Greetings!

Have my eye on a nice '64 car with 394 3/tree combo. It is in working order.

Are there any sensible options to get a 4spd floor or 200r4 in here? Most of

my reading says not an easy swap at all. If either was possible - what might the build/cost look like from your experience?

Thanks much and again,

dave

 

Automatic or stick? 3 on the tree usually denotes a manual shift trans. The 394 block has part of the bellhousing cast into the back of the block making modern transmission installation difficult but not impossible. There are some kits out there that can adapt old to new.

 

A column-shifted three speed manual is pretty rare for a 1964 Olds full size. Plus, consider the anti-theft value.
Leave it.

 

I agree with Joe on this one. It is a rare car so I would not chop it up and few people under the age of 50 (maybe 60) can drive a stick shift.

 

Thanks fellas. I'd have probably grabbed it already - but i'm a little wary of the backstory - which involves the car sitting for 10 years - but a new muffler, battery, gas and tires produced a trouble free automobile for the past several months.
Whats going rate on a worst case scenario rebuild on the 394/3tree combo do ya think?

Thanks!

dave

 

yep..unique, leave it alone

 

My experience is that sellers rarely provide the whole story, and it only gets worse the more you look at the car. That still never stopped me from buying one. Assume it will need a lot more than the seller claims or that you think at first blush. Unfortunately, they are all like that, so the sooner you own it, the sooner you can start fixing that stuff.

 

Don’t let that scare you, offer what works for you, knowing its needing more work than the seller states. All they can say is no..

 

Daver, you may want to look at "Charlie Jones" thread in the "Major Builds & Projects" forum. He has rebuilt his 394 and installed a 4 speed trans into his 1963 full size Olds. Great detail in there and Charlie is a wealth of knowledge.

 

Daver,
While I did manage to put a four speed in a 63 Dynamic, it was neither simple nor easy.
I'm going with most of the rest of the guys and say that this car should not be modified.
Less than one percent of these cars were built with stick shift, making them extremely rare.
It's an expensive project if you do your own work, and much more so if you farm it out.

 

Yep! Not my intention to make changes " for changes sake". The car looks nice enough. It's a 196 Dynamic 88 on facebook marketplace in mass.


Need to free up a time to look.

Thank you very very much for the direction. My wallet and I thank you all

 

The thing that would bother me most, if a vehicle sat for 10 years, would be the brakes
Brake fluid absorbs moisture which causes brake cylinders to rust. This causes leaks.
If you do buy this car, pull the wheels and brake drums, and inspect the brake cylinders.
Peel the rubber boots back , and look for rust or fluid seepage.
If you find any, I would recommend rebuilding or replacing all the cylinders.
Old and cracked brake hoses should be replaced, as well as any badly rusted steel lines.
If the brake shoes are worn to less than 50 percent of their original thickness, then they should be replaced along with the drums being machined.

I wouldn't worry too much about an engine rebuild, if it runs good and doesn't smoke.
These beasts were well known for lasting 150 to 200 thousand miles, if you could keep a slim-jim transmission behind them.
That's a problem you won't have with that old iron 3 speed.
They were probably stronger than most 4 speeds.