Thread: 57 Chevy Cruizer

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I like the Gear Vendors for the versatility. If I were building the '57 as a purpose built, B-Ville only car I'd go a different route entirely on the drivetrain. With the different venues running the one mile course now it sounds like another fun place to go play, or maybe work in a tune up for Bonneville.....

The Vette transmission was a 4+3 Doug Nash unit.. not a bad unit either!

Sure would be kewl if they had some special deals for clubs! Thanks in advance for taking time to check it out, Roger!!!!

Dave-all I am saying is just read the links,give it a chance,then think it over.

I've thought all of this over for quite some time.... A Lenco is worthless on the street, a Liberty is fine if that's what you want.. It doesn't suit my purpose. What I want is a transmission with road race quality gearing and synchro's, 5 forward gears, and easily adaptable to the Gear Vendors overdrive unit.... Liberty makes an excellent 4 speed for road racing, and 4 and 5 speeds for drag racing but it's not what I want. The Richmond still has gears that don't howl so much they drive you out of the car, and strong enough for the horsepower I'll be running....

You've totally missed the point of the overdrive unit.....with the push of a button I can add 22% overdrive to any of the first four forward gears... Very nice versatility when coming out of a corner when it's a bit too slow for the next gear while at the same time a bit too high for the current gear.....

This will be a multi-use car, single purpose built parts won't work.....

I really see Dave's point on this one. I've had some experience with the GV units, and they really add versatility to the transmission they are attached to, along with being a very reliable unit.

As far as the cost, it’s all a matter of perspective I guess. Dave is building an over the top car to be able to do a lot of different things well. The GV cuts down the compromises that a lot of us build into a drive train based on using single purpose parts.

Thanks Mike! I've never been one to buy something because of the price if it's not going to perform the way I want it to perform! What is it Uncle Bob used to say about the thrill of a good deal being forgotten long after the quality or usefulness of a product is poor???? Having been around the GV units, I'm sure you'll appreciate just how useful that switch to a ratio half a gear higher can be!!!!! Keeping an engine in it's ideal RPM range is nice, too, along with just plain old torque multiplication that all these different ratio's can do!!!!!

The big thing to remember about planetary gear o-d are that it freewheels on decel and that might not be what you want in a road racing enviroment------not only does it freewheel in those od gears, but that F's up your braking effort as in order to get enough rear brakes for in od, you will have lock up tendancy of the rears when in any hard gear----------

Sooooooooooooo------------------not only do u have to remember the order of gears going up and down, you have to remember the braking scenario---------and most time gains on a road course are from the braking/turn in areas of the curves, not the exits to the straights

Originally Posted by jerry clayton

The big thing to remember about planetary gear o-d are that it freewheels on decel and that might not be what you want in a road racing enviroment------not only does it freewheel in those od gears, but that F's up your braking effort as in order to get enough rear brakes for in od, you will have lock up tendancy of the rears when in any hard gear----------

Sooooooooooooo------------------not only do u have to remember the order of gears going up and down, you have to remember the braking scenario---------and most time gains on a road course are from the braking/turn in areas of the curves, not the exits to the straights

Very true, Jerry. Corner entry has to be done in a straight gear and not overdrive. We played with one of these many years back on a road course, you only enter a corner once in OD and it goes right to the top of your "things not to do" list!!! So, corner entry speeds and braking become the same as any non-od car... From just prior to the apex and out, the closer split on the ratio with the od gear being selected, ie 3rd to 3rd od accelerates the car quicker. Getting out of the turn harder will get you to the next turn sooner!!!!

Same thing in a drag car with a glide and a Gear Vendors. Set one up for a friend a number of years back, instantly took time off his 60', was able to get deeper in the rear gears and therefore a harder launch and with the od on drive still maintained the same rpm on the top end....

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Very true, Jerry. Corner entry has to be done in a straight gear and not overdrive. We played with one of these many years back on a road course, you only enter a corner once in OD and it goes right to the top of your "things not to do" list!!! So, corner entry speeds and braking become the same as any non-od car... From just prior to the apex and out, the closer split on the ratio with the od gear being selected, ie 3rd to 3rd od accelerates the car quicker. Getting out of the turn harder will get you to the next turn sooner!!!!

I think I'd have to run a parallel circuit on that OD pushbutton to light an indicator lamp in a prominent place on my dash when that Gearvendors unit was engaged! I can just see myself exiting a corner tangent to the apex, with an "Oh yeah, I was in OD coming in...."

Dave, I know you've thought this thing through with some one-on-one bench racing sessions on the side and the decision is pretty much made at this point. I want to thank you for educating me on the Gearvendors unit. I had overlooked articles on them, like the one from David Freiburger singing their praises in Hot Rod (on Gearvendors web site). I'm thinking that I could have a blast with one of those and a traditional 4-speed in a cruising machine. I dearly love running the gears, and the unit's strong! I'll look forward to more insights into the powertrain you're building! Thanks!!

Originally Posted by rspears

I think I'd have to run a parallel circuit on that OD pushbutton to light an indicator lamp in a prominent place on my dash when that Gearvendors unit was engaged! I can just see myself exiting a corner tangent to the apex, with an "Oh yeah, I was in OD coming in...."

Dave, I know you've thought this thing through with some one-on-one bench racing sessions on the side and the decision is pretty much made at this point. I want to thank you for educating me on the Gearvendors unit. I had overlooked articles on them, like the one from David Freiburger singing their praises in Hot Rod (on Gearvendors web site). I'm thinking that I could have a blast with one of those and a traditional 4-speed in a cruising machine. I dearly love running the gears, and the unit's strong! I'll look forward to more insights into the powertrain you're building! Thanks!!

Already addressed it Roger, thinking it will be a light mounted off the base of the shift light....always seem to be looking at it when things are getting serious..... I was involved with a couple cars running these behind powerglides, and was amazed at the improvement in 60' times!!! If they do that much for a 2 speed, why not run them with a five speed???? I know the shift time on the od is faster then I can pull the handle for a regular gear change, too. Also, I was doing some suspension tuning on a customer's "open track" type Mustang many years back, he had one behind a Liberty modified T-10 4 speed, that shift to od out of a corner would keep the engine in it's peak torque and accelerate the car harder, I would imagine most of that is from the decreased loss of rpm between gear changes when going from a trans gear to the 22% increase in ratio of the od gear....

Dave I totally agree on buying what you need. I bought the Howards crank when everyone told me it was way more than what the end use was going to be for. But it was the comfort zone that I wanted.

Hello Ken Thrum----are you going to NHRA reunion at Bakersfield next month???????????

Dave, a buddy of mine special ordered a 199 Suburban with a stick shift and then put the gear vendors unit behind it. It was one slick piece and he loved it; used it to haul a big camper.

Originally Posted by falconvan

Dave, a buddy of mine special ordered a 199 Suburban with a stick shift and then put the gear vendors unit behind it. It was one slick piece and he loved it; used it to haul a big camper.

Everybody that has one or had one love's them, that's for sure!!!! I was going to put one on my toter, then I sold it. When I get another one the GV will be the first option I get for it!

Do think the question of how much power does a GV take to run. It came to light in on one of the links I researched for you when guys where saying a Lenco does take more power but the advantages out wt the loss. Got me wonder about the GV units.