# Transmission question



## pb goat owner (12 mo ago)

What transmission came in the 1974 ventura GTO?


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## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

Manual or auto? It had a 3 or 4 speed manual (saginaw, I think), and an auto.


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## O52 (Jan 27, 2019)

Standard was a 3 spd saginaw manual
Optional trans were:
4 spd Muncie manual
3 spd TH 350 automatic


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## pb goat owner (12 mo ago)

armyadarkness said:


> Manual or auto? It had a 3 or 4 speed manual (saginaw, I think), and an auto.


Automatic- 3 speed


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## pb goat owner (12 mo ago)

O52 said:


> Standard was a 3 spd saginaw manual
> Optional trans were:
> 4 spd Muncie manual
> 3 spd TH 350 automatic


I definitely have an automatic transmission so I guess we go with the three speed auto TH 350


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## pb goat owner (12 mo ago)

pb goat owner said:


> I definitely have an automatic transmission so I guess we go with the three speed auto TH 350





O52 said:


> Standard was a 3 spd saginaw manual
> Optional trans were:
> 4 spd Muncie manual
> 3 spd TH 350 automatic


Also would this TH 350 transmission handle a Pontiac 400 engine?


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## integrity6987 (May 10, 2017)

pb goat owner said:


> Also would this TH 350 transmission handle a Pontiac 400 engine?


400s automatics were usually paired with TH400s (not TH350)


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## pb goat owner (12 mo ago)

integrity6987 said:


> 400s automatics were usually paired with TH400s (not TH350)


OK thanks. Previous owner upgraded engine to a Pontiac 400 from the Pontiac 350 that it came with so I was wondering about what transmission is in your car now.


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## pb goat owner (12 mo ago)

pb goat owner said:


> OK thanks. Previous owner upgraded engine to a Pontiac 400 from the Pontiac 350 that it came with so I was wondering about what transmission is in your car now.


in the car now


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## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

You need a lot more information... Assuming that the car is an actual 74 GTO, then yes, the stock trans wouldve been a TH350, but unless you have verified that, I would never assume it.

As my friend @integrity6987 mentioned it was common for GTO's to use a TH400 behind the 400, but TH350's were used behind many big cube Pontiac and GM engines.

In any event, although a TH400 is the supreme auto, a TH350 is no slouch and it will easily handle a 400, assuming that the trans is healthy.


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## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

BTW, personally, I love 74 Venturas, be they GTO or not. Congratulations.


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## pb goat owner (12 mo ago)

armyadarkness said:


> BTW, personally, I love 74 Venturas, be they GTO or not. Congratulations.


thanks


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## pb goat owner (12 mo ago)

armyadarkness said:


> You need a lot more information... Assuming that the car is an actual 74 GTO, then yes, the stock trans wouldve been a TH350, but unless you have verified that, I would never assume it.
> 
> As my friend @integrity6987 mentioned it was common for GTO's to use a TH400 behind the 400, but TH350's were used behind many big cube Pontiac and GM engines.
> 
> In any event, although a TH400 is the supreme auto, a TH350 is no slouch and it will easily handle a 400, assuming that the trans is healthy.


do you know how I can verify if it was originally a GTO or not? Many of the Vin decoder‘s I have tried only allow 17 digits. And of course be in a 74 model it only has 13 digits, and I have found that there are very few vintage vin decoder‘s available and some of them don’t give you very much information.


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## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

There are many Pontiac guru's in here that will know the answer to your vin query, Im not one of them!

IMO, the clone vs. legitimate matter, only holds relevance in the resale realm... and Im even seeing it not matter there, anymore either.

You should already have posted some pictures!!! Even if it's beat up...


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## pb goat owner (12 mo ago)

armyadarkness said:


> There are many Pontiac guru's in here that will know the answer to your vin query, Im not one of them!
> 
> IMO, the clone vs. legitimate matter, only holds relevance in the resale realm... and Im even seeing it not matter there, anymore either.
> 
> You should already have posted some pictures!!! Even if it's beat up...


pic posted


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## An0maly_76 (Dec 25, 2021)

TH350s are pretty strong. While I'd say a TH400 would be a better choice, the Ventura's transmission tunnel is too small for one. A TH350, however, could be beefed up to handle it. The 73-later style were still kind of cool in their own way. I knew a guy that had a 74 or 75 Ventura Sprint that proved damned near bulletproof.


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## 1969GPSJ (Feb 26, 2020)

Nice car have you checked PHS 






PHS Historic Services


The source of historic information for Pontiac owners, restorers, collectors, enthusiasts and car buffs, who are looking for specific information on their Pontiac Firebird, GTO, and more.



www.phs-online.com


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## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

pb goat owner said:


> do you know how I can verify if it was originally a GTO or not? Many of the Vin decoder‘s I have tried only allow 17 digits. And of course be in a 74 model it only has 13 digits, and I have found that there are very few vintage vin decoder‘s available and some of them don’t give you very much information.


The 5th character in the VIN should be the letter "B" for the 350CI 4 Bbl 200HP GTO engine.

Factory trans, with regards to automatic, would have been the TH-350.


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## O52 (Jan 27, 2019)

Don't forget the dual exhaust Jim.


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## goat671 (Apr 13, 2019)

armyadarkness said:


> BTW, personally, I love 74 Venturas, be they GTO or not. Congratulations.


Observation my father passed on to me. GM had a bit of fun with the naming of these cars.

N ova
O mega
V entura
A ppolo


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## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

BTW... TH350 and TH400 are easy to tell apart.


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## pb goat owner (12 mo ago)

1969GPSJ said:


> Nice car have you checked PHS
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Not yet but i will, thanks


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## pb goat owner (12 mo ago)

PontiacJim said:


> The 5th character in the VIN should be the letter "B" for the 350CI 4 Bbl 200HP GTO engine.
> 
> Factory trans, with regards to automatic, would have been the TH-350.


Ok, yes the 5 th letter in my vin is “B”
thanks


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## pb goat owner (12 mo ago)

armyadarkness said:


> BTW... TH350 and TH400 are easy to tell apart.
> View attachment 150508


Yes, mine looks like the th350 gasket
thanks


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## michaelfind (Dec 14, 2018)

goat671 said:


> Observation my father passed on to me. GM had a bit of fun with the naming of these cars.
> 
> N ova
> O mega
> ...


And I always heard that Nova loosely translated to "no go" in spanish so it was a very unpoplular car in spanish speaking countries. But to the contrary, I grew up on the USA/Mexico border and there were Novas everywhere!


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## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

Novas were my first love... Hard car to love as a hot rodder... 80% had straight six power glides... another 80% were 4-doors. Getting a V8, 2 door was like finding a 4-leaf clover. Getting that with a 4 speed was like finding two 4-leaf clovers, wrapped with Farrah Fawcetts phone number.

After two years of driving and 3 Novas, I got my 66 Lemans. Then in 1992, while giving a buddy a lift to pickup his car at the dealership, I found my Ventura. It was a 100% original 73, with a 3 on the tree, Chevy straight 6, and only 12,000 miles. I put a 65 Chevy 283 in it and moved the shifter to the floor. Man, that car was a blast!


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## goat671 (Apr 13, 2019)

armyadarkness said:


> Novas were my first love... Hard car to love as a hot rodder... 80% had straight six power glides... another 80% were 4-doors. Getting a V8, 2 door was like finding a 4-leaf clover. Getting that with a 4 speed was like finding two 4-leaf clovers, wrapped with Farrah Fawcetts phone number.
> 
> After two years of driving and 3 Novas, I got my 66 Lemans. Then in 1992, while giving a buddy a lift to pickup his car at the dealership, I found my Ventura. It was a 100% original 73, with a 3 on the tree, Chevy straight 6, and only 12,000 miles. I put a 65 Chevy 283 in it and moved the shifter to the floor. Man, that car was a blast!


My Brother had a 71 with a 307 in it 4 bl 4 speed m21 that thing was a blast so light could light em up at will.


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## 67lemans (Oct 30, 2009)

Like army said, more info needed, but I certainly wouldn't be afraid of a turbo 350 vs turbo 400 tranny. The 400 is stronger, but also little less efficient, and I wouldn't go to the work of swaping a th400 for a th350 until something gave up on the 350..


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## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

goat671 said:


> My Brother had a 71 with a 307 in it 4 bl 4 speed m21 that thing was a blast so light could light em up at will.


Yes, when they did have 8's, the 307 was usually the one. Never heard of a 307 4bbl 4speed, but Im sure it would be fun. If Im not mistaken, the 307 had a 4" bore and short stroke.Which is what works in a light car... and why my 283 was a blast


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## goat671 (Apr 13, 2019)

armyadarkness said:


> Yes, when they did have 8's, the 307 was usually the one. Never heard of a 307 4bbl 4speed, but Im sure it would be fun. If Im not mistaken, the 307 had a 4" bore and short stroke.Which is what works in a light car... and why my 283 was a blast


Came from a family of gear heads the 4bbl and 4spd was an add on by my brother and father. My father rebuilt Manual transmissions so M21 close ratios were the norm with a truck clutch Oh yea think it had headers too.


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## pb goat owner (12 mo ago)

integrity6987 said:


> 400s automatics were usually paired with TH400s (not TH350)


yes, I know, and you are correct. But my car’s engine was replaced with a 400 (original was 350). And I didn’t know if the transmission was changed or not. I have since found one of the previous owners (the person who changed the engine) and he said it is the original transmission but he also changed therear gears to 3.73:1
Thanks


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## DustyOldGTO (Jun 26, 2019)

armyadarkness said:


> Yes, when they did have 8's, the 307 was usually the one. Never heard of a 307 4bbl 4speed, but Im sure it would be fun. If Im not mistaken, the 307 had a 4" bore and short stroke.Which is what works in a light car... and why my 283 was a blast


"A 307 cu in (5.0 L) version was produced from 1968 through 1973. Engine bore and stroke was 3.876 in × 3.26 in (98.5 mm × 82.8 mm)"
I had to google...had no idea about the bore and stroke.


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## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

DustyOldGTO said:


> "A 307 cu in (5.0 L) version was produced from 1968 through 1973. Engine bore and stroke was 3.876 in × 3.26 in (98.5 mm × 82.8 mm)"
> I had to google...had no idea about the bore and stroke.


Yes. Despite their complete lack of any following or popularity, Ive always loved 305's and 307's. And, despite them being only two cubes apart, they're completely different. A 305 uses a 350 crank/ stroke,
and a 307 uses the 327 crank/ stroke.


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## An0maly_76 (Dec 25, 2021)

armyadarkness said:


> Yes. Despite their complete lack of any following or popularity, Ive always loved 305's and 307's. And, despite them being only two cubes apart, they're completely different. A 305 uses a 350 crank/ stroke,
> and a 307 uses the 327 crank/ stroke.


Check out what they did with this 305... and it didn't blow up because of the mods, it blew up because they used nitrous without proper modification for the purpose.


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## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

I love LOVE 305s


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