Thread: Trans shop in San Jose area

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Hey Guys My latest toy is an ol' school V8 Vega ex drag car that is being redone for the street. It is your basic small block with 2-4s sticking thru the hood, 60s narrowed Pontiac rear end (now that is real ol school :-) ) and a Turbo 400. I want to drive it on longer drives, so I want to swap out the 3 speed auto with a 700R4. Does anybody know or recommend a place in the San Jose area where I can drop the car and trans off, and they have the knowledge, and fabrication skills to do something like this.
I would probably do this myself, but I live in FL, the car is in San Jose at my brothers place, who does not have very much in the line of tools to do this kind of work. I am thinking about ordering a trans from Pro Built, unless there is a general consensus to go somewhere else. I am sure there are a bunch of shops that can build a 700R4 that can handle a sbc putting out about 450 hp 450 lbs of torque, but I need someone that can also build a 700R4 to go behind an 8-71 Blown 392 Hemi (built by Hemi Haines in FL) with about 750 hp so I am hoping for a bit of a price break :-)

Thanks,
Mike

Being on the east coast.. I can't help you with a shop in CA. but, I have a thought regarding the Hemi trans, ask the builder who he would use if it was his!

For the transmission, this is the guru of high horsepower transmissions
Art Carr 2004R Performance Transmission, Racing Shifters and Torque Converters

Thanks about art carr, but I need someone to do the install

Originally Posted by eticket

Thanks about art carr, but I need someone to do the install

I'd look for a good independent shop, recommended by local garages or even dealers, but you really don't need a tranny shop. You're needing a fab shop to either build you a new crossmember, or modify the one you have. Different animals, and a tranny shop will likely shun fabrication. Their bread & butter is the actual tranny work, not fabrication. Suggest you contact some hot rodders in the San Jose area, maybe via NSRA Fellows listings or something similar?

You should be able to contact many of the performance shops in that area, I am not much help on a shop but I know where you are coming from, I am in the slow process of a blown 392 to replace a blown 350 in a roadster, I have also been shocked at high hp prepared overdrives, something I think is less expensive possibly is a stout built 400 turbo with a gear vendors overdrive behind it, the 400 is usually overhauled very inexpensively and a gear vendors is 2500 bucks, so say you have 3500-4000 in the trans and overdrive, still usually less than a stout built 700r built for 700 hp, and if you have priced used trans they bring nothing but a used gear vendors gives you something that can be sold later (they hold there money) just another option, and they don't have to be bought at the same time either. Just a option

How about something like this - Hot Rod Service Company They're in Campbell, which is on the SW side of San Jose, and from their website they look like a place that could take care of your needs. You might have your brother check them out first?