FI with 3.70 rear end and a close ratio best?

[Bill M.]

Re: FI with 3.70 rear end and a close ratio best?

Remember the close ratio gearbox was primarily produced for SCCA type racing, where acceleration from a dead stop was not important. Barry Holmes

Barry:

I agree with the SCCA racing part, but for a different reason. Having equally-spaced gear ratios allows a heel-and-toe double-clutch downshift to be executed exactly the same for all downshifts. It is the kind of elegant, thoughtful, hard-core-endurance-racer design I expect from Zora!

Bill

[Michael H.]

Re: FI with 3.70 rear end and a close ratio best?

Barry:

Having equally-spaced gear ratios allows a heel-and-toe double-clutch downshift to be executed exactly the same for all downshifts. It is the kind of elegant, thoughtful, hard-core-endurance-racer design I expect from Zora!

Bill

That's a MUCH better explanation. A close ratio has the same equally spaced shift/RPM points on upshift and downshift.

Tuesday night, about 11:00 PM, the temp was in the low 80's and I had the 425 HP 66 out for a cruise on the back roads. Top down and exhaust through GM off road mufflers. Pulling away from an occasional stop sign intersection, then back to 65 MPH, my upshifts were all at the same RPM. (about 3500) The RPM drops about the same amount between shifts. THAT is beautiful music.
Hard to explain... ya had to be there.

With a wide ratio, that music would be completely "off key".

The guys with the close ratio transmissions know exactly what I'm talking about.

[Ian G.]

Re: FI with 3.70 rear end and a close ratio best?

Thanks Bill, Micheal and Stewy! Those are the kind of explanations I'm looking for

I don't want you guys to tell me what I should like, but never having driven an old car like this (where there are so many choices for the drive train), and keeping in mind how expensive a mistake will be, I just want to know what it feels like to drive it with the wide vs. close so I make an educated decision. It sounds like the close ratio is the way to go with the 3.70.

Thanks as well to everyone else regarding when you'd use a wide ratio. I just plan to stick with the 3.70 for now. It seems that the wide is best rearends below 3.70.

[Ridge K.]

Re: FI with 3.70 rear end and a close ratio best?

Thanks Bill, Micheal and Stewy! Those are the kind of explanations I'm looking for

I don't want you guys to tell me what I should like, but never having driven an old car like this (where there are so many choices for the drive train), and keeping in mind how expensive a mistake will be, I just want to know what it feels like to drive it with the wide vs. close so I make an educated decision. It sounds like the close ratio is the way to go with the 3.70.

Thanks as well to everyone else regarding when you'd use a wide ratio. I just plan to stick with the 3.70 for now. It seems that the wide is best rearends below 3.70.

Sounds like a good conclusion Ian, and I know you will love the performance of your '59 fuelie.
As stated many times before, there are many opinions about what's best. In reading posts for many years, on many forums, those who like close ratios often sell tham as "the best". Those who like wide ratios, sel them as "the best". Who's right?.....probably both. It's whatever a person is comfortable with, and/or has the most experience with.
I know this, I've never gotten out of a vintage Corvette and thought "nice car, but ****, what a lousy shifting sequence. If I ever do, would one of you fellow members refer me to a clinical psychologist.
Ridge

[Paul Y.]

Re: FI with 3.70 rear end and a close ratio best?

Thanks Stewart and Ian, When I put the first 80k miles on my fuely, it was all done with a wide ratio transmission. When I restored it and put the right Muncie in it, I had a bit of intrepidation. I also had a 3:70 in it for the first 20-30K miles. It got me in trouble. So when I started driving it again this April, I was pleasantly surprized by how well everything worked. Of course my tune and injection is set up well and I took Duke's advice on the modification of the ported vaccum advance. Duke, I will never look back on the old ported as you were right as rain. I am quite happy with the complete package working well for me and what I use it for. Stewart, I do think that most people do not drive their cars much. Several of the midyears that show up at the cruises won't take there car out of the city. Seem kind of a waste of a lot of fun. Anyway, whatever you like will be the best for you.

[Mark P.]

Re: FI with 3.70 rear end and a close ratio best?

Ian - if you ever want to PV your car then you need the close ratio, right ?

Mark

[Ian G.]

Re: FI with 3.70 rear end and a close ratio best?

good point