looks like i'll be saving up some more $$ seems to me the 4l80e is about the best to get for a street/strip car. well and if you have deep pockets....

next to find what gear to used and converter...

98Z28CobraKiller ill look into FTI converter's have no idea what stall

 

i always think this is funny when i see it sorry. everyone acts like it a th350 or th400 without 3rd so it like driving around in 2nd gear and its not.

 

I just wanted to point out that we've made the 4L80E affordable.
Our 4L80E with transbrake and shipping is less than $2400 right now.

So there is no reason to give up the overdrive in a street/strip car.

 

theres no need for a overdrive trans in a turbo car. you should be running a low (numerically) gear anyways. if you are, you wont have a problem on the freeway. the same goes with the converter, its going to be a tight converter.


and lets not forget the price of a converter for the 4l80e...

 

I've got plenty of customers who would disagree, they like the OD.

A 4L80E converter costs the same as an equivalent 4L60E converter.

We have large clutch billet converters for $800.

 

with the added weight, cost, rotating mass, i'd stick with a glide or th400. thats just me, maybe im crazy.

 

If you actually have a turbo STREET car you will appreciate that OD when your cruising the interstate or city freeways at 80mph and not spinning 3500 rpm even with shallow 3-3.50 gears. I have 3.42's and really like that extra gear. Good converters all cost a lot.

 

The 4L80E will not cost much if any more than a properly setup Powerglide when you get into the bigger power combos. A Glide needs quite a few parts, in some case ALL new parts to be reliable.

The weight and rotating mass doesn't really play into a car until well into the 10's, and the 1st gear ratio of the 4L80E or TH400 will work better than the Glide in anything slower than a low 10 second car, especially when running 3.xx rear ratio.

The 3.xx rear ratios also lessen the amount of powr consumed by the heavier internals of a TH400 or 4L80E vs. a glide.

 

Agreed. 3.42 ratio is a good all around ratio, but with a 26-27" tall tire, you will be spinning the engine on a street car at freeway speeds. OK if it's just used to drive to and from the track.

 

since the thread is about a turbo car, a gear ratio is 3.08-3.25:1 would be best. @81 mph, with a 3.08 and a 28" tire the car would be turning roughly 3000rpm which is pretty comfortable IMO. thats one of the beautiful things about a turbo setup, they're happier with a tightish converter, and a shallow gear. and a glide might not be cheap, but a th400 can be built fairly cheap. but turbo cars LOVE the glide. i've read guys going from 9.3 to an 8.7 with a glide from a th400, and nothing else. that might be because of a poor suspension setup, but a glide is generally a calmer leaving, milder trans.

for most of us, we're not grandmas. we're not prissy brits in bmw's drinking tea. do you have a cup holder in your car? i dont...

 

You gotta remember there's people on here with cars that are not Fbods as well. And who street drive a lot. I cannot put a 28" tire on my car without a good amount of work. Gear options lower than the stock 3.46 are pretty much impossible to get. Not saying my car wouldn't be faster with a different trans, but for a 90% street car, I love having OD.

Also a good number of the fastest true street cars on here run 80s. Mightymouse goes mid 8s and drives to the track.

And I got two cup holders. Gotta have a place for my Starbucks while I'm making some 10s passes...

 

I'm keeping my cup holders, thanks.

 

yep I agree, the gears and converter are working in your favor for street habits with a a turbo car

Nothing against the 80e, i can see its place in full weight cars

I am 2700lbs and with a tight stall, low gear, and no lockup it goes down the highway great

you could just about have two PG's sitting side by side and weigh the same as one 80e


oh 60e

 

I have a th400 and i will be going back to a 4l80e eventually. Nothing beats a OD when driving around.

 

All about the combo. Probably not the suspension, but more the converter. If they used the same one it will be more favorable to one or the other. If the same converter was not used, who knows how far it is off.....I have used over drived trans along with my daily driver having a 3 speed and 2 speed. I drove it everywhere like that it is was not all that fun but my only car. It ran 5s in the 1/8 mile as a daily driven street car.

I try and do things one time now that I have learned some things. If you get a OD with anything over 800rwhp you will regret it and more then likely end up switching it out later. If you do the TH400 you will have to freshen the trans up every so often but it more then likely won't brake.


All things aside. If you have a 2-3 speed you need a big tranny cooler. Don't mess around with this if you intend on driving on the street alot.

just my 2 cents.

 

Well remember that the 4L80 is quite literally a th400 with overdrive and lockup, so handling the power is not a problem (Jake has a couple of mods for 4L80s coming out that should let it hold 2000hp).

 

lol @ the cup holder comments.

i agree, the 80e is a tough trans, and lock up and OD are nice, but not my style.

 

I'm with u on the glide if i wanted fuel economy and turning low rpms i wouldn't be building a 850+hp car.i know there r trade offs with everything unless u r rich.I'm not so ill do me a glide or 400 with mega hp and leave cruising at 80 on the xway @600rpms to the electric cars.

 

Damn this thread just made my decision a lot harder now...

 

i have no regrets with my 80 investment.