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Originally Posted by astroracer

To address the question you had in another thread, the powerglide you have behind your 6 cylinder will NOT be capable of containing any stout small block or big block. No. You will have to have a transmission built that will stand up to a large amount of torque without grenading. A TH400 at least, better yet a 4L80E with the overdrive to make the car drivable on the street.
Mark

I'm not saying that it's the right choice for a build, but the old powerglide can indeed be built to handle the horsepower and torque. Here's just one of many articles pointing out the specifics of building one for rugged service - Powerglide Transmission Build - Building a Two-Speed Trans for Our '95 Camaro Drag Car - GM High-Tech Performance Magazine A quote from the article tagged here,

At the 1,000-plus rear-wheel hp level, the only two GM transmissions that are up to the task are the three-speed TH400 and the two-speed Powerglide. "Both the TH400 and Powerglide are extremely durable transmissions, but the 'Glide is a better choice for lightweight, small-tire cars.