Timeline 1980: Chevy angers manual gearbox supplier?

[pgtr]

I was recently skimming an article in Corvette Magazine about automatic transmissions. In it there was a brief mention that around 1980 Chevy had so angered their gearbox supplier that they refused to sell to Chevy. Eventually Doug Nash supplied boxes w/ the C4 of course but that was it for manuals in C3s.

I had never heard about this before - anybody have any insights on this?

thanks,

 

[goertz]

no too sure about the reasoning, but I do know in 1980, if you wanted a Camaro, and a 4 speed, you had to get a 305. If you wanted a 350, you got an automatic. this lasted until 1993. 305's could be had with manual trannys, 350 HAD to be automatic. Unless....you lived in Canada, and you could get a 350 with a manual transmission. go figure. I had a 1980 Z-28 350-4speed. rare car. Of course this was Camaro's, not sure about vettes of the day.

 

[pgtr]

I remember that too! I recall a friend of mine settling for a 305 on a new Z28 around the '80 or '81 time (just before the new generation) and it may have been because he wanted a standard transmission now that I think about it. That would suggest they were in short supply and GM was reducing the ways they could be had.

Anyway I read that little blurb about Chevy 'angering' their gearbox supplier and had never heard of this before. It's funny how big businesses can sometimes have a falling out and this can affect consumer choices (a major automaker no longer offers manual transmissions for a time on various models, in your neck of the woods - a major airline refuses to this day to fly into the state due to the fracus over the Denver airport, etc.)