Dear George and V-8 Buick lovers of luxury . . . .
I did consider the TH350 and/or 200R4, however, it seemed the consensus was to stay with the ST300. It's simpler and works well; less conversion cost. Now I'm wondering if i should consider an overdrive tranny? I do want to keep the cost down.
. . .
Not to tempt you or anything . . . .
I think you need to decide how much you are going to drive the car in order to decide. I have driven my trusty wagon with a ST-300, TH-350, and a 200-4R. I would rank them: 200-4R, ST-300, TH-350. The TH-350 has a much shorter starting gear that gets ultimately little use but makes driving the car rougher. That shift from 1st to 2nd is rough. The ST-300 shifts more smoothly. I have an Art Carr 200-4R and it does shift rougher than I would prefer, but it is hitched to a 500+ foot•pound engine, so that is necessary to keep the transmission from disintegrating.
I can say that having a car with overdrive is a real joy!
It is so much quieter most of the time. You can enjoy conversations and the radio or stereo. Still, you need to use the car enough to justify the additional investment. If you don't expect to use the car that much, you are probably better off with the ST-300 and that will be a more authentic experience to boot.
My
2-cent!Cheers, Edouard
P.S. Keep in mind that I'm more of a cruiser kind of guy than someone who likes to stomp on the car. If you want to get the car moving in a hurry the low gear of the TH-350 will definitely give you a better launch.