Having recently registered my 58 Suburban, I've finally had the opportunity to do some real driving in it. I made the 50 mile round trip to Classic Parts in Riverside, MO yesterday. It was a very enjoyable ride.
That being said, with the current tires (215/75/R15) and rearend (I assume factory 3.90) I'm running about 3000 rpm at 55mph. Its loud and extremely inefficient. I would like to swap out my current 3 speed column shift for a 3 speed overdrive.
That brings me to my question. I know they were an option in many cars from the 50s to the 70s. Is there any way to narrow the search. If I'm spending some quality time in the local salvage yards, how do I know what to look for? Is there a telltale shifter or knob or something that signals there is a 3 speed overdrive under the hood?
That being said, do salvage yards pull all the engines and trannies when the vehicles come in? Is this a wasted question? Do I just ask at the office?
I haven't spent anytime in salvage yards in 20 years so I'm a bit rusty on junk yard etiquette/operations.
