hey guys,

i have a 1960 f100 that i'm building a 460 to drop in. my question is what transmission do you recommend i get?
i do not want a 4 speed, i want to have an overdrive for highway cruising since i live in montana and its a trip where-ever you go. i've been looking at the zf 5 speeds from the 3/4 and 1 tons of the 90's fords but they tend to be a bit pricey. is there another 5 speed that will bolt up to my 460 and be able to handle the muscle of the big motor?

thanks

 

This is a good source for your question.
Domestic Truck Tranny Guide

 

Aside from the cost, those newer trannies are huge, and heavy, but that is what you'll need for a 460 and to get an OD ratio. I assume you want a manual transmission?

 

manual is what i want yes

 

Well did you look at the tranny guide? This may help too.
Installing the NV4500 Overdrive Transmission .: Articles

 

If you're wanting a 5-speed with O/D rated for truck duty behind a torquey 460, then the ZF and the NV4500 that Ross mentioned are your only viable options. A rebuilt ZF can be pricey, but good, used boxes show up on craigslist and fleaBay from time to time. Patience and lots of searching will turn them up. The least expensive way to get ahold of one that I've found is at your local Pick-a-Part or Pull-a-Part. They will usually sell them for $75-100. I've bought two that way. The only problem with buying a salvage yard refugee is that you often don't know what you're getting. Both of the ones I bought needed repairs. Parts are readily available and they aren't super complicated, but it takes a good shop press and some bearing splitters to work on one.

The NV4500 is just about bulletproof, but it's an even heavier transmission than the ZF and it was never used in a Ford application. Consequently, you'd have to purchase or build the adapters on top of buying the tranny - and they're no less expensive than the ZF.

 

thanks for all the advice guys! i was pretty sure i wanted to go with the zf but wanted to check with guys who knew. i guess its time to do some hunting around.