I just read that saginaws came on SS's is that corect? I thought only Muncie's came in SS's What gives?

I was told by a few guys that the muncie was an option.If not ordered you a saginaw.

The 327 275hp cars that I knew all had Saginaws. The 300hp 350 and up got the Muncie. The Saginaw didn't last to well even behind a decent 327.

When i was a young buck i had a 69 velle with 350/300hp q-jet with 331 posi rear and installed a saginaw 4spd..

I abused it with many clutch drops and speed shifting with foot to floor while rowing through the gears and it never came appart.

I sold it to my friend and he drove it for a couple more yrs with a little less abuse with no trany problems,then he sold it but i lost track of it after that.

If you have a saginaw thats in good cond it will take more abuse then you think it could but again thats with a stock 350/300hp motor not a 396 or 454 with 100 more hp & 100 more lbs trq,thats a different story.

Scott

My Chevy By the Numbers book says that the Saginaw transmission was only used with engines rated less than 300hp.

I'm with Scott about the durability of a Saginaw. It's a much better transmission than its reputation would have you believe. The gears are weaker than a Muncie, but it has a cast iron case which is less prone to flexing that the Muncie aluminum case. That at least partially makes up for the weak gears. That being said, it will break if abused with a 300 + hp engine. Then again, an M20 or M21 isn't that tough to break with a strong engine, either. I broke an M21 with a 327 running snow tires on dry pavement. That's not exactly a set up which hooks up strongly.