Top loader

I met a guy today that has a 4 speed top loader tranny out of a 1965 Ford sports car (looks kinda like a cobra) but its not and its not a Mustang, it had a 271 HP 289 engine in it too, anyway he wants to sell the tranny and shifter and don't know what its worth, anyone know what kinda car it came out of? and what its worth???

Was it a Sunbeam Tiger? Wasn't actually a Ford...just Ford powered.

no it was a ford, this car was a 1965 model with a 289/4 speed

Should have taken a picture of that car...one thing's for sure though, you don't want to put that trans behind a big block.

tabcobra wrote:Should have taken a picture of that car...one thing's for sure though, you don't want to put that trans behind a big block.

True that. If memory serves me right,reverse is to right and down on Top loader,and left and up on the T10's.

sorry guy's for the confusion but the guy told me it was a ford but its not, its a 1965 Griffin with the Ford drive train, anyway the top loader came out of it and it has the Griffin shifter and linkage in tact

As I recall, Ford used different toploaders for small blocks and bigblocks. The smallblock unit is strictly that...a smallblock trans.

maverick wrote:As I recall, Ford used different toploaders for small blocks and bigblocks.  The smallblock unit is strictly that...a smallblock trans.

True, small blocks had 28 spline output shaft and the big blocks had 31 splines including the NASCAR trans. Oh, I forgot to add that some of the small blocks were also available with 31 splines. I think even the 1964's Mustangs had a 25 spline

Doug Rahn wrote:

maverick wrote:As I recall, Ford used different toploaders for small blocks and bigblocks.  The smallblock unit is strictly that...a smallblock trans.

True, small blocks had 28 spline output shaft and the big blocks had 31 splines including the NASCAR trans. Oh, I forgot to add that some of the small blocks were also available with 31 splines. I think even the 1964's Mustangs had a 25 spline

big blocks = FE's in the 60's. the bb's also had 1 1/16" 10 spline inputs and 28 spline outputs.

Thanks, I will go by there and count the splines when I get a chance, so is it worth anything???

Here is factual info on this subject. He lists the trans for the griffin/tvr. One of the best sites/ guys on the subject. Although he can be a pain to talk to.
http://www.davidkeetoploaders.com/idchart1.htm

HEH-CF 1965 TVR, Griffit 289 wide 25-1/2" trans

460pulling wrote:Here is factual info on this subject. He lists the trans for the griffin/tvr. One of the best sites/ guys on the subject. Although he can be a pain to talk to.
http://www.davidkeetoploaders.com/idchart1.htm

HEH-CF 1965 TVR, Griffit 289 wide 25-1/2" trans

He is very good at working those transmissions over as well. Plus he has a badass Falcon race car.

butterbean wrote:Thanks, I will go by there and count the splines when I get a chance, so is it worth anything???

Probably only to someone building a Sunbeam Tiger. Considering the year it was used in that car it will have the narrow 4 bolt main case.

Waaaaaaay back in the day I used a 31 spline behind my Bud Moore 351C with 600+ hp and never had any problems, it was a tough transmission for the time.

Cool, David Kee has some photos of what I am talking about with the narrow bolt pattern main case. Later cases had both.

I've only seen that on early 260/289's, finding a bell housing with that pattern would be tough.

I found him by looking for a 1-3/8 x 10 np435 input trans. He redid a 428 cobrajet powered torino 4 speed toploader for my neighbor. It looked like it rolled off the assembly line.

Doug Rahn wrote:Cool, David Kee has some photos of what I am talking about with the narrow bolt pattern main case. Later cases had both.

I've only seen that on early 260/289's, finding a bell housing with that pattern would be tough.

that small pattern came in 63-65 cars laters have the bigger bolt patterns

There's no factory bell for the early narrow bolt toploader to 429-460, but you could drill and tap a Lakewood SFI bell for it as the center hole is the same and the surface is flat where the holes need to be drilled. Quick Time uses a different mount and I don't think there's enough material there to drill for the early trans. So far my Toploader has held up well behind my blown 521, but I'm not clutch dropping on slicks either.