ok folks-
its been while, i know. i haven't posted since abt. may, bec i haven't had much to do with my truck since then. school kept me busy, and my truck was sitting at the mechanics alot of that time. but now that school's out, i have finally made a very little forward progress on it. heres an update, future plans for this summer, and a plea for help/advice!
since purchasing my 1963 1/2ton shortbed stepside (later 250 w/ a 3 on the tree), i have had alot of break work done. i have had a mechanic look over the engine and hook up the choke (the carb was wired open w/out a choke; real fun to start!) a new column fixed some taillight issues and cured the impossible shifting of the 3-on-the-tree. this past weekend, i spent most of saturday and sunday trying to regain reverse and first gear(!) but with the help of some good 'ol guys at o'rileys (he was even a F*rd man, to boot!) some new bushings, and a E-clip to temporarily hold the shifting pin in the shifter arm hole, its running and driving pretty durn well (for now.)
i have talked to the man who is going to do the paint and body on my '63 (he actually did some work on my daily driver car.) now all i have to do is order all my replacememnt parts, dissasemble the truck, and take it to him. (well, getting the truck home is in there somewhere. my mom says i have to have the parking brake fixed and the speedometer working b4 i can drive it home from my granparent's unoccoupied house.)
now comes my plea for help. i need comments and advice on what to do with my tranny. after spending 2 days of having the 3 speed give me hell, and knowing its not even completetly fixed, it only furthers my want for a better transmition. ive considered the whole s-10 5 speed with an adapter plate, but that gets deep in the 'ol pocketbook (which is fairly limited.) i've also thought about trying to get one of those gear vendor's over/underdrive/gear splitter units, but then i still have to shift on the dang column ( and i haven't priced one of their units yet, but im gonna guess they're not cheap.)
Just the other day, while talking to my paint guy, he said something that made me realize, what about a 4 speed?! they're alot of options, from the granny 4's that were in pickups, to the close-ratio 4's that were in corvettes (i would be somewhere in the middle.) and they can't be too expensive (like the 5 speeds) and i should be able to find an adapter plate easier.
So... any help on this topic, guys? remember, the budget is limited, but it really would be nice to get a better overall speed and lower RPM level. thanks alot!
