Powerglide Out Turbo 200 In Jack "the Captain" McCarthy

[bill dedman]

The first guy to threaten to sue (discrimination) NHRA over this issue will likely be the first one to gain legal status for this deal.

Voluminous, legitimate, technical info exists to validate claims that it's REALLY a 3 speed. I don't believe NHRA would want to go to court to fight it (especially,since it can't make them any money!)

Remember the Ford C4/FE motor bellhousing flap?

'nuff sed.

Never saw a Dynaflow with a LOCKUP converter.... but, that is probably just my swiss cheese brain at work,

[dahkahuna]

the Dynaflo of which I refering wasn't a mechanical clutch I just mean't that the turbine fins returned back to the regular position and worked like a normal convertor. The Turboglide was listed as a option for $50 over the powerglides.Although the Turboglide enternal workings are more similar to the Jetaway hydramatics, or 4speed Hydros using planetaries instead of bands and clutches, it still was 3 speed auto trans. If you put the shift lever in the GR posistion and left the starting line it would launch just like those old Hydros and Pontiac Jetaways for the first 10 feet HANG ON but once you moved the lever to Drive you had no control over the UPSHIFT. .....NHRA allowed those C-6 with 904 internals and C-4 replacement of cast iron cruisamatics, and Mopars used the same 904 stuff in the 727, If they disallow the GM guys the use of the Jeep 904 with the chevy bellhousing, because of the corporate rule all these years, why now with the Superstock Rule on 3 Speeds can they still discriminate a actual documented reality trans even for such a small number of guys who would really benefit from this ..IT MAKE NO SENSE, but common sense isn't THE NHRA'S strong point. You know its who you know not what is correct.Mopar and Ford has always paid to get the advantage over GM...the Shelby Mustangs were just allowed ,nobody ever had that combination running before NOW ITS LEGAL SURPRISE Ford went into there archive and low an behold poof SPECIFICATION on the lost arc. Now we proof that a TURBOGLIDE was available with documentation everywhere and its NOT LEGAL, come on Danny, Travis, Lang or whoever GET of the dime.

[Mark Yacavone]

I'm sure, if it were possible to put 904 guts in a Turboglide case and someone marketed them for $5,000, it would be legal.

As mentioned previously the 57 SB cars had the Turboglide available. I've seen plenty of them.

[alan r caraway]

Capt. Jack,
You will Never be Extinct, your like an Old Truck Driver when you think your too Old You Just Get A New Peter/built Alan

[Jim Cimarolli]

'66, '67, '68 325 hp 396 Chevelle's had either a P/G or a Turbo 400 trans.
NHRA does not recognize any of those cars with a 2 speed auto transmission even though there were many of them out there. Len Imbrogno told me himself that he had one.
I don't know why anyone would want to use a Powerglide if he could use a 3 speed, but thats the way NHRA sees it! I think any car that was available with a Turboglide should be allowed to use a 3 speed automatic transmission.

[bill dedman]

. I know from 53 (!) years of experience that NHRA avoids, like the plague, attempting to justify their position on something like this issue, but if Travis,,who sometimes posts here, could explain the NHRA's reason for disallowing Turboglides as 3-speeds, it could save a kot of people a lot of wrangling.

The planetaryy gearsets in the Turboglide have ratios that closely approximate first and second gears in a TH350/400. Third is a direct drive, like the conventional Turbohydros,

That adds up to three, in my book.

Thanks, Mr. Cim., for your input. The 396 Chevelle story is very interesting.... and, telling

[mtkawboy]

Turboglide cranks had a slightly larger pilot hole in the crank then all the others. When I was younger I built a 57 283 up that had a turboglide crank and a stock pilot bearing was too small for the hole in the crank. I had to have one made that fit. The crank later broke in half at 7000, maybe a weaker crank maybe just blew up.

[63corvette]

The chevelles info I believe is not correct. I can say fairly for certain the 396 engine option required the turbo 400 option for an auto trans in 67 and 68. Not sure about the 66. I worked at a GM dealership in the late 60's and had access to the order forms. From my recolection a powerglide was not an option in 67 or 68 in the 396 chevelles.
My 2 Cents

[Tony Janes]

Powerglide were legal for 396 Chevelles in 1966, Danny Gracia had a station wagon with one in it

[Bruce Noland]

Bill

Man, I'm glad to see you back out here - hope you're on the mend.

So what is the big deal with not allowing the intechange of these two transmissions? I'll spare everyone the list (partial list because none of us know the whole list) of bogus stuff they have accepted. This doesn't seem like a big stretch.