<VV> Five Speed Transaxles

[jvhroberts at aol.com]

FWD cars are single reduction gearboxes. Corvairs as well as most front engine, RWD cars use a double reduction gearbox where the input and output shafts are inline and coaxial. I know of no FWD trannies built this way. 
John Roberts


-----Original Message-----
From: James P. Rice via VirtualVairs <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
To: virtualvairs at corvair.org
Sent: Mon, Aug 10, 2020 10:26 pm
Subject: <VV> Five Speed Transaxles

All:  Back in 1999 there was a effort to install 5-speed transmissions in LM
Corvairs.  I remember there was much talk of them at the Lake Tahoe CORSA
Convention.  IIRC, the transmission came out of a Chevy S10 or a GMC Sonoma.


Then one application broke.  On the way to the Convention.  Clark's even
offered them for what I assume was a short period of time.

Some years later at a Performance Corvair Workshop, someone tried to discuss
them and the problems and the fixes "they " had developed.  The speaker was
obviously intimidated in front of this crowd, and could barely be heard
beyond the first two rows.  Seth eventually came to his aid.  What I took
from the session was they had solved the oiling issue and the instillation
was good to go.

Only I have never heard anything more about it.  Can anyone up-date the
story?  


Now what is probably a silly idea.  Has anybody looked into stuffing a 5 or
6 speed from a FWD car inside a 66-69 transmission case?  It is actually
huge for the power a Corvair makes.  I know it is unlikely for any to fit
w/o some serious modifications to shaft/bore locations.  But would it not be
really cool to shift one or two more times going down the road?  

Going back to the '84 Dodge Shelby Charger I once had, all the non-Corvairs
and one Sonoma pick-up we have owned had 5 or 6 speeds, except for a 95(?)
Dodge Avenger which was a 3 speed auto with overdrive.  

I had the 5 speed transaxle out of the Shelby Charger once and was amazed
how small it was.  It would have easily fit into a 66-69 Corvair 4-speed
box.

Don't hurt yourselves by falling off your chair laughing.  VBG!!!

Historically Yours,

        James Rice



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