Anyone out there with a 65 gran sport with headers have a picture of the z- bar clutch linkage, I'am having a clearance problem with the headers, I don't want to dimple the headers if i can help it. :rant:
The top Z-bar on mine actually touches the headers. Not so much that it is a problem, but it does just barely touch the header.
Hi everyone this is kinda off the subject but I have a question for Brian as he has a 64 and 65 with 4 speeds in em,I put a 4 speed behind my 65 Lark and it is a later Borg Warner and was originally a 2 speed auto of course and my question to Brian is is what trans are you using?The Borg I put in mine really runs to high in first gear,I would like to be able to pretty much let out the clutch and go and not have to rev the RPMs so much to take off,the rearend is stock and just thought you might have an idea of what kind trans and gear ratios worked well for you,Thanks........Bruce.
Bruce, your problem is your car was originally an automatic--which came with a 2.78 rear end. The manual transmission cars came with a 3.23 for the very reason you are complaining about. You need to be changing rear end gears to fix the problem--not the transmission! To further explain, the 300 v8 cars had the Wide ratio transmission (deeper reduction off the input shaft to the cluster gear) which gives a lower 1st, 2nd and 3rd gear with a big jump to 4th from 3rd. The '65 and '66 GS used a close ratio transmission (not as much reduction from the input to the cluster) which gives a higher 1st, 2nd and 3rd gear. The jump from 3rd to 4th is the same as between the other gears too. The GS cars had a 3.36 rear end gear (not much differnet than the 3.23 in the other cars), but they had the 400 engine with tons of torque and didn't need as low a gear to get it moving. If you have a GS transmission, the input shaft has 3 rings cut into the splines to indicate the ratio. It will also have "GS" cast into the tail housing right where the shifter mounts. Here are the pictures of the clutch linkage:
Hi thanks for all the info,I have a rearend out of a 65 Lark that had a 3 speed manual stick in it and I did think about putting that rearend in as I believe it is 3.23 because it is out of a manual trans car but I could be wrong, but then I think I might be running a higher rpm at say 60 mph down the highway than with my current one,which I am afraid will hurt fuel economy and be harder on my motor.That is why I was thinking of a trans with a lower first gear and still have my smooth cruising speed at 60 65.Anyway thanks for taking the time to answer as I appreciate it......Bruce.
I had a 3:55 posi earlier this year on my 65 but didn't like the final drive ratio since I use the car a lot at highway speeds. Since I don't race it, I used a Saginaw 4 speed with a 3:11 first gear (which gives you a pretty wide ratio) and re-installed the original 2:78 rear. Effortless off the line and great low rpm's at high speed. Someday, maybe I'll install an overdrive manual and then use the 3:55 gears but big expense for the trans. I'm happy with my set-up (and Saginaws are cheap and plentiful).
If you have a rear out of a 3 speed on the column car, it will be a 3.23 (they are actually very hard to come by since that gear is not made in the aftermarket for these rears). With the 3.23, you will be turning right at 3100 rpm at 70 mph out on the highway. That is the way my '65 Special is and I have put over 50,000 miles on it since I have had it, and alot of that cruising on the interstate at 70mph. In stock form (before I put the bigger cam in it), it got between 17 and 18 mpg out on the highway. Mine has the high-compression 4bbl. engine, so if you have the 2bbl engine, it will get even better fuel mileage.
I came into this subforum to post a thread with an identical title, but highly different content, so I'll just salvage this thread for my purposes. I have a 1965 Wildcat that I'm going to do an Auto->Manual conversion on. The major problem I think I'm going to have is sourcing parts for the clutch pedal, linkage, and fork assembly. Where can I get these parts? Would the z-bar from another GM car work? Also, where can I find a bellhousing that'll fit my 401 nailhead? Will I need to swap out for a better differential, as stated above?
See your other thread- Bendtsen's has the bellhousing that will use a "standard" type fork. You can find some pedals from an 65 Impala and fix them to work. You really do not want to go the path of originality. Those cars are very hard to find and parts are really tough to find. The original A-body pedals do not fit well- interference with the steering column-and the rest of the linkage is so car geometry specific its hard to imagine any way to make that work. If I were starting over on my 5-speed Wildcat, I would get an adapter from Bendsens (see Link) and a hydraulic clutch linkage from Kiesler, and a wide ratio muncie transmission or Richmond 6-speed with a low first gear; 1:1 6th-no overdrive and use the ubiquitous 3.08 rear end that is already in the car. Good Luck! Ted
pedals are on ebay i offered them up here a few times and no one wanted them or back out on them so the pedals are here Item number: 320030243646 thanks Greg
edit: double post, don't know how that happened. Well shucks, I guess I'll see what I can do about winning that ebay auction. I'd need the z-bar and linkages to the transmission, too. Would your setup fit a 65?
I'm still looking for a clutch pedal/linkage assembly if anyone knows where to locate one, or sees one on ebay. Sorry I missed that last auction =/ Wildcat1562, is it possible that that transmission is still around? Do you have any of the parts remaining?
i know where another car is at this time i sold mine all of it and the extra pedals assm there is a 65/66 skylark with stick set up and a 64 wildcat stick set up there cost is why they are there and i would have to remove them the guy wants what i can only get for them i can't work 4 to 6 hours getting everything out just to give it all away? let me know if you want me to try and you pay for my time Greg
