348 4-speed production?

[Travis Emmite]

Does anybody know how many 1960 impala 4 speed 348's were made?

[gearhead409]

i not know but i sure would like to. maybe someone with a good historical background about the 1960 chevys could answer this for us.

[real61ss]

I don't think anyone can answer that question. To my knowledge, Chevrolet didn't keep any records that would indentify these cars. The motor codes in those years only indentify the motor as having been mated to a manual or automatic transmission and so a car with a manual code could be a 3 or a 4 speed.
You can bet that there were not many cause BW couldn't keep up with demand. I can remember in 61 and 62, guys who I know had 4 speed cars on order and after a while the dealer would call and say, "if you'll take a 3 speed, I can get your car right away, if you just must have the 4 speed, it's gona be awhile".
I lot of people just took the 3 speed cause they were tired of waiting, some took the car with the 3 speed with the idea of changing it over later.

[W Head]

It was the same in 1962. I ordered a 62 SS from Capitol Chevrolet in Austin, Texas and it took 14 weeks to receive the car.

W Head
59 El Camino 348-3,2s
59 Impala 409-2,4s

[gearhead409]

i would think someone would have the numbers on how many 4speed borg warners were made for chevy in 1960 and how many were shipped to the corvette assy line and how many went to service. what would be left would have went to the passenger car assy lines. this sounds easy but probably isn't!

[MK IISS]

The only factory built '60 4-pd cars I saw back in 1960 were 348/320s and 348/335s....... we know how rare those engines were.

[gearhead409]

i don't know if Travis has one of these beast or not but i do. it would be great to know just how rare they are. along with Travis we thought someone on this site might have the numbers. like you said, all i have ever seen have been with the solid lifter engines but i think it was avil. with the 250 and 280hp engines too.

[MK IISS]

The 4-spd was available with all the '60 348s except the 305 horse.

[gearhead409]

sounds about right to me. now if we only could come up with some numbers.

[MK IISS]

If anyone has the numbers it would probably be Doug Marion.

[Travis Emmite]

I bought a 1960 348 4 barrel, 4-speed,12 bolt posi from the original owner a few years back(my dream come true!). He gave me the paperwork from when he bought it but, I thought somebody might know how many were made on this site? It needs to be completly gone through but, I finally found one!

[Mr Goodwrench]

12 bolt posi :dunno bet it didnt come with that.

[SteveD409]

Is your 4 speed cast iron or aluminum?

SteveD

[Travis Emmite]

It's a borg warner for sure. I think it is alum. but will check for sure tonight. And the original paperwork from Aug. 17th 1960 clearly states 12 bolt posi rearend.

[Tom Kochtanek]

I was under the impression that the 1960/61 Corvette got the "all aluminum" Borg Warner four speeds, and that the passenger cars for 1960 and 1961 received BWs with a cast iron casing and an aluminum tailshaft. Tommy's 1961 cars are all four speeds I think, and I wonder if they are iron/aluminum castings.

I have a 1961 BW four speed from a 1961 Impala 348 and it is iron and aluminum. I always thought the earlier all-aluminum four speeds were destined for the Corvette.

If someone knows best, please advise. At one time I knew how many iron/aluminum BW four speeds there were, I think around 7xxx, pretty sure I got the numbers from Verne Frantz :). Wrote it down somewhere, will take a look see.

I do know that the 1959 four speed is quite rare...

Best,
TomK

[Dond409]

12 bolt rears were not produced until 1964 when the Chevelle was introduced. All "X" frames had 10 bolt pumpkins style rears similar to the ford 9 inch, but not as strong.

[MK IISS]

Tom: I believe it was the '61 409 that had the first (full size Chev) all alum case 4-spds.

[real61ss]

Richard is correct, 61 409 was the first big car to receive the all aluminum transmission. My 61SS with the 348 has the original transmission, it's a cast iron main case and an aluminum tail case.

Tom, yes, my cars are all 4 speeds

[gearhead409]

i could be wrong but i thought all the early t10s were iron until the 61 409 one came out. i have a 58 t10 that is iron and the ones that are in my 60 and 61 348 cars are iron. BTW, 61 was the first year for the wide ratio.

[SteveD409]

If your paperwork clearly states 12 bolt posi then I would be a litt...whole lot...sceptical of it!

SteveD

[MK IISS]

There were 8,733 4-speeds installed in 1960 model year Chevrolet passenger (full size) cars. It accounted for .6% (6/10th%) of total passenger car production. There is not a breakdown on the 348-horsepower/4-spd combinations.

I'm not that smart....this information is from a Chevrolet Historian, who is not a former member of this forum. I forgot to ask him if I could use his name but Tommy knows who it is.

[gearhead409]

i knew someone would have the answer. thank you and the chevy historian very much!!!

[Travis Emmite]

Yep, I got excited...
I was wrong about the posi rearend.
It was put in sometime later. I checked the paperwork again and it reads:
250 turbothrust motor and 4-speed. No posi!