I have a 350/350TH setup and have been trying to research the upgrade to a 200R or 700R tranny for strictly cruising. I spoke to a tranny shop someone had recommended on this site and was quoted $1200 outright for a 700R/ $ 1800 installed turnkey, warranted for 2 yrs. If I had an existing 700R trans, the tranny shop quoted me $ 950 for a rebuild. I,then, looked up a B&M Street trans, Summit was asking $ 1400.
I'd like to know the following:
Is $950 normal for a mild rebuild? If so, it makes finding my own tranny and having it rebuilt, less attractive. I think the B&M trans should have greater resale appeal, (if I could ever even think of parting with it).
Are there any other tranny shops others (in So. Calif) might recommend, especially if your have done a conversion. Any one have a B&M Street? Happy?
Thanks everyone.

Mark T.
T.M. # 328
70 Chevelle Concours Wag

check my post on this exact subject. i saved big bucks buying a guaranteed 2004r from a wrecking yard and the hassle of cutting the driveshaft. paid $175 for the tranny and the shops i called said $200 labor to convert it, but i remembered a great tranny man that had done work for me before and went to see him in person $145bucks and he seemed to know everything about the tranny im using, even the legnth bolt pattern etc. said it was no problem and i did see a conversion he did to his own pickup with a latemodel engine/tranny and it was superb so he's my man. good luck if you go 700r4 then i would just find a good used one from a wrecing yard because a shop will and can screw you on the rebuild, just tell the shops you call that you already have the tranny and you just need it converted. Im cheap yes i know but this lets me do more things in life like making $ selling golf equipt. jk

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members.aol.com/jnkb2cool/chevelle.jpg (http://members.aol.com/jnkb2cool/chevelle.jpg) John Krenn
Ft.Worth, Tx

I went to Joe's Transmission in Yucaipa CA, I also ordered the racing kit from Fairbank's to be installed in it. I can't quote the exact figures but the total cost was right at $1500. This was for a 700R4 in my 71 El Camino. I have been extremely pleased with the set up.

Thanks for the reply, John and Ken2. I'll look into those options.

Has anyone had experience with Bowtie Overdrives in Hesperia, CA.? Steve's firm apparently does about a 1,000 a year with excellent results. All they do are OD's (700's and 200's). The price is about the same as above, but they seem to take more time to dial it in. If anyone's bought a tranny from them outright, how did the install go? Any problems?

Sallee Chevrolet in Oregon sells the 4L60E for $1450. This factory GM Performance tranny will shift into 4th at wide open throttle with shift points @ 5500 rpm It has a 3.06:1 first gear & 0.74:1 over drive, 1800 stall lock-up converter, short tail shaft compatiable to the turbo 400 yoke. This tranny was designed for the early high performance muscle cars and will handle 500HP easly. The 4L60E is basicly a step above the 700R4. I've heard the 200R is a very weak tranny at best?!? Plus, no you don't pay tax (mail order from Oregon). It takes about one week to get one www.sallee-chevrolet.com (http://www.sallee-chevrolet.com)

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Cardiac,
Isn't the 4L60"E" an electronic valve body tranny. If so, I don't think that will work for me. No sales tax sounds good though!
Thanks!

BTW, thanks to all of you guys, in particular, "H5O", since I was able to avoid spending my hard earned money on a 1986 700R4 tranny. According to the advertiser, the tranny came out of 1987 Caprice Classic. He even showed me the car, but the ID plate was unreadable. Taking H5O's advice, we pulled the convertor and checked the front pump ID no., it did not have #732 as the last digits, it was #303. Another stamping showed a "12 05 85" date on the casting. It seemed that this was a 1986 trans in a 1987 car, at best.
Also, does the ID number appear on the pump at about 9 o'clock? I can't vouch for the integrity of the seller. Who knows?
A question to H5O, did your 7-17-99 reply to "700R4 transmission(posted 7-15)" mean that the #732 will show up on all 700R4's (1987-93) that have a 10 vane rotor? or the #732 is the minimum number for that rotor? Are early '87's a 7-vane, and later '87's, say, after 12-86, okay??
Finally, should I stick to Chevy only trannies maybe 1988-93 only, just to play it safe?
Thanks y'all, for saving me bucks!...time!...a headache!

correct the 4l60e is completely electronic and the pain of using a computer out of a car and getting it to work correctly geeeeee. the 2004r will hold up to the torque of a Grand national so i would think it will work (and many many people have done it) in a chevelle.