i can only comment on 1.thats performance automatic.their trannies are top notch.dont know about their converters.i run an edge converter that they qaurantee to be right for ur setup or u send it back.there are others though like artcarr,dynamic trans...etc.all of them are good.

 

i personally went to dynamic, gave me a tranny and converter to fit my car... havent been to teh track but on teh street it feels better already... if you do use dynamic, make sure to use dynamic racing transmissions, not dynamic racing converters, its a different company trying to sell off of the real name... the real dynamic theiur converters are called T.C.T. i believe... look em up they are putting down some of teh fastest cars in nmra and fun ford...

 

Performance automatic or dynamic, you cant go wrong with either imo. I run a Pa trans in my car right now but will be puttign ina dynamic trans soon with a brake ( got hte trans used for a great price couldnt pass it up )

Either way you will haev to "refresh " the trans dependign on how much you race and drive it. The power level you are running you will want to refresh it probably once a year imo. (I do it jsut b/c it dotn cost me much to do and i dont drive it in teh winter at all.

Performance Auto offers a nice warrenty on there stuff

 

the power you are making, you will probably be better off with a glide. I jsut bought a Trans King C4 (their Super C4) and 9" converter. For me, one of the main reasons is that Trans King is 30 miles from my house..... I haven't installed it yet.

My dad has a less than pleasurable experience with Performance Automatic a few year ago.... maybe we were just unlucky..

 

With that kind of power, Lentech all the way. Check out their site and some of their rides. Not cheap but probably best in the business from what I've read and heard. www.lentechautomatics.com

 

C4 or AOD??

Ian

 

I'm using a glide from www.btpracing.com

Excellent guys to deal with, and the transmission has been great so far.

If you're looking at going with a glide, give them a shout. Doesn't hurt. ATI, Coan, JW all make a fantastic transmissions as well.

If you're going with a C4, talk to Dynamic.

 

gonzo, with the power levels you have, a glide would be my choice or a th400 if you want to use a 3 speed. a glide is a little easier to launch but convertor selection is a little more critical. the 400 can be built to hold up to damn near any power level you want to put in front of it- my feelings are that when you exceed 800 hp i would stay away from a c4.

 

Yep...with your power level I'd seriously look at going with a glide or a th400 if you want to have a 3 speed. A dynamic C4 would probably live behind your setup..but it would need to be rebuilt every season. If you want to go the C4 route..look at what the nmra renegade guys run.

 

turbo 400 all the way, what fun is a glide on the street anyway... and a lentech good lord give me a break, their warranty is a catch, and on a 400hp combo the strip terminator wore out in like 4K miles with all the recommended supporting hardware like the cooler that had a pusher on it, the deep pan blah blah... there is a mighty mite c-4 in my stepdad's car out in the garage, went through by transking, with one of their stalls, and it seems to really work well, also a cheetah scs shifter is super nice with the 3 speed... ive heard lots of rave about the edge converters as well... if my stepdad could do it all over again hed go TH400... hell if i ever go auto thats what ill run

 

C4 or AOD??

Ian

I am not sure. Whichever can be built the strongest, yet try to keep weight at a minimum.

Keep in mind fellas, that my power levels are going to be higher this year.

I still want to be able to drive this thing on the street, so a glide is kind of out of the question. I dont know are glides that bad on the street?

I have been looking into most of the recommendations listed in previous posts. I am so new to the Auto thing, that its like starting from scratch for me.

I can "freshen" them, that wont be a problem, in fact I had planned on doing a complete teardown after every season, as I do with my engines. I consider that a cheap insurance policy.

 

gonzo, with the power levels you have, a glide would be my choice or a th400 if you want to use a 3 speed. a glide is a little easier to launch but convertor selection is a little more critical. the 400 can be built to hold up to damn near any power level you want to put in front of it- my feelings are that when you exceed 800 hp i would stay away from a c4.

Maybe you and Jeff88coupe can enlighten my noobie mind on the th400. I would like three speeds.

Is the th400 a GM tranny?

Thanx, and pardon my ignorance.

 

Yes, the TH400 (turbo hydromatic) is a GM transmission. They are stout little trannys. I had one in my 70 Monte SS.

 

There are versions of the th400 that are lightened that will take the abuse of psca's (pscaracing.com) heavy street class. If they'll take that kind of high torque abuse, they'll take a alcohol fed blown big blocks in 3400lb cars, they shouldn't have too much power with the centrifugal blower's power curve. They're expensive, but hey, at this power level what isn't. The lightened one will have less drivetrain loss then the majority of c4's too.

302 man broke his vasco input shaft on his fully built c4 several times, so that's something to think about too.

You're down to either the th400 3 speed or pg 2 speed.

 

If money is no problem and you are not hung up on overdrive I would go with a Lentech 3 speed. Len uses one in his Mav and there are a couple others with close to 1000 @ the wheels.

Ian

 

I don't have any issues with the 2 speed on the street at all.

 

I have been really pleased with the Mighty Mite M2 C4 I bought from Dynamic (www.dynamicracingtrans.com). It shifts hard, the brake is fast, and it hasn't ever let me down.

The original converter came from Lenny at TCT. He has since started his own outfit at Ultimate Converter Concepts. He did a good job for me, and really knows his stuff. (http://www.ultimateconverter.com/)

The street converter he built for me would stall to 4500 RPMs, but drove like stock. He also told me that the more torque you make, the higher it would stall-I'm sure you would want more stall than that, and I am sure he could set you up.

You are making a ton of power. Before deciding on a transmission, I would call Dynamic and see what they recommend for your power level. A c4 is fine for me, but I make 500/500 at the way outside. They may recommend a Glide or TH350 for your application.

I would stay far away from the AOD except for one thing. With a 4:10 gear and the 1:1 final drive ratio of my C4, cruising RPM at 65 is over 3000, so I don't take the car on the highway at all. It's pretty irrelevant as I don't think an AOD could reliably handle the power your car makes anyways.

A built 4R70W probably could, but they you get into the expense and hassle of a computer controlled trans (http://www.becontrols.com/).

I was a 5-speed guy for a long time, but racing became a lot more fun for me when I went with my Dynamic. I consider the automatic to be easier to work on, way more reliable, and more enjoyable to run at the track.

Good Luck

Steve

 

I run a C4 built by John Goebel. It has held up pretty well in my 3400lb mid 9 second car. But if I had it to do over I'd run a glide. If you look at the renegade and drag radial cars you will find the Glide is most popular. Your car simular to those cars as is mine. I will eventually put a glide in.

 

I agree with the suggestions listed... Dynamic, PA, ATI Trannys.... ATI, TCT, & Neil Chance converters. I can add an option on the AOD's, FB Performance http://www.fbperformance.com/ has a A03 Stage 1-2 that his rated at 900-1250. They claim it's lighter than the C4. No first hand confirmation... I'd did some rearch and talked there sales guy about a year ago... Good Luck


JC

 

Nothing wrong with a glide on the street if you wanna go that way. A built glide is pretty bullit proof, and the high 1.76 1st gear makes the car a little easier to launch on smaller tires too. A buddy of mine used to run pretty consistant 8.80's on 29.5 x 10.5 MT slicks with a glide in his nitrous'd big block Chevy Nova at 3400#'s. He used to drive on the street a little bit here and there and it held up good. His was an ATI, and if I remember right, he used to send it back for a freshen up in the winter for like $150.

For 3 speeds, I think the others may be right that at your power level you might have reliability issues with a C4. A T400 would no doubt be stronger, but they suck up more power than a C4. But still, I'd call some trans companies and get their take on it. I think all the mentioned vendors, FB, ATI, Dynamic, PA, Coan, are all great, and could definitely hook you up with a quality product. You may go through a couple of converters before you get one in there that's just right, but that's just part of the game with automatics really. Hope this helps.

 

performance automatic powerglide with a neal chance converter!

 

www.dynamicconverters.com or 1 877 846 5876. ask for sean or frank.

 

i would go for art carr transmission... c4 or aod is up to you...
c4 is good choice since it light weight and aod i read last night art carr build aod that can handle 460 engine power... so both are good choice. as for stall conv..it depend on your engine set ups.
Dynamic and Lentech will do also.

 

I want to know who is hands down the best. I dont want to have to mess around with different converters, busted trannies, you get the idea. I want someone that can recommend the best converter, and build me the best Auto for my application.

Thanx in advance.

Freddie Brown Powerglide gets my vote. It'll set you back about six grand if my memory serves me correct. James

 

I just picked up a dynamic m2 c4/pro brake for my new setup that will be making 800+ at the flywheel , possibly more when i upgrade to a bigger blower. Haven't installed it yet but dynamic claims it will handle 1000 hp no problem and also offer a hardened C6 shaft for 8 sec cars. Looking to run mid nines for now with mine.