D2 is right,
To get the full benefit of the overdrive it's often necessary to swap rear
gears top optimize your acceleration and economy at your normal cruise rpm.
Installing a Gear Vendors without changing the rear gear WILL NOT be a
problem. They actually have a kit they call "gear switching" where the car
shifts automatically through the gears 1st-1st od-2nd-2nd od etc, like a 6
speed. I don't think a healthy 440 will have much trouble pulling the car
with almost any gear. In my 3800 lb 4 speed I am often in 4th around 20 mph
and the car doesn't lug unless you try to accelerate hard. With the
automatic feature it should select the proper gear anyway.
I don't see how a lock up 727 would be a problem, although it might not be
worth the trouble of swapping the trans. There is a Mopar 4 speed auto
(A518) which is basically a 727 with an extra gear. I'm sure it could handle
the engine and you can buy them new (but pricey) from Mopar Performance.
The problem is that the o/d adds length and width at the back of the trans.
Extensive floor pan/trans tunnel mods are required on an A-body. I don't
know of anybody doing the mod on a c-body or Imperial.
Rob
At work, dreaming of adding o/d to my 300 hp '83 Imperial, but first let's
get it running WITH a/c.
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