The 60's 3+1 OD was a Borg Warner transmission, very similar to the T10. As for the 3+1 OD Toploaders not being very strong, it should be equal in strength to a small block Toploader. As long as you don't try to drag race it with sticky tires it should do fine.

 

The BW units were fairly strong according to other posts here. They were a 3 speed + an OD.

The toploader unit is a 4 speed OD trans, incorrectly termed "3 + OD". According to the Kees site, the gears are cut thinner in them than in the performance 4 speeds. Also, there are aluminum cased versions with top and rail shifters, and iron cased units with side mounted shifters.

Someone here was gently running an iron unit behind a 390 iirc....

But what fun is that? You go to all the trouble building a rig like this and you gotta sweat every time you bring the tach over 1300rpm with the clutch in? OH NO! Don't gas it or spin the tires a little, the Flogging transmission will crack in two!!!!!

You gotta build it so you can side step the clutch at 4000 rpm and not worry about a thing.

jmo, ymmv, yes, I am nuts.

 

I completely agree. I don't baby anything I own.
There's "drive it like you stole it" and "drive it like I own it"
Let's just say the first one is taking it easy compared to the second one.

 

And not everyone drives like you. I wasn't refering to the SROD, nor the aluminum cased truck transmission. Only the iron cased veriosn built in the late 70's. There's no reason one of these wouldn't hold up in the OP's truck, if driven "sanely"

 

OP has set the bar for sanity: 1948 F1 with a 3NINETY motor, Jag IRS, 18 or 20 inch wheels and 25 series tires.

How do you know how I drive? Did my old man talk to you or something? Sure, I broke an 8" in my high-mile Mustang when I first got it, but I never broke anything else..... (thank God for the strength of the C6 and 9er, and the weakness of a 283 in front of a PG/10 bolt)

 

Yes. he did. Have a 26 yr old son who can be hard on parts too. As was I when I was his age.

 

There's a guy selling a T85 3+1 over on the Ford FE big block site in the classifieds now for $150. Don't know what shipping would be to the other side of the planet though.

 

See post 11

 

the more the merrier

 

WOW.. thanx guys for all the replies, what a great forum and read for a newbi!! So my search begins for the ultimate gearbox in the good old RSA!!

 

Where are you located. I'm sure we can figure out a way to adapt a transmission to the fe motor.
What are you looking for. Manual or automatic. And how many gears are you loOking for. Do you really think you need overdrive. You're running 331 gears and a reasonably sized tire. Anything over 26" will cruise very well with that gear.
Anyway. What cars are available to use as donor cars.

 

I'm in Pretoria South Africa. I would prefer an auto box, my worry is more on the fuel consumption side, for us fuel is relatively expensive and I want to use the F1 and not have it standing in the garage!! So I was thinking four speed auto??

 

You can get an AOD beefed up to take the FE power--$2000+ if you buy one that way. Then you need a $750 adapter to bolt it up to an FE.

There were no 4 speed or any other OD transmissions offered for the FE from the factory.

 

Lentec sells an aod with a cut and custom bellhousing.
It's in the 2k price range.

 

As long as you're looking for optimum cruising and fuel consumption, you might consider changing out the gears in that Jag differential to the 3.07 or even 2.88 ratios that are available for that unit.

Good luck,
Karl