70 chevelle turbo 350

[chevelle289]

Im plannin on building a th350 for my chevelle. It have a 355ci motor with mild mods done to it. I would like to have the full manual valve body in the tranny to shift when i like and have full power over what gear its in. But on the other hand my brother might end up driving the car while im away at college and i dont want to come home to a blown tanny becasue he dont know how to drive a full manual . so im looking into a auto/manual valve body. Do they make a reverse shift pattern auto/manual valve body ? or just full manuals can be reverse pattern? i would like the reverse patten so i dont hit neutral and so its easier when parking and whatnot. Is it possible to run a vaccum mod on a full manual so line pressure isnt thru the roof all the time? please help me in my decison
full manual on street setup ?

[68ChevelleSS]

Well i basically have both configurations you're talking about. One in each car. Honestly I would stay with a auto/manual setup with your engine unless you plan to race all the time. In my 68 I have the TCI streetfighter TH 400 and it lets me do both. I really like that transmission because it shifts great when just going around town and will really hit hard when digging into it. You will rarely find a reverse valve body unless its a full manual transmission. Actually I've never seen one but never really looked for it either. My 72 has a TCI Competition TH400 w/trans brake (fully manual and reversed) and it will really take some abuse but is terrible to drive around daily. (some of that might be the 4000 stall) lol. I've never had any vacuum issues with either. So long story short I would go with the auto/manual that way you can stick it in drive when just cruising or pull it down into low when you need the aroma of fuel and tire smoke.

[chevelle289]

thanks, ill probably go with an auto/ manual VB, and what would you reccomend for a great shifter setup for my use, drags a few weekends outta the year and street messing around a few days outta the week? pro stick? pro rachet? quarter stick ?

[68ChevelleSS]

Out of those 3 I've only used the pro stick. i have it in my 72 and i love it for the strip but hate it when i have to use both hands to pull the little latch to go into reverse. I use a TCI streetfighter shifter in my 68 and is the best street/strip shifter i've ever used. If you're only going to race a few weekends out of the year I'd go for a more subtle shifter.

[chevelle289]

thanks for the help, really cleared up my decison

[68ChevelleSS]

No problem!

[chevelle289]

okay well sorry for this but my buudy just found me a newly rebuilt th400 free of charge , lets justt say he practically is my little brother. so would you reccomend the tci streetfighter auto/maual VB the one in your 68? or do you think hughes or turbo action would be stronger? and one more thing, so say i start off in first, shift 2nd and 3rd and then approach a redlight after at crusin speed. Will it shift down by itself everytime becasue 3rd is basically drive? Then i rachet my shifter to 1st while stoped and do it all over again?

[68ChevelleSS]

I would highly recommend the TCI. I have never used a Hughes or Turbo Action. I did have a couple of B&Ms that I roasted fairly easily. Yes, if you start off in first and shift through the gears and remain in 3rd (Drive) as you come to a stop the transmission will maintain its automatic capabilities. If you've been given a rebuilt TH400 I would stick with that. maybe throw a shift kit in it. At approximately 365 hp that TH400 will be just fine. Hope this helps. let me know what you decide. sounds like you're on the right track.

[68ChevelleSS]

Post some pics of that car

[chevelle289]

trying to figure out the whole picture thing haha