Re: First year 4-speed?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Day2_69Z</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Here goes, this came from my Dad who was affiliated with a Top high performance Chevy dealer previous to 1957 and well into the 60's. Clark Chevrolet on Kennywood Blvd. Duquesne,Pa. (Homestead area).
Mr Alvin Forsythe, owner of the dealership was a renowned road racer affiliated with and competing against Don Yenko in the late 50's- late 60's.
The 4 speed option first appeared in June of 57 for the solid lifter & upper end hydraulic dual 4's Corvettes.
Available in July as delivered from special orders only (non refundable deposits reauired) only a few were built, maybe less than 1,000 model year 1957, that said, Mr Forsythe was able to order spare transmissions anda few cars that frequently were delayed.
Moving to 1958, the transmissions first appeared (in print) as being service replacements and over the counter to the public.Rumblings of being an RPO never developed until late '58 when they appeared on option sheets suggesting hi performance use and bulletins to service departments & parts departments to carry them along with related spare parts for the upcoming 1959 model year release.
Therefore 1959 was the first official model year available for orders & stocking units. Very few cars were actually built a guesstimate would be 3,000-4,000 between body styles and engine choices (exclusive to V8's, obviously)
GM Recommended use with the bigger 348's <span style="font-weight: bold">& <span style="color: #FF0000">the 220 HP.283 4 barrel engines, but were available to all V8 cars,</span></span> again ,GM recommended a lower gear in base engines. They also recommended 'posi-trac' option.
Most 348's with the solid lifter 315 HP engines were customer ordered with 4 speeds along with a few 280 & 250 horse engines,,,not all got them as the 315's were a hushed priority for them.(GM,although not officially in racing knew most were ordered for Competition use). GM had a HD 3 Speed available for substitution.
As a side note Dad wanted to add this info as well:
In 1957 Harold Ramsey running out of Deleware won the NHRA Nationals ,he believed held in Texas (?) in SUPER STOCK running a 283 Fuel Injected 57 Chevy with a 3 speed trans.
Also 9-10 years later, around 1967 Bruce Morgan from California in a '57 Chevy was competing for the World Championship and NHRA along with Chevys blessing grandfathered in the use of GM 4 speed transmissions as back in 57 they were available as replacement, service, customer requested and over the counter purchase. Needless to say, Bruce Morgan went on to Win the Championship with a nearly unbeatable combination.
Second side note: In 1959 Olds & Pontiac were awarded use & availability to the Chevrolet developed
4 speed transmissions for the J-2 multiple carbed HP unit and the Poncho Fuelie package.
Thanks Dad !
Dad's 78, sharp as Erica's reaction times and was a successful small guy racer back then along with being a top notch mechanic,tuner,set up guy and driver. He competed throughout Western Pa.& Ohio against the top cars, teams & drivers of the day.
Nick named "Cheater Joe" by a tech inspector from Pesque Isle Drag Strip when he "Beat the Top Dog" they featured in the Event advertisements... running back to thd pits, trophy and cash in hand,1958. And again won the Finals to claim the Regional Championship in 1962.
(2 different '57 Chevy Bel airs....
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No offense to your Dad, but the 4-spd was ONLY available on 348s and the 2 FI 283s. No other 283s could be ordered with the 4-spd in '59. The std rear ratio for all 4-spds was 3.55.
Verne [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/smile.gif[/img]
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