Hey all, I recently bought a 1987 L98 IROC which I am going to build into a dedicated autocross car. I plan to have it ready for the start of next season. I will be rebuilding the transmission using the best parts I can while staying legal in whichever class I wind up choosing. Of course I will be adding a massive Transmission cooler, and manually shifting the car. Now, I read an article years ago in Camaro Performers or Chevy High Performance or something, I likely still have the magazine, but it was about a paddle shift kit for the third gens with the 700r4. I've tried finding the company, Retrotek,but they seem to have vanished. Does anyone know of anyone else who makes a paddle shift kit? How well would this work in an autocross scenario do you figure?

Thanks,
Dave

 

Paddle-shift requires 4L60E. 700R-4 gives the better option of a full-manual valve body.

 

What have people been using for autocross?

 

In that case you just install a a quality shift kit that allows full manual shifts ; up and down with engine braking

You should be working backwards from your typical top run speed / revs and optimizing your diff ratio to get best use of the T700 gearing.
The 3.07 1st gear does not let a TPI wind out very far

 

That's 3.059:1, and this looks to me like the right application for a TH350 swap.

 

3.07 differentiates it enough from the much taller 2.52 and 2.48 1st gears found in the TH350 and 400

 

I used a stock 700r4. Just throw it in 2 and leave it there.