Help ID a833
The fabrication for mounting the shifter is not a big deal to me. I'm doing a resto mod so staying original is not important.
In that case
I highly recommend the long-tail, because in an A-body with bucket seats, you can move the shifter to wherever you want it to be.
I put it about 7inches back and up high enough to install the upper shifter bolt from the cabin. New rods are easy to fabricate.
I can't recommend the od box for a high-reving, low-compression engine tho, cuz the ratios are quite far apart, specifically the 1-2.
And I guarantee you that when you forget you are shifting a 3+1 you will zing all the teeth off the M/S od gear in an instant. That gear was designed for a 150hp 318. With a torquey 360 it don't take much to shred the teeth off it. I have two or three od boxes in the shed to prove it. Count your shifts! First thru third seem to put up with 400hp ok.
But IMO, the Command box is a better solution. You get the 3.09 low, and the rest is like the standard box. So you can run 3.23s and still have real good take-off, with a reasonable cruise-rpm. With 3.23s this works out to a starter gear of 9.98 ( same as 3.73s with a standard 2.66 low), and a cruise of 65=2600 with 27" tires. The penalty is that second gear is 1.92x3.23=6.20, and 32 mph is 2460 rpm, so your engine is gonna need some grunt to pull that...... unless you downshift.
I run the Commando with 3.55s, which is awesome, except for 65=2870 with 27s..... so I got me a GVod to cure that. Now 65=2240
