Manual or automatic... What would you do?

[Ted K.]

Re: Manual or automatic... What would you do?

I have several automatics and several 4 speeds. I enjoy driving the PG cars much more than the 4 speeds. Much smoother around town where most of the driving is done now-a-days.
I vote for the PG although it sounds like a lot of work if you are not going to have it judged.
Drive it, enjoy it. Sounds like these previous responders will never let you get it right to their standards anyway.
Ted

[Jim P.]

Re: Manual or automatic... What would you do?

Gentlemen,
Some great information here! Thanks for all the input. Looks like I have some more research to do. I'm going out to the car tomorrow and will start snooping around the engine compartment looking for clues. Unfortunately, it's a St. Louis body with a STD. interior. I knew finding a correct powerglide would be next to impossible since they are unique to the L-68. Thanks for the tip Joe. That info is of great help. All the answers are on top of the gas tank. I hope it's legible.

I'm restoring a 64 a/c coupe with a powerglide that I hope to have ready for BG and a regional NCRS this summer. I've owned the car for over 30 years and it has been a great driving car. It would be nice to have one of each!

Jim

[Patrick H.]

Re: Manual or automatic... What would you do?

All the answers are on top of the gas tank. I hope it's legible.

Jim

Not true.
As someone else noted, the engine suffix code, located on the right front of the engine just below the cylinder head, will be different for a PG car vs a 4 speed car. Just go "snoop" over there and let us know what code you have.

Here's an example of the pad and what you're looking for:

[Mike M.]

Re: Manual or automatic... What would you do?

Jim,
all good suggestions.
Does the car have the re-inforcing "X" rods on the core support over the radiator?
If the car has A/C, it would be even more valuable due not only to the low production numbers, but, the total uniqueness of the front license plate bracket.
HaND

[Michael W.]

Re: Manual or automatic... What would you do?

Jim,

I did the same trick as you want to do, I pulled the PG and will replace with original 4-speed.

As such if you ever need a PG box and related hardware (was rebuild 2 years ago) then let me know.

Mike

[Ridge K.]

Re: Manual or automatic... What would you do?

Jim, I think You've gotten some excellent advice, about acquiring, and saving the correct powerglide components, yet enjoying driving your car as a four speed.
Automatic transmissions are convenient. This is indisputable, and their popularity has been proven by decades, and decades of dominance in American automobiles. Having said that however, it's important to remember, that out of the roughly 117,964 C2 Corvettes built between 1963 and 1967, only around 11,847, (10% or so) were ordered with powerglide automatics. Those numbers speak volumes about what buyers wanted in a sports car during the 1960s. Many members of the NCRS, are those same people today, who's love of these cars never faded.
Personally, I can't wait to get my '67 big block, four speed, back on the road. I've also owned automatic transmission equipped Corvettes (C3s), and loved those cars also.
Ridge.

[William G.]

Re: Manual or automatic... What would you do?

This is my first post... I have a 67 400hp powerglide. I have decided to remove the 4 speed and go back to the original automatic. I am having problems finding information on the transmission, such as part numbers, date codes on the trans pan, if there is a unique powerglide for the L68 or information on the 3888 center carb. If anyone has these parts, pictures, advice or threads that would help me, I would appreciate it. My car is an early November build that is all original except for the trans, center carb and clutch pedal.

[Keith B.]

Re: Manual or automatic... What would you do?

William

as stated above by Joe you have most of your answers. but you should start your own thread. you would get more responses

[Joe L.]

Re: Manual or automatic... What would you do?

This is my first post... I have a 67 400hp powerglide. I have decided to remove the 4 speed and go back to the original automatic. I am having problems finding information on the transmission, such as part numbers, date codes on the trans pan, if there is a unique powerglide for the L68 or information on the 3888 center carb. If anyone has these parts, pictures, advice or threads that would help me, I would appreciate it. My car is an early November build that is all original except for the trans, center carb and clutch pedal.

William------


You're definitely looking for a "rare bird". The part number for the transmission was GM #3895728. It was used for both L-36 and L-68 for the 1967 model year. However, it was never available in SERVICE. Since it was not available in SERVICE I can't come up with any other applications. However, I expect there were few or none. Here's why: by 1967 most Chevrolet applications with large CID engines and automatic transmission used the THM-400. Corvette was pretty much the lone "holdout". That changed, of course, for the 1968 model year. In any event, I doubt that there were many, if any, other applications for 1967 that required a "HD" Powerglide.

In any event, the transmission case was the same for all of the Powerglide transmissions used for 1967. It was GM #3869187 (early) and GM #3902841 (later). Unfortunately, these are PART NUMBERS which appear nowhere on the case and I do not know what the casting numbers, which appear on the case, were. However, if you can find a 1967 Powerglide from any Chevrolet application, you should have the right CASE. A Powerglide trans expert could probably rebuild it to the same or equivalent internal specs as the original big block Powerglide.

You also need underpan GM #3831527. This underpan was also used for other Chevrolet applications over the 1963-69 period equipped with 350, 396, and 409 engines and Powerglide. It was discontinued without supercession in May, 1985.

[Scott S.]

Re: Manual or automatic... What would you do?

While I would prefer a manual, research indicates that a powerglide/tri-power combination is quite unusual. It looks like of the 5600 tri-powers built in 1967 (including the all manual 435's) only about 200 were automatic. I was planning on replacing the clutch, flywheel, bellhousing, etc. with the correct parts for a 67 but now I'm having second thoughts.

Now I'm wondering if I should just put a powerglide back in. Although perhaps less desirable, it would bring the car back to its unique configuration. The build sheet is still on the tank. That will, hopefully, tell me for sure what I have. I will pull the tank this spring.

In the meantime, any opinions? What would you do?

Hi Jim,

I am very partial to manual transmissions, so it would be an easy decision for me. In this instance, I'd probably try to acquire the correct parts (in no particular hurry) for the Powerglide, just to have them... if it turns out to have had an automatic from the factory.

But if it was me, that Muncie wouldn't be coming out of the car while I owned it. No way.

[Gene M.]

Re: Manual or automatic... What would you do?

Jim,
You do what ever you end up deciding. That is the correct decision for you. If you like the power and feel of the big block with a 4 speed keep in mind the bb will not feel the same with the slush box.