I have talked over with the cam person I use about tranny selection. He said to use a dynamic out of CT, not the one in delaware, apparently they are two different companies.. Anyway..The delaware company built my converter, the dynamic trans company is apparently in CT.. anyway..
So I am going to buy that transmission.
I primarily drive this car on the street. I currently use a staple shifter (horseshoe, airplane, whatever its called) and would prefer to keep it that way, although I might be inclined to try to stuff a ratchet shifter into the console to keep it stock looking.
Problem is that the cam person says I'd be better off with a manual valvebody transmission. Right now I just play with the governor until I get the shift patterns to near correct, and live with it. I have been avoiding a ratchet shifter because I want to keep stock looks. I haven't managed to get the staple shifter to shift the way I want it to by hand when I am stressed out (ie at the track).
This means I'd have to be shifting all the time around town (or just start it in 3rd I guess..)? Seems sorta like a pain for around town.. leave it in drive and go is gone.
Also, he said he thinks there are several shaft lengths for TH400's. The one I have is a 70 TH400 (the original from the LS5 combo).
This is mated to a gear vendors OD.
Do I need a specific tranny PN, or shaft length, or something?

And what do you all feel about the manual valvebody?
I am planning to do this in january so I can think it over..
Input is appreciated..

Also thanks to all the private emails I got about my earlier questions.

If you end up changing shifters, I could take some pictures of my Quarterstick in my factory console. It turned out real nice in my opinion and gave me a lot more confidence in shifting. I had a local Race Car Shop fab up a bracket to mount it in the factory console and not cut up anything. He then also made a plate that matches the aluminum in the front to where it looks factory. Let me know.

By the way, I run a manual valvebody on the street and I don't mind it. I only drive once every week or two though. If you drive it a lot it may get to be a pain. You just have to remember to shift it down into first every time you stop(Which I do if I'm going to go all the way back down to first). Hope that helps, if you want some pictures I could try to take some tonight.

Matt

My Hughes TH400 has a auto/manual valve body. I love it. Leave it in drive and it works like a typical automatic OR manually shift it 1,2,3.

You will just need a short tail 400.

Some pictures would be great.
I'd appreciate that alot. The car shop I am using says they think I really should use a manual valvebody, but I'm unsure. I drive the car a few days a week during the summer around town, about 3000 miles or so, sometimes less, the most ever was 5k miles, depending on weather and what breaks, so on and so forth.
One question though.. Why can't you start the car off in 3rd gear?
If you have time for the pictures, that would be greatly appreciated.

Matt

Matt,what you want is a manual/automatic valvebody,as Tom described.
BTW,did you ever remove the column shift linkage so the staple shifter is easy to shift? Mine is like that-works mint.

I removed the column shift linkage, yet I still _always_ push like 1-3 or 2-N when at the track.. I just can't get the hang of it.
My question sort of goes back to Tom, how is an auto/manual valvebody (like your hughes) different than an auto valvebody shifted by hand ?
I spoke with the folks at dynamic today, and they told me whatever I want they can put it together, and they have good reviews from racers around here (although I didn't know they were two diff companies, trans and converter, sorta).
So could you explain the auto/manual a little more?
That would seem like an interesting combination, that would work great in my street/street/strip car.

Matt
Thanks everyone..!