New guy in town has a few questions.

Yes, very expensive to build to that level. Randy does some incredible things with that car. Look next month on NMRA's site for TS results.
http://www.fbperformance.com/Ford-Transmissions/
i'm sure they can help you with whatever you need!

SLYFOX88 said:

I appreciate your support on my post..honestly. but she has a 2011 focus for her daily driver. she wanys it loud and and likes to **** people off..lol

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I figured you were possibly looking for a way to keep the car for yourself. If she will not mind, go ahead and get a shift kit and Trick Shift fluid and a hard line installed cooler in whatever auto you use. My gal likes to drive fast, but thinks my car is "tooooooo scary". She feels it will jump away from her around town. So it is all mine to play with.

As far as why people want Powerglides - I disagree strongly it is for less shifts! An auto can be programed (electronically or by hydraulics) to shift extremely quickly. The more time the car is kept in the powerband, the better. 4 gears will do that better than 2 until the 4 speed blows chunks. A CVT would be best, but as far as I know, no one has made one that will take a lot of power. The rubber bands snap.

I think a Powerglide (especially with a light, SFI case) is used for the same reason the 9" rear end is - mainly strength without a horrible amount of weight and LOTS of aftermarket parts availability. Unless you have enough torque that a first gear is useless, AND you have a slow shifting, stock tranny, (an unlikey combo), a shift is going to be quicker than any manual, and is not going to cost you time if it puts the car right back in the powerband. I read Porsche went tiptronic for that reason on their road racers. Now that there are 3 and 4 speed automatics that can handle some power, you need a radical combo of at least a very loose convertor, tires that get taller at speed, and a motor that spins to stupid high RPM to get a Powerglide to work it's best. Probably not a good combo for a car that sees the street. Some do it, but there are easier ways to go fast with a driver.

In my other classic car (it belongs on a different discussion site), I traded my GM 2 speed (even with a switch pitch convertor) for a TH350, and I love it around town. Mileage, acceleration and the fun to drive factor all went up. On the highway though, I still wish I had gone for the overdrive. I will likely have to go with a floor shifter to tell what gear I really am in and shorten the drive shaft, but it might be worth it with better brakes on that classic. It is more stealth than the 91 Stang, but not much slower. Unless it undergoes a number matching restoration (that is not likely, I want it to be like new, not like original) it will NOT have just a 2 speed Auto again.

^ I think there is an application for every type of trans all depends on what you're building. The powerglide was my best option because I would have a much harder time getting out of the hole with a 3 speed, the first gear ratio is too steep for my liking. I like the 1.80 first gear set much better with my current set up. No doubt a 3 speed car will go faster if it can 60 ft. If the 2 speed th/400 was in my budget i would have one but powerglide it is for now.
I do agree that no one would want a powerglide simply for less shifts and as far a car that doesn't have a lot of hp it would be so hard to go fast with a glide due to the first gear ratio. equate that to starting off in second gear with a c4 or similar.

You have some power then. This is somewhat Off Topic, but the O.P. sounds like he has it decided anyway. What do you run? Or is it an Ancient Chinese Secret (like the old commercial)?

tca7291 said:

Isn't the AODE the same as the AOD but electronically controlled? Sorry to hijack, just curious.

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Basically. But there are still internal differences. And there's even more differences when they updated the AODE to a 4R70W, which is basically a wide ratio AODE.

7991LXnSHO said:

You have some power then. This is somewhat Off Topic, but the O.P. sounds like he has it decided anyway. What do you run? Or is it an Ancient Chinese Secret (like the old commercial)?

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No secret squirel stuff here, I'm running a dedenbear glide 10 pack clutches rollerized with turbo spline shafts and a custom Cameron converter.
Sorry for the Hijack