i think almost 3000 rpm is a lot at 70 unless the motor makes power up to 7500 rpm. i ran a long tail 350 in my car with the 3.73s and the car was an absolute nightmare to drive on the highway(with the factory cam and heads). at 70 the car was screaming pretty good, and being passed by every other car without a problem. i too refused to step into the 80s and run a 4speed for a good 10+yrs, it was a really poor choice. the 350s shift super hard, are light, and strong, but thats where the fun stops. a 3sp with steep gearing in a car without a cam that can rev is not fun, nor is it fuel efficient, but it is good for 8th mile drag racing(if it makes some torque). the 700 cant shift as hard, is way long, and is heavier, not to mention not being offered in the gbody requires a new cross member/modifying the existing one, and cutting the drive shaft. being able to cruise in the low 2000 rpm range at 70 is well worth it though. overdrive is definitely the way to go on a dd, and out of the 2 the 200 4r is the more affordable option since all parts can be sourced at the junkyard.

 

Like I said we don't hit the interstate much. In WV it's mostly 2 lane roads. I admit, my setup probably isn't going to work good where you have to go 100 mph or get ran over(like the metro Austin area). If you need to run an overdrive, try to get a new one or make damn sure it's a good one. You're better off to be stuck in the 1970's (with that TH350) than to be stuck on the side of the road with a busted tranny.

 

im running a nonCC Q-Jet in a 750cfm. I might scrounge around for one of those holleys if i can. Im sure 100cfm could leave some kind of gas in the tank ya know?

 

ill agree you definitely want to make sure the tv cable is adjusted right on the 700, or the trans is done for.

on the carb i dont like qjets mostly because of my ignorance in tuning them, but i also wouldnt go for a spreadbore holley double pumper. seems a little excessive for a small cube motor. i would personally run a 600 or 650cfm vacuum secondary holley. i ran one of these for years and never once had an issue. the car ran well and made decent mileage(this is with the factory heads and 400 cam). totally different story once the motor work was done. then it was time for a double pumper. i still have 600 laying around somewhere and if you werent half way across the country id give it to you.

 

LMAO, I said the same thing about the crossmember he needs!(if he wasn't so far away I'd give it to him) I'm with you on the carb it seems like the spreadbore double pumper is made just for a 350. I got lucky and rebuilt it, put it on the car, and hooked a vacuum gauge up and turned my idle air screws until it read the highest (almost 15 in. hg.) and that was it. I haven't touched it since. Lucky huh.
I thought about this and come to the realization that you guys who don't live, work, play in the woods like I do pretty much HAVE to run a overdrive tranny if they want to "get down the road" with everybody else on the 12 lane freeway. When I replied to DerrtyD's post the first time, I hadn't realized this. In West Virginia we have no clue what it's like to have to run a TH350 at it's max just to get around. For that, I'd like to because you guys are driving these old Montes in a place where good ole boys like me probably wouldn't make it 5 miles without hitting someone. Tobacco juice and broken glass all over the place lol! I'm jokin we ain't that bad! So hats off to you guys! Your morning commute is probably more stressful than my whole week! And I have 3 kids!

 

my morning commute was great. my start time was 6am so i was on the road while everyone else was still asleep, it was the ride home that was terrible. when i didnt have my 06 if i left work any later than 359pm it was all over. bumper to bumper for 35miles. id call the ex and tell her id be home about 7pm, that i was pulled over with the hood open. 400s hate traffic, especially when you had a single row radiator in jerseys 100*+ summers(ive got a 3 row in it now).

you guys in rural areas have it good. i go out to missouri every year and ill be the only car on the road for extended periods of time. its crazy to think how over populated some states are especially jersey.

 

Wow I couldn't imagine going through that every day. I mean, I've driven in congested areas but not stop and go 35 miles every day. I guess it's all in what you're used to.

 

it got old real fast. theres no getting used to it, unless youre completely insane. just started scheduling myself to leave at 230pm. problem solved.