I think I may have found a reputable transmission builder for my 71 Skylark. My dilema after telling him of my fiasco with my 2004R is that he is recommending I go with a 700R4. I know the change requires moving my cross member, shortening my drive shaft and getting an adapter for the rear of the motor but are there any REAL pros and cons. Price is the same for both units with lock up torque converter but I have to pay for the extras needed to put the 700R4 in. So its basically $1450 for the 200 vs $1700 for the 700 plus the install.
It depends on what rear gear you have, if you already changed to a 3.42 or numerically higher gear then the 200 would be a good choice. If you have a 3.23 or numerically lower gear then a 700 would be better choice to match the rear gear. GL Derek
My rear is 3.73. I was told the 700 is a better choice by the builder because its beefier but obviously I am already set for the 200.
What happened to your 200-4R? A good builder can make one live through a lot of power. Plus it is a lot easier and you've already got it all lined out for a 200-4R.
I would do another 200r4 they are fine trans especially for your power level and use.... I see no reason a 700 would be a better option. If you do go with a 200 then consider having the shop supply the core so they have no excuses...
200R4 with that gear would be a better choice, but you might want to shop around on trans shops though, like a Buick engine you need to find a shop that specializes in building performance O/D transmissions. I had to look at some of your posts to try to figure out what engine you are using in front of the trans, I see its a sbb so you can try looking at Bow Tie Overdrives and see if you like any of their 200R4s. GL Derek
I'd go with the 200. The cross member will move back the same amount with either trans. 200R4s can be built to handle 500 HP easily. Gran Nationals come with 3.42 rears and 200R4s. I have a GN and a 69 Firebird with a 200R4. I know a guy who has one in a 61 Catalina 389 3x2 and it works great.
Another vote for the 200-4R. I never cared for the gearing in the 700R4. The steeper 1st gear is great for a pickup truck towing a trailer but I never liked the bigger rpm drop to 2nd gear. I've had the GN trans in mine for 7-8 years now, which was used when I installed it, and I've put some hard miles on it including 115 passes down the dragstrip.
OK looks like I have found a local builder to make me my HD 2004R for $1450 with the converter. Only problem is that he gets his converters from a Company called Force Tech and the most stall available for the 12" converter is 2400. This guys states that building a converter in the 12" style to handle any more stall is looking for trouble. He also stated that based on my specs the 2400 would be fine because its a quality unit and I have gotten used to crap. Opinions? The trans company is called Fourth Gear Inc www.fourthgearinc.com
I'd go for it that cam will do good with that converter. And if anything fails he's local. Heck you might open the doors for other local members
I couldn't get that website to open. Does this builder have any customers you could talk to that are using one of his 2004r builds? Does he have a list of what parts and upgrades he puts into his build? Plenty of info out there. Oh and x3 on the 2004r. Better on almost every respect than a 700r4.
2400 will be a little tight for the 284 cam you have but may not be too bad... Ask him if he will still warantee the trans if you use an aftermarket converter of your choice?
Yes he does and yes I did this time around but all were 700 R4 buyers which he pushes. I bought the last 200 core he had. Seems not many good cores around. If you Google Fourth Gear Inc., Eustis FL you will see his site which is basic. I asked him earlier to see if the converter builder could squeeze at least 2500 stall out of the 12" unit as when I go to a smaller one it gets mighty expensive and it is not recommended.
Head on down to your local recycler and hit the Cadillac section. You want one with nice red fluid. Get the tv cable and carb brackets, and the torque converter to use as a core. You want one with the AA code on the pass rear tag(pic above). You need hard pump rings, hard stator support, and a hard sun shell. Have him put in a .500 boost valve, a larger reverse boost valve and the good 700r4 spring. Also a stiffer pump slide spring. I used the jakeshoe vb and vb plate mods. Also, you need a 694 or aftermarket 2nd gear servo. Have him do a carbon band and red direct clutches. Most important is getting the clearances set correctly. Close isn't good, it was like that from the factory won't work either. It needs to be according to the specs or it won't last long if you put some power through it. Some of the selective washers have become hard to source but there are ways around that.
Thats exactly where I got my transmission from and I always dealt with Danny the owner. Unfortunately, in my case from not long after had bought the unit until it crapped out, things never worked right and Danny always blamed my issues on somebody or something. Sad part is that he and his guys were the only ones who with the exception of install ever touched the internals of the tranny despite his assertion someone must have when I lost the proper shifting of gears and he had to replace parts. My car went to Hudson FL more than I chose to remember so the Trans Depot could fix whatever problems I had without voiding the warranty. In the end when the tranny crapped out I had more than one person go and see my car at the same shop to see if my unit could be salvaged. Unfortunately I was told by everyone that the parts used to build the unit were substandard and that the unit was NEVER built as advertised. I could get more specific but at this point its water under the bridge. There is a reason his corporation named has changed so many times over the years. I took a chance and paid for it. I hope you have had better luck with your unit.
