# Question about '68 transmission



## Poncho Dan (Jun 30, 2009)

Here's the deal:

My dad's first car was a green 68 GTO, with the 400/4bbl. My grandfather bought it new for my grandmother and it was eventually passed onto my dad when he turned 16. It came from the factory with a console shift *3 speed* manual. Nowhere else have I heard of/seen this. Did such an option exist, or was it a rare factory Frankenstein? The rumor was that it was an outsourced Ford transmission...


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## 05GTO (Oct 6, 2004)

I believe the 3 speed was the standard transmission for the GTO, the two 4 speeds and the automatic were the optional upgraded transmission,


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

:agree


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## 68greengoat (Sep 15, 2005)

:agree Your grandmother was one lucky lady..


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## Poncho Dan (Jun 30, 2009)

Thanks for the info... this _might_ solve a long-term family debate. My grandparents had some pretty sweet GM cars in their time... my grandmother wanted the GTO because she was an on-call anesthesiologist at the local hospital. I remember she had more than a few cars with a man-pedal.

It actually was the exact same color as the one in your sig, GreenGoat.


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## Too Many Projects (Nov 15, 2008)

Sometime in 68 the Saginaw trans factory had a major fire and when GM ran out of the HD 3 speed tranny's they contracted with Ford for theirs so it isn't rumor about the Ford 3 speed trans. ALL Pontiac bell housings you see from mid 68 on up have a dual bolt pattern for a manual trans. I had a 69 GTO with the standard HD 3 speed trans and it was a Ford.


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

I think the Ford- made 3 speed goes back to the beginning. Pulled one out of a '65 GTO in 1990 when doing a refurbish to 4-speed, and have seen several over the years, in '65 and up GTO's and Lemans'....they were all the Ford unit, which was standard. I think if you wanted the two-speed slushbox it was about $180 more than the standard equipment 3 speed (with Hurst shifter) stick. I think the 4-speed upgrade was about the same.


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