Thread: Auto or Standard in my Rod proj

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I'm building a ShadowRods steel XL27 roadster..27 body on a 32 frame with 32 Radiator shell/rear gas tank.
Trying to keep the cost down, old style basic rod, clean with some chrome but flat black enamel (cost and look).
Reman 350 chevy Hipo w/ edelbrock carb..ford 9" w 3.50 gear. 255/70 15's in back and smaller skinnies up front.
I need a 4th gear OD auto or a 5 speed manual.
I'm looking at a reman 200R4 with a .67 4th gear and a warranty or picking up a used T5 Camaro 88-96 5 speed box.
Gotta have long legs in the country side of Az...lots of legal 75 mph cruising and a 3 speed would eat me up fuel wise.
Pros and Cons or just opinions appreciated.
BTW I've never had a 'fun' car with an auto only standard so am leaning that way but in the end may be more expensive (tach, emerg brake etc).
Fire away.

Hot Rods have three pedals. What else do you need to know??

that's what I was told

Originally Posted by rspears

Hot Rods have three pedals. What else do you need to know??

I thought everyone knew that.

yeah, heard that...and flatheads too, ya'll got flatheads lol...

Originally Posted by prb51

yeah, heard that...and flatheads too, ya'll got flatheads lol...

Catfish...?

Thanks for the opinions guys and I like 3 pedals too if the money allows...anyone with experience with the auto tranny gonna speak up. Would still like a proper debate, this ain't healthcare you know.

Djv...since I was back from Vietnam before your car was made didn't know a '72 could be a HotRod...lol...jk man.

Originally Posted by prb51

Djv...since I was back from Vietnam before your car was made didn't know a '72 could be a HotRod...lol...jk man.

You sound like my father. He says it's too new and small blocks are for girls.

Crap, now I'm your old man...I don't look that old!
I've always like small blocks...tell you Dad he's overcompensating for some other issue if he's gotta bad mouth small blocks...

The car I am working on has an automatic and I'm fine with that. It is an 80 AMC Spirit with a 401. My first 68 Javelin had an auto in it but my second Javelin had a 4speed and I can say that it was a lot more fun than the auto. It basically comes down to what you want. With an auto, I can still go through the gears if I want to play and besides I do not have the extra cash to convert it over to manual. I do have an extra AMC engine for a future project that does not have a tranny at this time so who knows, I may find a nice 4 speed to put behind it. But if I find a 727 for it, I'm good with that as well because the tranny doesn't make the car; it just makes it a little more fun to drive.

If you have car body foot room and space in the frame area - three pedal it - and since it's on a '32 frame - you should be ok with the frame. Now - inside the body for foot room - I don't have enough with my larger bodied '31 with the motor setback - dammit, but on the next build.......... (does a full manual C4 auto tranny count??)

Should be enough foot room. ShadowRods 27 body has been widened and deepened to give as much room as a 32. So you sit in it not on it. It's doable for 3 pedals comfortably.
It'll come down to the dough really, not just my druthers, but my druthers will weigh the dough question if you know what I mean.
Anyone running a 350/200R4 set up? How do you like the performance, low end? Mileage? Highway cruise?

The manual should fundamentally out-perform the auto in gas mileage. But are you getting older? If you have any foot/ankle issues on your left side then you might want to consider an automatic. If you want to shift then put in a manual valve body in the auto as an option. If you really want to get tricky consider a built TH350 with a Gear Vendors over-drive unit that will give you a six speed auto.

Kitz

I grew up with a stick in my rods. Have owned my 57 chev 33 years
now, and have had 5 different motors in it. It always either had a
4 spd manual or 5 spd..I went to an automatic in the late 90ies, and
I guess it was ok, but I sold the automatic and went back to the
5 spd manual...Just love shifting those gears..