I have a 59 Fleetside, that the previous owner transpanted a 79 Impala drive line into ( 350 engine/ auto trans / rear end) Problem is he did not do anything to hook up the speedometer. How do I go about finding out what cable to use ? Wade Chandler McDonough , GA
While I am no expert on the drive train swap, I would leap to the conclusion that the main reason he never connected the speedo cable may be if the connection to the back of the speedometer was not compatible with the original 79 Impala style cable that came from the automatic transmission. But if you are lucky and GM used the same style connector over all those years, I would go with the Impala speedo cable. Something tells me it would be longer. Your main problem will be the connections at either end. I'm sure a local expert will step up and prove me wrong.. Chris
I have run a variety of engine/transmission combinations over the years in my trucks turbo 350, powerglide, and manual. I am currently running a Muncie four speed. The cable has never been a problem. The stock cable works fine. The problem is getting the speedo to read the right speed and clock the right mileage. Some were OK and others bounced all over the place. You can calculate the correct drive gear number of teeth and then order the gear from a variety of companies that will be close if not perfect. I found a couple of examples of the formula at http://enginebalancers.com/Products/TechInfo/speedo_gears.asp and the speedo gear colors and ratios at http://www.teufert.net/trans/speedo-gears.htm for example, Sledge
