now, I have a planning quandary of the transmission variety.
I've got a 1968 Impala Custom Coupe that I'm building back up from the frame as a daily driver, and she's destined for a good deal of highway miles - hence my desire to go to an Overdrive Tranny. (Which will be bolted to a 355 Gen I SBC; no LS Swap for me)
When I picked it up, the Previous Owner (PO) had given up on a 350 swap - so I had a seized 350 out of a 70's Corvette, and a B&M TH350 under the hood, with no drive-shaft leading to the 10 bolt 8.2 rear-end. From what I can tell of the records, the car had started as a TH400, but that's very sketchy/word of mouth info at this time.
The pictures below are of the tranny crossmember. The PO drilled (or chewed, see below) 2 holes in the mounting plate, and that's how the TH350 was bolted in.
So finally, here are my questions:
1) Can I get a 700R4 onto this crossmember? If it won't bolt in this direction, flipping the bar will move the mounting plate 3" to the rear of the car.
2) If I need to buy a new crossmember, do they make a flavor that bolts in to the same frame mount and supports a 700R4?
I've seen a ton of conflicting information on OD Tranny installation / guidance for the 4th Gen B-Bodies, If anyone has a definitive guide that I can look at, I'd appreciate it. Push comes to shove, I'm going to get the 700R4 and measure it out before I put the body back on, but I usually like to plan ahead.
Thanks in advance folks.
Photos
![29707]()
![29708]()
Once I find the right place on the forum, I'll start documenting the full drama of the rebuilding of the Purple Impala, but for now, I have a planning quandary of the transmission variety.
I've got a 1968 Impala Custom Coupe that I'm building back up from the frame as a daily driver, and she's destined for a good deal of highway miles - hence my desire to go to an Overdrive Tranny. (Which will be bolted to a 355 Gen I SBC; no LS Swap for me)
When I picked it up, the Previous Owner (PO) had given up on a 350 swap - so I had a seized 350 out of a 70's Corvette, and a B&M TH350 under the hood, with no drive-shaft leading to the 10 bolt 8.2 rear-end. From what I can tell of the records, the car had started as a TH400, but that's very sketchy/word of mouth info at this time.
The pictures below are of the tranny crossmember. The PO drilled (or chewed, see below) 2 holes in the mounting plate, and that's how the TH350 was bolted in.
So finally, here are my questions:
1) Can I get a 700R4 onto this crossmember? If it won't bolt in this direction, flipping the bar will move the mounting plate 3" to the rear of the car.
2) If I need to buy a new crossmember, do they make a flavor that bolts in to the same frame mount and supports a 700R4?
I've seen a ton of conflicting information on OD Tranny installation / guidance for the 4th Gen B-Bodies, If anyone has a definitive guide that I can look at, I'd appreciate it. Push comes to shove, I'm going to get the 700R4 and measure it out before I put the body back on, but I usually like to plan ahead.
Thanks in advance folks.
Photos
