Due to a move that's about 25 miles further from the track, I'm about to pull the trigger on a Gear Vendors overdrive unit.
It's important to me that my junk still remains a street car and not a trailer toy.
Although I've taken this car on multiple 200+ mile trips, I'm not crazy about spinning the engine up on highways for an hour or so before racing every weekend.
I've talked to them and they seem like pretty cool folks.

Anyone have any last minute info or details on install/operation?
It seems pretty straight forward.
-Pete

 

Pete, from what I heard it works great. It fits ok, you do have to dimple the floor, but no cutting. There is couple of guys here that have the unit installed. I've been debating between 200r4 and GV unit my self.
Please post the install and results. I am really curious how much does it lower the rpm.
Thanks

Edin

 

It will basically cut my 3.90's down to 3.04's.
As far as RPM, I'll have to wait and see just how tight my 3400 converter is.

It's a .78 reduction.

-Pete

 

Ralley 469,

Any feed back ? Install ? preformance ?
I am seriously about to pull the trigger on a GV.
My concerns are how much dimpling or lowering is needed ? 69 cutlass

 

Easy to install and use. I have 3.42 rear and at 40 mph I'm crusing at 1200 rpm. Works great! Oh and the guys at GV are super helpful. Not to much dimpling required on a 69.

 

I have put one in my 67, still building the car, so havnt driven it yet. I did cut out and replace "wider about 8 inches of the tunnel. I dont know about 68 and up but the 67 tunnel narrows just under the front of the console. It just seemed easier to widen the tunnel to me. Also wil require having your drive shaft shortened or a new driveshaft. I also have a 3.90 rear gear, and 3.04 final drive with the GV. I cant wait to be able to test it. They guarantee the OD even if you race it.
Good luck
Steve

 

x2 I currently have one with 3.90's and it works well. In fact so well I'm gonna install another on a 3.42 setup soon.

 

I had always thought it would be cool to get a GV unit. Of course I would have to replace the rear gears in my 71 98. 2.76 gears wouldn't do with a GV unit.

 

I'm installing one in a 66 Cutlass. I was mocking it up to see clearances, etc. Like Steverw said, there is a narrowing of the tunnel on 66/67 cars but other than that it is wide open and plenty of room. I put mine together pretty easily. Nothing fancier than a box end wrench.

 

Those are neat are they expensive?

 

Yes, $2700

 

Trip on my 67, where the speedo cable goes into the GV, the straight in cable housing was just barely hitting the floor brace on the body. I shortened the floor brace in that area, didnt take it out, just made it about 1/2 inch thick instead of approx 1 inch. You can just see below trans tunnel the floor brace i altered.

 

If you have any better pics of what you did I'd love to see that. My new speedo doesn't use a cable but I do have to add a transducer to it so I'm thinking I'll have some trouble there.

 

No problem at all! I'm running a gps speedo but the signal generator for the Gear Vendors unit is a transducer. It fits nice n neat.

 

I've been trying for several YEARS to get Gear Vendors to talk to me. I'm 76 years old and the original owner of a '67 442 and refuse to grow up. It's an original 4-speed car but it had also had a TH400 off and on over the last 50 years. At this moment it has the M22 clone made by Auto Gear in Syracuse, NY. I love it except for two issues. I had spine surgery and even walking is an issue much less speed/power shifting. The Gear Vendors unit is attached to a built TH400 and I'd like the option to install it on the Muncie. An adapter is available but Gear Vendors originally refused to sell me the adapter unless I returned the TH400 adapter. I am willing to eat the "core charge" even though I feel forcing return of the adapter sucks. As my health and ability changes I have the potential to swap the two transmissions as needed, with the GV unit I bouht and paid for. Gear Vendors won't even return my phone calls Based on a comment from a rep of theirs some year ago I think they are trying to control the sale of used parts at discounted prices. I have no plans to sell any GV parts so why can't I buy a Muncie adapter? So I've decided go let it gather dust. In any case I feel this is a short sighted policy. I have a perfectly functioning unit and they wont let me use it by controlling the adapter setups.

 

Bob,

I can't help with the GV problems, but a big welcome to C.O. It's great to see your name here.

 

Could you not have someone order one for you?

 

They have a very good reason for this....
People are taking units from rv's and putting them in cars and breaking the older not made for drag tires and shifting shock loads and then going on forums and facebook/etc and bad mouthing the company and the units..

 

Those GV units are pretty stout and people have been using them out of RV's for drag racing for years without breakage.

 

I don't know if GV cares about used units being sold. I've only heard good things about this product.

FWIW, here is a truck with a GV unit that has been for sale for MONTHS (at least since I last saw this thread). I found it while browsing Craigslist. It stood out because it had a GV unit.

https://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/cto/6089435424.html

 

straight and no bs to a gvod I have one. !. you have to dimple the floor a little think wood and a anvil hammer. 2. they are useful at the strip around 2 tenths or a little more. 3. I have a 3800 plus m------o convertor and have zero issues on the road with it.4 the cruise rpm is around 25 percent less and puts less wear on your engine driveline etc. 5 tidy up everything for a clean appearance and keep things from melting. 6 for kicks seriously mice love the gvod wiring so use moth ***** around it in the winter.

 

Pulled the trigger and installed a GV in my 1969 cutlass.
Dimpling tunnel no problem
Modify cross member no problem
Modify H pipe on exhaust as drive shaft hit, kinda sucked.
The biggest pain was making a drive shaft loop as things are tight.
Had to use longer seat belt bolts and mount the loop to them.
The electronics did not work correctly, went old school ,direct.
Installed a main power switch, indicator light and foot switch.

Now happy happy happy!
3:73 gears, 60 mph was 3,000 rpm , now 80 mph@ 3,000 rpm,
60 mph now 2400 rpm. 3000 stall converter.

1/4 mile and cruise