Meadow Brook Concours d'Elegence Winner

M

MK IISS

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The July issue of MUSCLECAR ENTHUSIAST Magazine has an article on a '62 BelAir Sport Coupe 409/409 which was the Best In Class winner at the 2005 Meadow Brook Concours d'Elegance.

The owner claims '62 BelAir Spt Cps used the '61 body because Chevrolet had quite a few '61 bodies left over and they wanted to us them up. He also stated only the 409 4spd transmissions had an alum case. The 327s were iron.
 
real61ss

real61ss

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 8
Well, I think he's right about the transmissions but I don't know about the bodies. I do beleive that Chevrolet designed the Bel-Air using the 61 top to use up left over roof panels.
The 1961 409's had aluminum cased transmissions, (this was the first use of this transmission in a big car) all other engines used the cast iron transmission.
 
M

MK IISS

Guest
aluminum case 4-spds

Tommy:

I knew about the '61s but I always thought the '62 327s had alum. cases also. I guess I'm thinking about the Powerglides. I can remember servicing '63 327 4-spds while working for my Uncle (dealer) and I'm sure they were aluminum by then.
 
real61ss

real61ss

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Supporting Member 8
Richard,
I'm not up on '62's at all but it's my thought that so far as aluminum verses cast iron, I think the '62's used the same transmissions as the '61. (409's got aluminum, others got cast iron)
As for the '63's, they used the BW transmissions until spring of '63. In Feb. of '63, Chevrolet started switching to the Muncie transmissions and of course, they were aluminum. My '63 has the Muncie transmission, it was on of the first cars to receive the new transmission. The Baltimore plant was the first to install the Muncie transmission, my car was built in Baltimore the same week they received the first shipment of Muncies.
There's a tall skinny grey headed old man up in NJ that can set us straight on this (and he probably will)
:roll
 
M

MK IISS

Guest
Tommy: That's what is so great about this forum.. You learn something new everyday. My problem is for everything new I learn, I forget something else.
 
Tom Kochtanek

Tom Kochtanek

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 13
T-10 tails

Am I correct in saying that even the cast iron BW T-10 from 1961 had an aluminum tail section/casing? Were those first four speeds (I think around 1959 in the passenger car, maybe earlier for the Corvette?) also carrying aluminum tails?

I have several T-10s, from 1961, 1962 and I think 1963. The first one (1961) sat behind a 348, the second behind a 409 in a '62 bubbletop, but I'm not sure about the 1963 casing (as to its origins). Plans are to use each one of 'em, just need lots of time to make cars that wrap around them :).

Cheers,
TomK
 
real61ss

real61ss

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 8
Tom,
The '61's had aluminum tail housings, I don't know about the earlier ones. I've never seen a 4 speed that didn't have an aluminum tail housing but that doesn't mean they didn't make'm.
 
M

MK IISS

Guest
Borg Warner T-10 4-Speed Tailhousings

According to A. Colvin's CBTN, the tailhousings, going back to 1957 on the Corvette and 1959 on the passanger cars, have been aluminum. The first year for the 4-speed in the full size Chevrolet is "officially" 1959 but some claim a few 1958s had factory installed 4-speeds. I'm unsure if anyone has ever backed up the '58 claim with documentation.

Kerbeck Corvette..."Worlds Largest Dealer"...claims their 1958 Impala is a factory built 4-spd car.
http://www.kerbeck.com/kerbeck/kerbeck.nsf/Kerbeck_Collection
 
W Head

W Head

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 12
62 - 4 speed trans

Guys, I purchased a 62 SS new in Dec of 62, (300 HP 327) it came with alum trans. I ordered it in Sept but BW was on strike and did not receive until just before Xmas.

W Head

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

oldskydog

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 10
The only T-10 I've seen with a cast iron tailshaft housing is a super T-10 with a late 71 casting. It is all cast iron and it is heavy. I don't know what it originally came out of but I picked it up at the Turlock Swap meet last January for a whopping $40.00. Couldn't pass it up.
 
M

MK IISS

Guest
Tom:

According to my info the T10-1B (the one on ebay) was used from 1959 to Jan. 1961. It was replaced by the T10-1C which has an alum case and was used in 1961-62 Corvettes, 61-62 409s and '62 327s. Early 1963 409s, 327s and Corvettes used the T10D-1 which was replaced by the Muncie starting in Feb. 6, 1963. Some cars built after Feb. 6, '63 probably still had T-10s installed until the supply was used up.
 
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