Could a '79 C10 w/ an I6 have come with a Saginaw manual transmission?

[handloader90]

Found a '79 C10 that has an I6 and some kind of manual tranny... shifter sits too far back towards the seat to be an SM465 (as far as from what I know).

Got me thinking it's a Saginaw maybe, guys says it's an all original truck.

Whatcha think?

 

[sweetk30]

was prob a 3 on the tree but most of them the shifter got nasty later in life so you buy the floor shifter conversion kit and be done.

 

[handloader90]

What transmission was the 3 on the tree?

I didn't know they used them in the '73-'87 ('91) trucks... thought they only came before that body style.

 

[diesel4me]

It could be a Saginaw or Muncie 3 speed,those were available "on the tree" in square bodies..

Could be someone stuffed a Saginaw or Muncie 4 speed,or even a Borg Warner T-10 in it-all would fit & work in that vintage C10,but probably never came factory with one..

I owned a '75 K5 that was 2WD and it had a factory Tremec 3 speed in it!...I almost broke it prying it off the bell housing ,found out it had 5 bolts to the bell housing instead of the usual 4,hidden up above..
I put a 4 speed Saginaw from a '75 Vega in it,bolted right in,but I had to retain the crappy Vega shifter..

A friend had a '82 C-10 that was a short bed ,owned by a telephone company,it had a factory 5 speed in it,one much like a Monza had,with the shifter built into the tail housing--it was ordered factory that way,we found the build sheet behind the seat springs..the elderly friend wanted an automatic so I helped him put a TH350 in it..
I imagine that tranny was not very rugged!..

Another possibilty is it might have the A833 Mopar 4 speed overdrive transmission--not sure what years got them,I know some 80's diesel trucks had them as an option..

 

[obijuank5]

Looks like the a833

 

[handloader90]

This truck doesn't have a brake booster either... just looked back at the pics and there is just a master cylinder mounted to the firewall.

Could this truck have came with manual brakes?!

 

[obijuank5]

Unusual truck to say the least. Low optioned with overdrive.

 

[handloader90]

Pics

 

[handloader90]

Unusual truck to say the least. Low optioned with overdrive.

It's definitely interesting.

It's reasonably priced, it seems like the price of all square body trucks regardless of what they are have shot up in price since the last one I bought.

 

[diesel4me]

Yes,manual brakes were "standard" equipment,but most dealers ordered trucks with option packages that included PB,so they aren't that common..

A truck with rubber mats,3 on the tree,manual brakes,and maybe manual steering too,is known as a "stripee" ,or "grandpa's truck".....

My '81 G-10 van has manual brakes,it was a 250 inline six originally--so was the '75 K5 I mentioned,and that '82 C-10...(that truck had manual brakes too!)..

 

[diesel4me]

Yes,manual brakes were "standard" equipment,but most dealers ordered trucks with option packages that included PB,so they aren't that common..

A truck with rubber mats,3 on the tree,manual brakes,and maybe manual steering too,is known as a "stripee" ,or "grandpa's truck".....

My '81 G-10 van has manual brakes,it was a 250 inline six originally--so was the '75 K5 I mentioned,and that '82 C-10...(that truck had manual brakes too!)..

 

[obijuank5]

I used to give em away. That damn barret Jackson k5. That steering box is pretty valuable to almost nobody but when you want one they are nowhere.

 

[diesel4me]

No spot on the colum for a shift handle,right ?...or levers for the linkage under the hood--if not,then its a 4 speed most likely..(not the Sm465 but one of the others listed above)..

That looks a lot like my '79 C-10 Bonanza did under the hood...here is a picture of it...I did a little "customizin' on the carb ,I hated the junk 2 bbl Vari-jet (very-junk) carb it had factory..

 

[handloader90]

Yea... I don't have a lot of details on the truck. As I find more out I'll post up.

It seems pretty interesting to me though.

It would be getting turbo or twin turbo LS swapped with a 2wd 4l80e or 2wd NV4500 as soon as the engine or trans showed any issues. Seems like it would be a fun ride until the swap though!