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I found a pile of old flathead trannys, which is better the 39 ford or zepher?
I am going back Saturday to pick one out, but I want to get one in good shape also one that I don't have to spend a fortune rebuilding. Are parts more readily available for one or the other?
Thanks
Oh wow, you are really digging back into our brain archives now. :) I remember they used to put Zephyr gears into early Ford boxes for a better gear ratio mix, but don't remember about using the Zephyr transmissions alone.
Figured I would give this one a bump to let some of the others get a chance to see it. Good luck.
Don
I've been doing some digging on the internet for you on this, and everything discussed using the gears only to create a more close ratio box out of a '39 Ford tranny. There was one Zephyr box on ebay that sold for $ 400, and it had 3 blown gears, so it looks like they bring fair money. Buy them both just to be safe.
Don
Sounds like a good idea if he doesn't want too much for them. I didn't get a price yet, but I'm hoping to get a 37 rear axle/the tranny/and assorted small parts all for one lump sum. He said make me an offer, so we'll see. Also I see that Speedway sells new Zepher gear sets for around $600.
Price has gone up. In '65 I bought a 39 box with Zephyr gears from Ford Parts Obsolete in Bell, Ca. for $40 and put it behind the sbc I was running in my 36 coupe.
Hasn't everything! In 75 I bought a 1966 Chevelle convertable for $275. Now they are fetching upwards of a hundred grand at the Barret-Jackson auctions.
Update, I picked up a 39 Zephyr tranny cheap, bad news is it had water in it and the gears are stuck, Main input gear is also missing a couple of teeth.
I'm soaking it to see if it will be salvageable. If not I guess I can use it when I mock up my frame. I also picked up a rear axle, was told it was a 37, but now I'm not sure. The leaf spring is curved when you look at the whole axle assy from the top like this (>- I'm guessing for clearance away from the center diff. It has mechanical brakes and a standard 5 bolt ford pattern(although axles may have been changed.
Any ideas?
'32 Ford......Quote:
Originally Posted by Ralph Moore
Well thats good, I think. But that rules out my idea to use a 40 crossmember. Now if I could find a 32 rear crossmember I'd be willing to go that way.
Thanks,
I remember, I think, that Ford gears had horizontal teeth while the Zephyr had gears on a slant. That made them smoother to shift. Or was that Cadillac LaSalle gears? :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:
The '32-'34 trans had straight cut spur gears, the later ones had helical cut. The later,'48-style gears will fit the older case if you use a '37-'39 shifter top.