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At 03:40 PM 7/15/97 -0400, you wrote: >Fellow T3ers, > >My '71 Fastback has an automatic in it, which I would like to keep, but I would >like a few more ponies under the decklid. What has been your experience with >this trans? How much horsepower can it handle and still live? Are there any >modifications that can be made for added strength and durability, like on the >standard? Any advice would be appreciated. What about upright engines in T3s? > Well, I know a little about this, only because I am building another drag car with the type III/IV automatic. The tranny itself is pretty strong, a few drag racers I know or have talked to use the automatic for obvious reasons, but there is no reason why a person couldn't have one on the street, with a hi-performance engine. Racers use modified valve bodies, for higher RPM shifts, they also use modified torque converters for high RPM launches. Super Pickle racing (http://www.sidco-online.com/superpickle.htm) has a tricked out squareback that uses a turbo and runs mid-7's in the 1/8 mile! Thats probally about low 12's or high 11's in the 1/4 mile. I have found a guy on the East coast that builds the automatic for performance, but haven't found anybody to modify my torque converter yet. The late model bus automatic is better, because it has a larger ring and pinion gear, but for street, the type III would be prefect. In my opnion, why not build that engine as much as you could afford, just make sure your tranny is up to stock standards. See ya Scott Morrow Kansas City, MO smorrow@gbutler.com