The hydra-matic..
One of the most complicated transmissions ever made. It starts with a 3.97 first gear with four speeds and ends in fourth with 1:1.. Its a no brainer to see you will want a rear end ratio around 3:08 or 2:73, that way you have tremendous pull out power and car cruise at 100 all day in fourth.. The really cool thing about the hydro is its grounded in third and fourth like a stick transmission giving you excellent economy and a really cool lugging sound while cruising at low speeds..
I had one of these transmission behind a healthy 462 once and it handled that motor better then the th400 that replaced it. The just rebuilt turbo blew after 8000 miles!!!!
The 59 Pontiac has all the right parts to make an excellent cruiser.. Enjoy the excellent engineering that went into these cars. A old time GM engineer told my brother the 58 up Bonneville was designed to cruise the desert at 100 without stopping..
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