Tim,
This project is my boy's (ages 12, 11, 9) and my daughter's (age 4) truck. Thsy are pumped about it. I just like the idea of the floor shift versus the column shift. I am putting this truck together from several trucks. The good sheet metal truck is a '55 first series Old Navy display truck, but EVERYTHING has been cut off the frame and the truck is just a shell. I bought a '54 junker for peanuts that had no motor or bed but everything on the frame and cab to complete the project (including a nice grill assembly). The junker has a three speed attached to the torque tube, but I have no idea of it's condition. I bought a flywheel, clutch and 4-speed trans assembly for peanuts from a youngster hot-rodder. I really just needed the bell housing and flywheel, but the guy through in the tranny for nothing. Pulled the cover off the 4-speed and it looks brand new inside. Plus, he drove that truck and reports trans shifted well and drove well. My junker truck has horrible sheet metal with much rot on cab, fenders, etc. Doors are practically falling off as lower hinges have nothing to attach to. Plan is to remove junker sheet metal, install engine (from a '58) and trans assembly and put the Old Navy body parts on the junker frame. Using the 4-speed just makes a cooler truck for the kids. They never heard of a "3 on the tree", but a floor shift 4-speed they can relate to. Plus, there is some question about whether or not I have all the linkage parts for the column shift as much of the junker parts on in boxes that I haven't gone through yet. I have also read about problems some of you guys have with 50 plus year old linkages working right on the three speeds.
Here's another question for you since you answered my first: The flywheel and clutch assembly for the four speed is larger than the three speed (I am not in the garage so I don't have exact measurements). splines are the same for both trannys. Can I use either flywheel and clutch assembly or do I have to use the one that matches the trans? I think one is a nine inch and the other a ten inch, but am not sure.
Andy
