What's worth more in a 4x4 - stick or automatic?

[davepl]

I've found a very nice example of a Grande Sierra short box 4x4, but its a 4-speed. Among the "general concensus", is that a good thing or a bad thing?

I would have preferred an automatic just for driveability, and while I could always convert it, I wouldn't want to sacrilege if the 4-speeds are rare and valuable.

Thanks!
Dave

[msgross]

It's really up to you... the 4-speed is bullet proof but hard on the left leg after awhile.... some guys even upgrade to a 5 speed NV4500.


people on here will only gasp when they see someone hack the dash on a cherry ride to install a new CD player!

[davepl]

Originally Posted by msgross

It's really up to you... the 4-speed is bullet proof but hard on the left leg after awhile.... some guys even upgrade to a 5 speed NV4500.

people on here will only gasp when they see someone hack the dash on a cherry ride to install a new CD player!

I would -never- cut the dash, but that's where you can see it :-)

I have a ZZ502 w/ AFR340 heads, port fuel injection, and a Hogan sheet metal intake connected to a TKO-600 in my Camaro. I've decided I have too many kids to race an old car with that much power, so... would a TKO-600 be able to connect to the transfer case in a '72 4x4?

I also understand there is some firewall work required.

The beauty of the truck in question is that there's no SPID, so what it came with originally is both (a) impossible to prove, and (b) irrelevant!

[msgross]

no idea on the tranny... you could always find a divorced transfer case and run it with a 2WD tranny.

[winchster]

This site might help you out some.

http://www.5speedtransmissions.com/6...truck_5sp.html

[racerface]

My votes for the 4-speed

[Livrat]

Originally Posted by davepl

I've found a very nice example of a Grande Sierra short box 4x4, but its a 4-speed. Among the "general concensus", is that a good thing or a bad thing?

I would have preferred an automatic just for driveability, and while I could always convert it, I wouldn't want to sacrilege if the 4-speeds are rare and valuable.

Thanks!
Dave

It's a location thing on either one... On our side of the mountains 4spd trucks are difficult to give away.. (must be all our hills) it seems that only the automatic ones sell... But then head east towards Idaho/Montana and 4spds are the preferred ones.. Go figure

Since all the automatic stuff will bolt in, I say covert it and keep the 4spd stuff just in case one want to go back the way it came from the factory..

[Kel's 72 GMC]

i would say it doesnt really matter if it is a stick or automatic in our trucks. Its not like its a numbers matching 70 Chevelle SS or another muscle car that orginally had a 4 speed but later converted it to auto which deeply hurts the value because they are highly sought after.

[70cst]

The older one gets the more valuable an automatic becomes.

[Farmstore34]

It seems here in Oregon that the 4 speeds are pretty rare, almost every 67-72 4x4 I see is automatic. I much prefer the stick shift.

['68OrangeSunshine]

I prefer the stick shift. I bought my '71 GMC Jimmy because I saw it had a stick [SM465/NP205] instead of the usual TH350 or 400. Car dealers were always pushing the automatics because they could resell them easier. Ex-wives liked them because they could drive the truck.

[70 shorty]

Striclty personal preference, but I'd rather have the 4 spd. My only auto is my DD, and I wouldn't mind if that was a manual.

[special-K]

It has no effect on dollar value.The true off-road guys prefer the 4spd and so do traditional truck guys.Figure the first auto was a`69 Blazer...the were new to 4wds back then.I like the take your time,got all the power,not in a hurry feel of the old 4spds.Tall tires are your o/d.I had a rare `72 K/20 with the Highlander pkg (which included auto trans/tilt wheel) with all the bells and whistles.The original owner insisted on a 4spd and that made that truck so dang cool.I could never confirm if it was upfitted post factory (most likely) or if he had the factory do it.The Highlander was the first of the "option groups" we now are plagued with.So,if it was from factory,he may have just given up the savings yet got the plaid seat normally only offered in the package.

[teeitup]

Like 70CST said the older I get the more I like Automatics

[glimmertwin01]

4speeds are cool autos are cool...I have both my 72 K5 has a 4 speed and a manual throttle. my 74 K5 is an auto.. I suppose that with the 3.08's it will be my DD in the summer (locally of course as i commute 50 miles one way a day) its easier to drive and better on gas as the 72 is a 454 with 3.73 gears. as Jimmy Carter said "Please dont be fuelish" LOL
my 68 K20 is staying 4.56 gears, SM 420, T221, 292. it wont race down the road but with 36" tires shell at least do 55 and not sound like the motor is gonna blow up...

[PanelDeland]

Teeitup and 70CST are just getting "Old and Shiftless" like me.

[DonsCST]

A stick is worth it's weight in gold if your into 4-wheel'en and you know how to drive it.

[Huck]

Both 4spd and 350turbo in a 4x4 are solid setups. Value---automatics are more desireable for a lot of reasons---. As I recall the np205 transfer is unique to either manual or auto so keep that in mind. In either case, I prefer a transmission with overdrive for obvious reasons. The original setup is probably stronger then what GM is putting out today as I have towed many a late model Z71 off WET GRASS, MINOR SLIME MUD, etc. with my BLAZER!!! hehehehehe

[Monte Carlo Man]

The nice thing about the K/5 Blazers was that the transmission tunnel bolted in.
You could put anything in them and it didn't matter. I knew of lot's of people in the 70's and 80's that had a manual transmission in the Blazer just because the automagic's were junk.

With today's technology, you could go with a 4L60E or a 4L80E or even one of the new six speed automatics like what I have in the 09 Avalanche.

With the technology out there today, where the company's have already came out with after market wiring harnesses where all you have to do is bolt everything in and plug it in and drive it, I wouldn't be scared to put in the six speed automatic transmission and I wouldn't be worried that it couldn't handle all the power and torque you want to feed into it.

It would probably be easier though for you to buy a Avalanche Frame and running gear and just put your body on the Avalanche frame then to convert the 1970 frame to fit the new stuff.

[mrein3]

Originally Posted by davepl

I've found a very nice example of a Grande Sierra short box 4x4, but its a 4-speed. Among the "general concensus", is that a good thing or a bad thing?

I would have preferred an automatic just for driveability, and while I could always convert it, I wouldn't want to sacrilege if the 4-speeds are rare and valuable.

Thanks!
Dave

When I got my 4x4 it was a 3-speed manual. I hated it at the boat ramp. I converted it to a th350. I now love it at the boat ramp. To this day I state the manual to auto swap is one of the best mods I ever did to my truck.

THE ONLY thing I miss is the ability to shift the transfer case by simply depressing the clutch. For everything else I love the auto.

If you want to swap it is far easier than you think. ALL 1972 4x4s came from the factory with the same length of transmission/t-case adapter/transfer case. In other words a 4-speed with its factory case and adapter attached is the same length as the 3-speed manual/t-case assembly and is the same length as the th350 assembly. So if you want to swap from one to the other all you need is a complete assembly (transmission/adapter/case) and bolt it in place of what you got. No change to drive shafts. Same crossmember. T-case bolts to the frame in the same spot.

If you can get a cool/cheap/whatever 4x4 and you don't like the transmission, get the full assembly from what you want, swap them, and save the original in case the market ever demands these things to have numbers matching.

Heck. Even the speedometer cable is the same on all factory configurations.

All that being said, easy swap is sort of a loaded term. Having swapping one in, I don't want to do another one any time soon. I used a hoist at a garage I used to work at, had access to their transmission jack, engine cherry picker, everything you'd need to make it go smoothly. And the job was a bear. That is one heavy item once you have the transmission, adapter, and case all bolted together.