I have a 65 Skylark with a mildly built 300 V8. I recently converted my ST300 to a TH350 and the gearing is OBVIOUSLY better than it was. I still have my 10 bolt open rear and want to convert to a posi. I'm hoping to get good launch off the stop lights but still maintain a cruising RPM on the highway. To me a cruising speed never really exceeds 80 but if I'm at 65-75 I don't want the thing winding out. I was considering 3.55's and have friends that either agree, or are so left winged 3.08/3.23 and other friends that are so right winged 3.73/3.90. Does anyone have the 300/TH350 combo with gears? Advice? Any opinions are greatly appreciated. Thanks, Matt (BCA 34303)
Matt- Nice ride! Assuming you have the original BOP 8.2 10 bolt rear, aftermarket posi units start (numerically) at 3.36 and up. That is what I plan on going with...
8.2 or 8.5? What size tire are you using. That makes a big difference as well. The small block can use all the help it can get. If you drive the car on the freeway a lot, 3.73 are out without an OD trans.
the rear end is an 8.2 (currently 2.73) and my tire size is 225/60/R14. I did the calculations for RPM's with the online tool at www.thirdgen.org. But I wanted to see if anyone out here had real life expierience with the 300/TH350 combo.
Dan, Who has the posi gears for the stock 8.2? I'm getting to the point that I'm going to begin serious work and have been considering upgrading to the 8.5 rear, but would prefer to keep the original 8.2 if a lower gear posi is available. Thanks, John
John, When I built my 64 Skylark, the only gears I could find to fit with the Auburn Posi I put in were 3.73. I would like to have a 3.36 or 3.42. If anyone knows where other ratios are available for the 8.2, I hope they post it here. Thanks, Karl Eltzroth
HotRod did an article a while back [long while] and the 3.55 gears were the best over all for street/strip. Matt uzzled:
John- Some diffential companies have their inventory mis-marked, and I was fooled. Check these incorrect examples out: 19674-010 EATON GM BOP: 1964-1971 10 8.20 28 T 3.08 & Up $442.86 542060 AUBURN 8 .2" 10 Bolt Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac (BOP) 3.36/up 28 Teeth 1964 - 1971 $ 452.50 ****These rears will not fit 64-66 BOP**** -- aftermarket gears for our "odd ball" rear start (numerically) @ 3.55. The '68-71 8.2 Buick gearset takes a different big pinion bearing not the smaller big pinion bearing used in the '64-66 8.2 BOP. The carrier is for the 3.23-3.42 '68-71 gearset & could be used in an earlier 8.2 with the right earlier gears. Sorry for the confusion ou:
I know this is JY and probably not the way you want to go, but hey its cheap. Find a 64-66 6 cyl 3 spd Nova. 3.36 gears. $50 and the expereince of draining the worst smelling gear oil (car had 140,000 or was it 240,000 miles). Replaced the original 2.56s on the lark. Made quite a difference, and the RPMs on the highway were fine, oh and that was with 235/60R14s. Jason
8.5 rear I have an 8.5 rear from a 72 skylark hanging under my hotrod and it has created tire clearence issues they are wider than the early 8.2's 64-67 i would like to find a GN housing but will probably end up cutting the housing i have losing about 3 " total just a random though here i have seen adapter control arms to mount a 68-72 (A) body rear into a (G) body WHY? couldn't ya put a 7.5 (G) body rear under a 64-67 skylark not racecar fair but strong enough for a road car and parts are availible o No: i'm just thinking out loud here but it might be posible heck anything is posible aint it?
