429bb with auto or toploader 4 speed?

[bullitt774]

hey every1. i'd like to do a small poll. i have a 450hp at the crank 429BB. my question is C4/C6 with stall or Toploader 4 speed? and another question. has anyone done the toploader in a fox body?

by the way the car is a '89 coupe with a SVO turbo 2.3 and an automatic. engine was swapped b4 i bought the car. ive bought the 429 and engine swap kit already. waiting to make up my mind on trans. thinking about running a 9 inch with 4.30:1 gears instead of the 8.8... personal reasons thats all.

i'd like to know what ALL 'stangnet members think. im also open to ANY suggestions. thanks guys, jeff

 

[krallman]

i was wanting to know about the toploader too. So far everything ive read has said it will be pretty easy with little fab.

 

[BOWTIEKILLR]

dude...toploaders are the s#it. i have been thinking about installing one in my 88 but im waiting till i get a daily driver before i do it. i think the shifter might not come through the stock hole...but id say its worth it. oh and go 9" all the way. so much stronger than a stock 8.8 i think some pics are in order here as well...sounds like a badass combo

 

[jjjjjgrant]

shifter location depends on what toploader you get, if you have one out of an early mustang it should line up in the stock hole. fairlane or cougar will also work, but galaxies and some of the other big fords have long tail shafts. its strange, all the early mustang guys are putting tremecs and t5's in their cars and you guys are putting early stuff in fox bodies. Toploader is definetly stout, behind that big block, it would be wise to find a big input spline toploader. another thing to consider is what you plan to do to stiffen up the body, a built 460 will overpower the stock fox body chassis, especially with a manual trans.

 

[krallman]

im mostly interested in the linkage how that will work out. But what are you wanting to do with the car. Most likely the strip. Its hard to say. Do you think you could be consistent and as fast with a four speed as you could a c-4 or 6.

 

[Modular2v]

c4 is not going to stand up to a bb as well as a c6 but the c6 is a power sucking machine

 

[krallman]

a well built c-4 would last you a while i think ive seen it behind some pretty powerful stuff. Its a hell of alot better transmission than the aod and look at some of the stuff its behind. But you could always put in a powerglide or a th-350. Theyll hold up to anything. I dont if you'd wanna go with a gm transmission. but i know they make adapters for big block fords.

 

[65ShelbyClone]

by the way the car is a '89 coupe with a SVO turbo 2.3 and an automatic. engine was swapped b4 i bought the car. ive bought the 429 and engine swap kit already.

I'd consider taking that SVO engine off your hands.....

The Toploader would be my pick if my only options were that and an automatic. However, I'd look into a used Tremec before a Toploader if this is going to be a street car. There won't be a large difference in price. I have a Toploader and it does about 3000rpm at 60mph with 3.50 gears and 25.6" tires. That would be a lot rougher with a 7.1L gas guzzler

 

[bullitt774]

wow! thanks for the replys guys.

well as far as what kind of driving im gonna do, it will mostly be street ( killing all the rice in my town) and maybe 8 to 10 times a year at the "track". the olnly thing that scares me about the 5-speeds is will it hold up to the torque and HP if i run a bottle on it later?

and the frame connector with the seat stiffeners are in the basement waiting to go in.

ill look into the trans a little more and see if i can find a toploader out of a 'stang or cougar.

this place it the BOMB!! thanks again guys and please keep all the info comming. oh, and if its OK with the "founding fathers" of 'Stangnet i'll put some pics on here when i get the project of the ground.

Remember..... DRIVE IT LIKE YOU STOLE IT!!

 

[jspagna1]

With a BB you want to go with a C6 and at least 3000 stall. Automatics are more consistent at the track and you won't break as many parts $$$$$$

 

[65ShelbyClone]

He'll also lose 25% of the crank horsepower power to a C6. A TKO600 will cost more than anything but a T56, but it will also handle the torque. The lighter the car and the worse the traction, the easier it is on a transmission.

 

[bullitt774]

65Shelbyclone, are you serious about buying the engine out of my car? 'cause if you are that would be one less thing i wont have to worry about trying to sell. now then i do know the trans slips a little. well, at least thats what the previous owner told me. i havent drove the car at all so i cant tell u anything about the trans for sure. BUT, the motor sounds great and starts up with no smoke or grinding on the starter. good compression and theplugs look REAL good in it.

and the toploader is out of a '68 galaxie big input and 31 spline big output.

can anyone show me where to look for the gear ratios in that trans? or does anyone know off the top of theie head what they are. i need to know to maybe choose a different rear gear ratio than the 4.30's in it now.

thanks jeff

 

[thumper460]

the long shaft on the TL from the 68 might be an issue when looking for shifters... there are a few toploader Fox bodies out there!! You will need a Scattershield for the trans.. and your rocking...

Just me..............................

Thumper

 

[bullitt774]

how u mean? like will it be too far back in the trans hump or just FINDING a shifter?

 

[bullitt774]

and also im having trouble finding out what the codes mean on the side of the transmissions. maybe someone knows where i can look.

BTW, you guys are better help then the guys on Monte Carlo SS forums!!!!!

 

[65ShelbyClone]

65Shelbyclone, are you serious about buying the engine out of my car? 'cause if you are that would be one less thing i wont have to worry about trying to sell. now then i do know the trans slips a little.

and the toploader is out of a '68 galaxie big input and 31 spline big output.

can anyone show me where to look for the gear ratios in that trans? or does anyone know off the top of theie head what they are. i need to know to maybe choose a different rear gear ratio than the 4.30's in it now.

thanks jeff

1. I would only want the engine, not transmission(especially if it slips)....but that all depends on how close you are to Los Angeles County, California. I'll drive 100mi or more if the price is right. If you're out of state, the shipping will kill me.

It's possible your Galaxy bigshaft Toploader is a close-ratio which makes it fairly uncommon. David Kee Toploaders has tons of identification info. Being from a Galalxy, it will have the less common long tail housing/tail shaft/shifter.

Of course we're more help than the Monte Carlo guys! We deal with Fords, not Chevies!

 

[thumper460]

Look on the side of the Top Loader.. there is a tag on there.. it will say something like " RUGH " or "HEHP" give that number and I can tell you what you have!! The BB TC ( "TC" is Fords name for "Top Cover" as the othere 4 speed was the Borg warner side cove trans) Has a big input shaft also!! IF you have the Big input and the Big out put shaft.. the trans is what they used to call NASCAR !! It is bullit proof ( I run one behind my 544 NOS Tunnel ram BBF in Thumper) and yse, it is the close ratio! 2.32 first gear.

The long tailshaft puts the shifter location too far back ( there are shifter mounting holes drilled and tapped on the tail shaft)!! Also the standard TC is good also.. and most of then are a 2.78 first, better for launch and small blocks!
Get those numbers to me and we will tell you what you have... cool??

Just me.................................

Thumper

 

[bullitt774]

65shelby, i live in the northeast corner of missouri about 100 miles north of St. Louis, soooooo thats way to far and you're right it'll cost too much. if u want it bad enough maybe later this summer ill take the family on a small vac. to CA. u know kill 2 birds wit one stone.

here are the tag letters

RUG-V
RUG-E2
RUG-GL
RUG-AU
HEH-CL

how much should i expect to pay for a GOOD TL with the right ratios?

thanks for the help

 

[thumper460]

RUG-V......68 Pass 428
RUG-E2... 67 Mustang 289
RUG-GL.... 67 Pass 428
RUG-AU....70-71 Fairlane/ Montego 429
HEH-CL..... 66 Fairlane GT 390

Hope that helps... you know how to get the first gear ratio, yes??
The BIG input and big output are high dollar units!! ALL the internal parts interchange... SO as far as strength, all the gears/ cluster/ bearings are the same!! You cam use the long shaft with the short shaft pieces and vis versa!!
LIBERTY does a killer mod to the gears for their Pro-shift !!

Just me.............................

Thumper

 

[bullitt774]

U THE MAN THUMPER!!!!!!