This is really sorta 2 questions in one. first of all i am in the process of swapping my v 6 engine in my firebird to a chevy 350 over the course of the winter. i landed the 350 with a completely rebuilt turbo 350 trani and a 2800 stall converter. i have herd that using my 700-r4 would actually be a better bet, but i herd that the torque converter has to have "Electronic Lockup". So basicly which trani would i be better off using, and if i went with the 700-r4 what would be the importance of electronic lockup? One thing to keep in mind is that this is going to be a street and strip car, so i cant be too radical with the trani. thanks

 

well, heres my thoughts...
the 700r4 has a lower 1st gear than most auto trannys. its like 3.somethin:1, where as a 350 is 2.52.The 700 will launch hard and since it has lock up and overdrive, it will get better gas mileage. lockup means it has a clutch inside the torque convertor that in 4th gear will engage so that there is no slippage in the convertor. the 700 will bolt right in, and you can probably use the same driveshaft, but im not exactly sure on that because on my v6 to v8 swap, I went with a th400. A th350 will be stronger, but requires a new driveshaft and a new crossmember and torque arm mount. If you plan on making alot of power and driving hard, go with the 350. You will like the high stall convertor. hughes makes a kit to change a 3rd gen to a th350, which includes a crossmember and torque arm mount. has the th350 itself had any modifications or is it a stock rebuild? I would assume it has some good parts in it since it came with a high stall convertor. I would go with the 350 if it were me, but i like a challenge. I put a big block in mine. my big block ate up 2 700's before i put in a th350.