I'm building up my 468 big block outside of my car so i have my stock 350, th350 trans and 3.08 posi 10 bolt in the car now. I want to be able to drive my car next summer and might not finish the 468 by then. I'm going to get a strange dana 60 and 4L80 trans with 3000 stall soon and was thinking I could pull the trans and rear and get my new trans and rear in there so it would be ready to just swap the big block in. This way i could still drive the car even though the new trans would have alot higher stall than the stock 350 would like. Do you think I should just swap the trans and rear for now or just buy the trans and rear and wait to put them in until i finish the engine?

and how hard is it to just swap the trans without pulling the engine?

I was also thinking of just finishing the 468 and getting the trans and using the stock rear end til i can afford it but I don't want to risk breaking the rear end with the 580-600hp, even without racing it. and the cam in the 468 wouldn't work well with the high 3.08 gears. It would be a dog with the 3.08 gears and the OD too.

So i guess what i'm wondering is what you guys would do if you had enough money to do 2 things in the drivetrain, either finish 468, get 4L80 trans or get strange dana 60?

 

i would finish the 468 and when your ready to pull the stock 350 out you can do the tranny at the same time and would be alot less work with the motor out or you could drop the engine and tanny out together then do the rear end after.

 

the trouble with just pulling the tranny and not the rear is i gotta shorten the driveshaft and change yokes for the 4L80 and when i got the dana 60 I would need to shorten it again and change the pinion yoke to 1350. I don't want to do it twice so that's why i was thinking of doing the rear and trans first. My goal is to keep it driveable though

I can build the engine as i get money but the trans and rear gotta be done in big sums so it might be easier to just get the rear and trans out of the way...

 

do you guys think the stock 350 would drive ok short term with the 4L80 with 3000 stall and dana 60 with 4.10 gears?

 

With 4:10 gears the hi stall converter will work just fine with the 350. If you just did the tranny you'd be in trouble. You could also just do the rearend, but like you said it would just add to the cost.
If I was doing it though, I'd wait and do it all at once. It's driveable now, and will be until you can get it all rounded up, and do it as a package.

 

well I would prefer to do it all at once but it would be sweet to atleast be able to use some of the new drivetrain

If i finished the 468, got the 4L80 and just used my stock rear end, then I could drive the new engine and that might be ok short term, just couldn't really drag race it til i swap rears.
If i just did the trans and rear end, then I could just run the stock engine for now and build the 468 as i get money but wouldn't need to worry about anything breaking. Hard choice!

do you think i will need a new driveshaft with 580-600hp or just use my stock one?

 

You want something a little heavier than your old stock driveshaft. I had one made for me by a guy in Texas who sells on ebay. He and his boss work for Dana and have a little side business. Hooked me up with a 3" steel driveshaft. Computer balanced with Spicer 1350 yokes. It was like 225.00 to my door and I have piece of mind. Oh, don't forget a good loop also. Just in case.

 

LOL I went 10.50s all day on the stock drive shaft in my nova. I did have it balanced though. For safety I also had Moroso straps over the u joints and a loop. The loop by far is the biggest concern though. NOBODY wants to turn there pride and joy into a pogo stick.

 

I'm still using the original driveshaft from my car, but did have to change to an adapter joint at the rear when I changed to the later T/A 10 bolt.

 

I think i might get a new driveshaft since there not too expensive..I'm leaning towards finishing the engine and getting the trans so that i can enjoy my engine and then just build up my 10 bolt or swap rears later on.