been thinking about this for some time. Opinions please. Talk me into it or out of it. I have a th350 now and really like the easy swap idea. I would opt for a full manual valve body so the up shift and down shift are not a concern.
I am worried about it holding up. I dont drive it hard, but with 450ish torque? I see a few 200r4 problems in the threads.
Be prepared to pay 2000-2500.00 to really beef it up. The biggest strain for the transmission will be Heavy Car + Big Torque + Perfect Traction. Spinning the wheels is actually less stressful. It's when you hook it up.
I am putting a 2004r in with minor upgrades behind my <300hp mill and I beat the heck out of my car so we shall see how it holds up:3gears::laugh:
They came in b/c cars from the factory bolted to engines making under 300 horses. They also came in g-bodies making 300 horses. If you have a heavy car or more than 300 ft-lbs than expect at least a mild performance build. If it's a big block in a drag or heavy car than expect a full billet build.
I have a 200-R4 in my 53. I posted the problems I had and I babied the hell out of it. It works good now but when it pukes I won't be putting another 200-R4 in it. 400 with a gear vendor or 4L80E will be next. Bob H.
Take the time to research your choices. (Re: 200r4 Should i?) Dear Brian, Larry and V-8 Buick members, Well, I went this route - so I sure won't talk you out of it!! :laugh: I'm "supersizing" the engine in my 65 Buick Special with a big-block Buick and then putting a 200-4R behind that. The tranny in my car is also a TH350 so I also was seduced by this. However in my surfing the V-8 Buick wisdom I also came across the advice echoed by Larry: I did a lot of searching for someone to harden my 200-4R. After seeing a number of favorable reports from V-8 Buick members, I went with CK Performance: http://ckperformance.com/. They aren't cheap and they aren't quick either. I ordered my transmission in early June and I'm still waiting for it. However, the engine isn't ready easier so no biggie. If want to go this route, definitely check on what others have done. There are a number of people hardening these transmissions. Some seem reputable, but there are "gotchas". Others really seem "fly-by-night." Before spending any money, try to make sure other folks have been happy with their products. Of course you can consider something like the 4L80E. But even these need some hardening. There isn't a transmission in production today that can handle the torque of a big-block Buick engine! :3gears: After reading everything, that's why I stuck to the 200-4R. Enough Buick fellows have managed to get this combination to work if the transmission is truly hardened enough. Cheers, Edouard :beer
I went over to the turbo buick web site. Did some reading and there are a few good builders they use. I ended up with a extreme automatics.:TU:
I absolutely love my 200-4R. My brother and I cruised all day and into the night yesterday and he said if he ever builds another hotrod, it is going to have an overdrive transmission. He told me many stories about how brutal it was trying to drive any distance to a car show in his car and he would not even think about driving 80 miles to the drag strip with his 4.11 gears. He had to borrow a trailer. I've got 3.90 gears and we were out on the highway cruising 75 MPH at 2600 RPM. I am very happy with it.
I have a mild 455, headers, B4B and 3.73 gears. I absolutely love the 200-4R I had built by a local guy in Hodgenville, KY that John Osborne put me onto. It shifts nice and docile when just putting around town and turns 2200 RPM at 70 MPH. But get a little aggressive with it and she'll rip second and third just like I remember my turbo 400. I would definitely get your TV cable lined out before you do anything. I had to have a spacer between the carb and B4B to clear linkage and allow the TV cable linkage the correct alignment. Also, shiftworks.com makes a kit that will fix your console shifter issues with little or no problem. Bolted on right up and and had it adjusted to get P - 1st with no issues. Neutral safety start/backup light switch was a bit of a pain. Had to build one out of a GN switch with my old NSW backing plate as a mount. The lockup torque converter is sweet, too! I stall at about 2200 so at 70 it is still turning about 2600 +/-200 until it locks up and then it drops to 2200 on the nose! Nothing better than having a theoretical top end north of 160MPH!
See if you can find a copy of the March 2009 of Car Craft. There is a real good story on the 200-4R. Art Carr swears by them and points out the advantage of the 200-4R over it's 4LE and 700-R4 counter parts. He builds them to with GM off the shelf parts to survive behind 1000hp blower motors in a Chevelles. I'm putting one in my 67 and changing my rear to 3:42s, now my 210 hp 300 isn't a killer but it sure will be nice to get some bottom end and still cruise 70 mph and spin around 2200 rpm. Also it's the same length as a 2 speed or a turbo 350, it has a lower first gear than the others and it has the Buick bolt pattern so adapter required.
Yes I am sure he does. One of the biggest benefits to this transmission is its versatility and the fact that it is pretty much a bolt in for A body cars and the dual bolt patter bellhousing means it will bolt to any GM mill
I picked up mine on Saturday. I'll go thru it over the winter and it goes in with the new front suspension in the spring.
