Currently in my 83 camaro I have a 350/ th 350 setup going, Im looking for a transmission/ rear axle combination that will give me better torque off the line, and high top speeds and that will be able to take a fair beating form a moderately high output three fifty. Ideally I'd prefer a manual, but realistically Im on a pretty tight budget as well, so any suggestions of anything that might suffice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time.

 

What's wrong with what you've got now? The TH350 is one of the toughest transmissions ever used when properly built.

The rear in your car is junk like all 3rd gens, but on a tight budget there isn't whole lot you can do about that. Put a TA girdle on it and studs in the caps and it should be fine for your combo on street tires.

 

I geuss I should rephrase that, my budget isn't so tight that I won't be able to afford new parts ever, I just want to buy the, "best value," parts.

 

How much power do you need the driveline to survive? Do you drag race it? Do you use sticky tires?

Those questions will help me make some good suggestions instead of wild @$$ guesses.

 

But the WAG method is awsome. Though eventually I plan to have the car do a bit of strip duty, its mostly going to be a road racer, and If all goes to plan for horsepower it should probably put out in the mid four hundreds.

(p.s. I swear I tried to change my poor spelling of advice, but for some reason, it just won't change outside of the actual thread.)

 

For road racing I'd swap that auto for a stick. There are a lot of options here. T5, T56, T10, TKO, Muncie. The choice is up to you and your budget. Each has it's own drawbacks and advantages.

The biggest enemy of the 7.625" 10-bolt in these cars is traction. They live throuhg an amazing amount of power, but sticky tires will kill them quickly and violently, even on a stock car.

You've got a lot of options here too. You could just build up the existing rear. Properly prepped they can live through quite a bit. Studs in the main caps, a cover girdle, aftermarket axels, and a good differential will all contribute to longer life.

Of course you've always got the 9" and 12-bolt option, as well as the 8.5" 10-bolt and 8.8" Ford if you've got good fabrication skills.

My car is built for Pro Touring. I'm running a mostly stock 350 TPI backed by a T56 and a built 10-bolt.