im NEW, transmission ???

i just bought a 69 chevy with a 700r 4 speed i believe. i have 4 11's also. i want to put a 350 in one day pushing out around 375 400 horse. im not sure exactly what trans to put in it. i also dont no that much about them. i want to race every now and then but nothing crazy. i have been told to go ahead and get a automatic since i just want to cruise and not race as much. would u do that????why not?? and im not sure what gears to get cause im dont no to much about them. im new so im learning. if u could give me any advice at all i would greatly appreciate it. thank you

The 700R4 aren't too bad as long as they are built well, they don't take the punishment of high hp too well, but it all depends on what you have to spend. If you plan on driving it on week-ends and such, and don't care much about fuel milage, I would go with a Th 400, and possibly 3:73 for gears, depending on what size of a tire you are going to run. Stay away from 200R4's They are junk.

200r4s can be built for high HP use. They were commonly found behind the 80s 442s and they held up well. If you have a chevy though, the 700r4 is probably the better choice.