Powerglide

[lltamc59]

Need to know the plus and minus of a powerglide in a 1962. Had a 59 way back in 64. It had a 4 sp. Suggestions of what to look for and look out for. Thanks.

 

[John Mcgraw]

Performance is not as good on powerglide cars due to only having 2 gears, but makes driving around town a lot more pleasant. I go out of my way to find PG cars since there is not really enough leg room in C1 cars for me to live with a 4 speed. People will tell you that a PG car will bring less when it is time to sell, but the up side is that they cost a little less to buy now! This price differential is rapidly going away with the graying of C1 enthusiasts. A lot of these older C1 owners are tired of stirring a stick and just want to cruise in an automatic car.

The 62 had the new design, aluminum case PG in it, and it is a superior trans to the old cast iron one and takes a lot of weight off the car.


Regards, John McGraw

 

[Ron Miller]

Performance is not as good on powerglide cars due to only having 2 gears, but makes driving around town a lot more pleasant.


Regards, John McGraw

Unless you plan on spending your weekends at the local drag strip, I don't believe you'll find a noticeable performance differential in most daily driving. And certainly improves about town cruisin' . . .
My opinion!

 

[SG4206]

You might consider the after market world of powerglides. I run a 2.18 low gear in a glide. There are 1.98 , 1.89 s also.
A street car with this gear and a 2000 stall convertor will usually out run any 4-speed, under most conditions. I know , I have both .Convertors give you torque multiplication.
Use the alum. case , not the iron.

I know I probably opened a bag of worms ; I love my 4-speeds and glides!

Food for thought -

 

[Tempus_Fugit]

A street car with this gear and a 2000 stall convertor will usually out run any 4-speed, under most conditions. I know , I have both .


With all due respect, bring it on!

Sorry, you could not give me a PG. I know it is a matter of personal preference, but SB chevs with PG's have a tendency to fall flat on their face after the shift. If I somehow lost my legs and were forced to "drive" a slushbox I think I would look at 700-r4's (or whatever they call them now).

sorry, my.02

John

 

[Tom]

My 65 coupe has a powerglide and factory air. It is a great car to just cruise around town in. Stop and go traffic is no problem thanks to the automatic transmission. It is a much more comfortable car to drive in heavy traffic, than my 2004 MN6 coupe.

 

[SG4206]

A street car with this gear and a 2000 stall convertor will usually out run any 4-speed, under most conditions. I know , I have both .


With all due respect, bring it on!

Sorry, you could not give me a PG. I know it is a matter of personal preference, but SB chevs with PG's have a tendency to fall flat on their face after the shift. If I somehow lost my legs and were forced to "drive" a slushbox I think I would look at 700-r4's (or whatever they call them now).

sorry, my.02

John

I really appreciate your enthusiasm for the 4-sp. I love my L-79 '66 stick and 4.11's. Spin the tires in every gear change , nose of the car lifts, rear end squats ; what more can a guy (or gal) want? The stick cars always feel faster than an automatic. I'm also fortunate in the fact that my car holds the NCCC national drag record for their Group I B pure stock class. This class is for all factory rated Vette's over 300 hp between '63 - '82 . I never worked so hard as I did with this 4-sp to get that record.

I totally agree , that a small block with a factory stock glide and convertor ,will feel flat on the 1-2 shift. You need to experience a proper set-up glide and convertor,that will pin you to the seat at any speed on the street ; it is much more forgiving than a 4-sp. A stick car never seems to be at the right rpm and gear with a roll on confrontation. Even from a dead stop ; an auto has the advantage. This is just my experience over last 40 years of our love for performance.

With due respect , my '82 with a glide runs 156 mph in the 1/4 ; have I brought enough?

Doug

 

[Tempus_Fugit]

With due respect , my '82 with a glide runs 156 mph in the 1/4 ; have I brought enough?


I guess so! Is that parachute factory?

Thanks for taking my comments in the lighthearted manner in which they were intended. I used to rebuild automatics for a living and they are just not my cup of tea. I will note however, that the PG is the most bulletproof auto ever to hit the street. I actually once had a '51 chev with a cast iron PG. You had to shift is manually from 1-2. If you were feeling lazy you could just leave it in "2". With the stovebolt 6 it gave new meaning to the word slow.

About 15 years ago I bought a 74 454 ragtop instead of a 73 454 4spd the same guy was selling for 1k more. Biggest mistake I have ever made. I have not owned an automatic since.

John

 

[SG4206]

lltamc59 - These guys have given you some good advice about everyday drivability. Evaluate opinions and try it out...... You know , that's kind of what makes these forums work.

John- I got the J59 HD braking option , with the M45 automatic and LS9 off road engine package. My dealer told me this was some limited production model in '82.
So I bought it !

Aren't these cars fun!

 

[CHEV66JB]

Re:

LL,

Have any details on your '59 from back in the day? I'd love to add you as a previous owner to the 1959 Corvette Registry. Welcome aboard.

Regards,

Jim
'59 #5366
1959 Corvette Registry, Webmaster
http://59vette.cjb.net