engine and drive train setup

[chargedup68]

Looking for advice on drive train for my 68 charger.  I finally have the body completed and saved up enough to tackle the what makes  the car go, stop, and suspension.  I have decided to update it to either the RMS or XV motorports front and rear suspension as well as some big brakes.  The 318 that came with the car is long gone and I am looking to go with a stroked 440.  The car has an 8 3/4 and I have a RB 727 core.  I believe I can fit 295/45/18in under the back without cutting anything.  I am looking to build something that can go fast in a straight line as well as around corners and can go down the highway at 75mph without spinning 4000 RPM.  I was wondering what suggestions you all may have as far as rear ratio, the feasbility of swapping to a Tremec 5 or 6 speed and stall speed if I stick with a 3 speed auto.

[WHITE AND RED 69]

For the transmission it depends on how much you are willing to spend? To get at 75 mph with decent RPMs on the freeway you are going to need something with more gears or an overdrive. Keisler has 4 speed auto but at a cost of about $5-6 grand. Swapping to a manual 5 or 6 speed would probably be in the same price range, but remember that you will have add a new clutch/brake assembly and have to modify the trans tunnel to make any of these fit. Another option that will use the 727 is to add a gear vendors overdrive. It replaces the tail shaft of the 727 and allows you to split each gear. The gear vendor unit is about $2500 bucks. So it all depends, if you price out rebuilding the 727 and adding the gear vendors you might be close to the price of a new keisler or tremec trans?

As For a gear ratio, if you stay with the 727 go with a 3.55. It will help keep the RPMs lower on the freeway but still give you a decent performance. But if you go with something with a 5 or 6 speed you could go with a 3.91 as still have great freeway gears. I run a 727 currently with 3.55s and on the freeway at 65 mph I'm right around 3,000 RPMs. I'm hoping when I add the gear vendors to mine I can cruise at 80 mph at 3,000 RPMs.

[Cooter]

Gear Vendors OD= About $4000.00

Keisler/American Drivetrain/Tremec/etc. Manual OD 5-speed= About $5000.00

Having your cake and eating it too.... Priceless?

[chargedup68]

Made a decision on the transmission and bought a Tremec TKO 600 conversion kit.  .64 OD so I can run the tall gears.  Have my cake and eat it too!