I have never even heard of a 78 with a 4 speed.
Anyone know how many could have been built?
More important is what kind or type of tranny would be in it.
I have a 455 G head out of a 71 442 itchin to kill the rearend...
What rearend end kit could be used I wonder?
Will a 3 core radiator fit and cool it?
I have never really done any work on the G bodies? Is that right?

 

I dont know about a 78 Cutlass, but I did see a 78 Monte Carlo that had 4 on the floor. Only one I ever saw or heard of. I would suspect if there was a 78 Cutlass jerk stick, that it would be even more rare if it was factory.

 

Any of the late A body (78-80) Cutlass' I have seen or heard of had the anemic 5sp behind either a 260 gas or (god forbid) the 260 diesel. Anything more and it would KILL IT QUICKLY.

 

You could be looking at a very expensive project for a decent custom rear end alone, as probably only a 7-1/2" in there know. If going through the trouble of any kind of a tranny swap, would surely go with something o.d., wether auto or Tremec. If you've got a pristene show car, then maybe worth it.

 

On G-body forum there are a couple of threads about special order 78-80 cars with manual transmissions. One example that I seem to remember reading was a fleet of malibus built for a foreign country.

 

It's a light-duty unit that could only be had behind a 305-2bbl Chevy engine in those years. You see them once in a while, but it's not suitable for anything besides a low-powered smog motor.

BTW, the 78-81 Cutlass is still technically an A body. G body came along in 1982 when GM rearranged the A platform to become Cieras and their ilk.

 

What 4 speeds were used in 78 other than a T10?

 

A couple years ago there was a 1978 El Camino for sale locally. I believe it had a factory a 4 speed. My thoughts... you would have the pedals, Z-bar and required parts to install a 4 speed. It should be easy to put in an older Muncie if the factory gearbox wasn't strong enough for a 455 John

P.S. the rear end question. Brian or Jim would know for sure, but I believe this vintage had the 7.5" units. Then 82-88 had some applications like 442's and Buick GN that used 8.5" rears. They're not real common but I've seen them come up for sale now and then. The mid-80's 8.5 should be strong enough to take the torque of a 455.

 

The most common gear ratio back then was 2.28. I know because I hade 3 of them under my 80 before I got my hands on a 3.23 posi carrier and gears out of a Camaro.

 

Any Cutlass in 79 could be ordered with the four speed, but... You had to take the 305 chevy with a two barrel carb. 79 was the last Olds offered with any manual transmission. The five speed was also available but with the V6 or 260 V8 only. I had a 78 Salon 442 with the factory four speed. A kind of rare model because the only 442 you could get was the Salon slope back two door. Most people thought they were the ugliest model Olds ever produced but at the same time they were the quietest on the road because of the aerodynamic styling.