Chevelle advice

[tanner07]

I am restoring a 1972 Chevelle Malibu, and I need to ask some advice.

It is the L-65 350 with a TH350, and I want to put in a standard tranny instead. Which would be the best to put in, the Muncie M-20 4-speed?

Now, if I were to do that, the car wouldn't be original anymore, but the thing is, I can't figure out how numbers matching it already is. I can't seem to find the code which should be above the passenger's side head, at the front end of the engine, which would determine if it truly is the L-65, or just something else that has been swapped in. Anyways, say it did turn out to be an L-65, and I put in the M-20, would it knock down the value alot?

But, I don't want to build the car for value, I want to build it so that it is fun to drive, so swapping in a 4-speed doesn't seem like a bad idea to me. Is this stupid?

Finally, if I did all of that, and it wasn't original anymore, would it be stupid to make an SS clone? Although I just said I'm not building it for value, let's face it, one day I will have to sell the car, and I think maybe making it into an SS clone will up the price, but then it will contradict with the numbers even more than before.

Sorry for such a long post, but some input would really be appreciated.

Thanks,
Tanner

[68chevelle]

well i dont particularly like when people make something a clone. i really hate it when people try to pass it off as the real thing. as long as you dont do that though i see no problem with making a clone if you really want to put the extra money in it. the engine code should be on a pad right BELOW the passengers side head right behine your alternator. also i dont get what you mean when you say you want to put in a standard trany. the 350 was a standard trany. i would personly say stick with the automatics but you could always put in an overdrive if you wanted something differen.

[tanner07]

Are you sure? This is how I understand it: '72 Chevelles came with 3 available automatic transmissions: the Powerglide (2 speed), the TH350, and the TH400 (both of them were 3 speeds). The TH400 was primarily a truck transmission for heavy torque loads, so I'm going to guess it was only an option on the big block cars. None of them used an overdrive.

Also, I wouldn't try to pass it off as a real SS, that's like when ricers cover their cars in Type R stickers and say they just imported it in from Japan. I don't think I will do an SS clone, it was just an idea I had.

Thanks for the input.

[68chevelle]

i wasnt saying that the overdrives were standard(back then) i was saying the 350 was. you were talking about switching to a stick so i just through out the idea of swaping for a overdrive instead. i think it might even be an slot more simple than swaping to a stick.

[68chevelle]

oh and im not sure if they used the 400's in the sbc chevelles or not but if you want to be sure just go look at your trans pan on the passengers side and if the rear corner of the pan looks like it is cut off, (not a square corner), then it is the 350 for sure.

[tanner07]

Thanks for all the help, also, I still can't find the engine ID code, I have looked all over, and I can't see it behind the alternator. Do I need to disassemble anything to get to it?

[tanner07]

Also, yeah I know that it would be simpler just to put in an overdrive, but I want a stick. The point to that post was to say that I though that the TH350 was an auto tranny, the overdrive thing was just a little extra info.

[68chevelle]

no you shouldnt have to disasemble anything to see it. you might have to wipe it off though. have you found the pad where it should be. it is a flat surface that is just an extencion of the block deck. it if you look at the front of the head and then folow it down to where it meets the block there should be a little part of the block sticking out and thats where it should be. is should be stamped into the block i believe. so if there is a little gook there you will need to wipe it off to see it is there. now if you look at the drivers side just like i said, folow the front of the head down to where it meets the block, there wont be a pad there so if you look and that spot is on the passengers side but not the drivers side then thats the spot where it should be. if there is no code there then i think it should be an aftermarket block. im not totaly sure on that though. but the flat surface should still be there even if there is no numbers. just a hint dont go looking for the code, look for the spot where the code should be and then when you have found the spot where the code should be then you can actualy find the code. once you find the spot where it is saposed to be it is obveouse because there is nothing else there.

[tanner07]

Alright, thanks alot, that has cleared up alot of things for me. I will go check that out right now. Thank you.

[CC5S]

If you are going to go down the clone path you should really chaeck out the new Tremec TKO 500 & 600 (manual) 5 Speeds.

It bolts right up to standrd GM bellhousing. 5th gear comes in .64 or .68 and can handle 500 or 600 torque. Just very nice to have that true over-drive gear. Runs at around 35% less RPM at 50 to 60 MPH

www.ClassicChevy5Speed.com

[68chevelle]

actually just for the info if the overdrive gear is .64 then it runs 36% less in every RPM as long as its actualy in the overdrive gear, and same with the .68 gear, it would run 32% less at any RPM as long as it was actualy in theoverdrive gear.

[CC5S]

Good point.

For the record, here's the gear ratio's for the TKO 500 & 600

Model 1st=3.27 2nd=1.98 3rd=1.34 4th=1.0 5th=.68
(TKO-500)

Model 1st= 2.87 2nd=1.89 3rd=1.28 4th=1.00 5th=.64
(TKO-600)


Scott

[musclecarfanatic]

the 72 chevelle is nice but i'd still prefer a 70 chevelle

[tanner07]

Originally Posted by musclecarfanatic

the 72 chevelle is nice but i'd still prefer a 70 chevelle

Me too, but being 15 years old and all, I think I will just have to settle with a '72

[DGB454]

As far as making it a clone. It's your car. Personalize it. Make it your car. I see nothing wrong with putting a bigblock in it and some badges. You aren't trying to make a profit off of it. You just want what you want. As long as when or if you go to sell it you inform the buyer it's a clone.