It’s not a long-forgotten factory racing secret. The quickest way to move a ’60s muscle car down a dragstrip faster is to equip it with a swift-shifting, close-ratio four-speed and a set of deep rearend gears. This time-proven combination works great for lower e.t.’s, but at the end of the quarter-mile the engine is revving at its maximum. On the street, making a habit of running near redline can lead to a host of mechanical problems, not to mention uncomfortable sound levels and rotten gas mileage.
That was the challenge facing Bob Wells of Laguna Beach, California, owner of a mint ’62 Ford M-code Galaxie optioned with 4.56 gears. He wanted to bring down the rpm for street use without destroying the car’s legendary dragstrip acceleration.
For those unfamiliar, the M-code in the car’s VIN means it’s one of just a few early ’62 Galaxies specially built by the Ford factory for drag racing. Bob’s car in particular was race prepped by the late Les Ritchey and competed from 1962 to 1964. Bob holds a special affection for this car since Ritchey was his first boss. In addition to preserving its instantaneous acceleration, Bob wanted to keep the M-code’s original personality, so the answer wasn’t to slap in a late-model five-speed. The gear spacing is incorrect, and Bob says attempting to shift one fast feels like trying to churn broken glass into butter.
Researching the subject, Bob learned about Gear Vendors, which manufactures an under/overdrive unit with a one-size-fits-all design that’s suitable for every application imaginable thanks to a vast selection of special adapters. The adapter—an extension housing—bolts directly in place of an automatic or manual transmission’s tailshaft housing. Mounted inline behind the transmission, the stubby Gear Vendors unit requires shortening the driveshaft about a foot. The unit weighs about 32 pounds and is capable of handling up to 2,000 hp.
For a street/strip car such as Bob’s, there’s a lot more to be gained by installing a Gear Vendors under/overdrive than just the benefits of bumping its 4.56 rearend up to a taller ratio, though that is one happy result of the installation. The overdriven Fourth gear gives the Galaxie the equivalent of a 3.56 final drive ratio (see chart), bringing all the fuel economy and noise muffling improvements that come with fewer revs at highway speeds. Gear Vendors says most cars with performance rearend ratios (3.42s to 4.10s) should see a 22- to 28-percent improvement in highway fuel economy.
There’s another benefit too. Imagine the fastest-shifting Art Carr TorqueFlite or B&M Turbohydro ever beefed, and then multiply its quickness times two. In between the Ford Top Loader’s 2.32-ratio First gear and 1.69 Second, the GV unit splits the difference with a 1.80-ratio First-Overdrive gear, actuated using a concealed button on the Hurst shifter. The driver doesn’t need to use the clutch or let off on the throttle during that shift, so the engine’s speed doesn’t drop between shifts, keeping it in its optimal powerband. The driver can then decide to upshift into Second, Second-Overdrive, or even Third depending on conditions.
The unit also has what Gear Vendors calls an AutoLaunch feature, which drag racers will surely appreciate. This allows you to launch the car in First gear with First-Overdrive preselected. The GV unit will automatically shift into First-Over at a set speed, getting you farther down the track before you have to hit the clutch pedal to upshift again. A tech tip from Gear Vendors: Flip the Third-Fourth shift lever upside-down and you can then go straight to Third in what had been the Fourth gear gate. That lets you do the entire run with just one clutch depression: First, First-Over, Third, Third-Over.
The Gear Vendors under/overdrive’s ability to split gears up or down at a second’s notice without having to lift off the gas, coupled with dropping revs on the highway, makes it hard to beat. Bob said after driving the M-code home from El Cajon in overdrive, he just might put a Gear Vendors unit in every car he owns—including his ’61 Starliner with a built 427 and 4.11 gears.
