[crankshaft3rd]

i have an 81 monte carlo with what were going to call a 370-400hp small block, tci th350 and 26"tires. this is more or less a toy not a daily driver. i will drive it but the fact of gas ilage does not bother me. im just curious as to what gears to get? im all for the seat of your pants line jump but if im going to be topped out before a 1/4 mile then theres no point. would 4.11s still give me a good hard launch? and would it still be climbing by the end of the 1/4 mile?

[anglia427]

how high is your rev limit on that motor

[chevykid90]

well with your tranny and rear tire size, you will go 112MPH running 6,000RPM's....going 70 down the freeway you will be at 3,700. and thats if there is no slip in your tranny. i would say if possible get bigger rear tires and a set of 3.73's. or an OD tranny. but not a 700R4, go with a 2004R. better gear ratio, and first gear wont be useless with a short rear end.

[tnsmith10]

Originally Posted by crankshaft3rd

i have an 81 monte carlo with what were going to call a 370-400hp small block, tci th350 and 26"tires. this is more or less a toy not a daily driver. i will drive it but the fact of gas ilage does not bother me. im just curious as to what gears to get? im all for the seat of your pants line jump but if im going to be topped out before a 1/4 mile then theres no point. would 4.11s still give me a good hard launch? and would it still be climbing by the end of the 1/4 mile?

a friend of mine is running a 28" tall slick with 4.11 gears, with roughly the same power as you, with a 3700 stall converter, and is at 6100-6300 in the traps it the 1/4. his car has 60ft times in the 1.60-1.64 range on average depending on weather.
so depending on what your engine is setup for with the cam you have, it may be more beneficial to run 3.73 rear gears with your 26" tall tire.
as far as getting a good hard launch, it could still get decent 60 ft times depending on your setup, cam and converter plays a big role here.