Quote:
Originally Posted by U47
Controlled Coupling HydraMatic is really the correct term for the Dual coupling HydraMatic. Cadillac's term for this trans is called 315 or P315 HydraMatic. Pontiac's name for the very same trans is called Super HydraMatic. Oldsmobile's term for the very same transmission is Jetaway HydraMatic ( not to be confused with the ST300 automatic which was also called Jetaway HydraMatic).
In 1959 my Dad ordered out of the L.A. zone office a SO ( special order ) 59 Catalina. Besides special paint and a Bonneville interior, the car came with a 420A 389 Tri-Power engine with a solid lifter cam in the trunk, A heavy duty Super HydraMatic which has the external oil that goes in front of the radiator, and a 3.08 Safety Track with a 3.90 and 4.10 also in the trunk. These S/O cars that had the 420"A" engines were all built in Michigan in the Pontiac tool room so the car was railed out to the west coast. Normally a car ordered out of a dealership in the L.A. area would have been built in the Southgate plant in L.A. county like my 62 and 63 Catalina's.
This car raced in A/S automatic when new and by 1961 we burnt a exhaust valve and the heads were replace with big valve heads which made the car at 3,900lbs. a consistent 13.90's @ 100-102mph at sea level. When the car was new a friend of my Dads who was a HydraMatic expert pulled the trans down to change line pressure, and to modify the secondary fluid coupling to drain and refill twice as fast as stock, stock is four tenths of a second. There was a governor modification and something else also that I can't remember. In 1965 I was 14 years old and that was the year I got my IHRA license as I was to drive the car. By that time the car was running in F/SA. At 16 in 1967 the car was also my daily driver as well. When I sold the car in January 1969 it had roughly 96,000 miles and would still turn it's same quarter mile times. The car was sometimes a week end warrior and sometimes a Wednesday grudge night participant plus some street racing which I might add paid far better than organized racing. Aside from being torn down for modification when new the trans was never apart again.
I have a very good friend who has a 66 GTO that has a fuel injected 428 ( made by himself) that puts out roughly 750HP and a uses a 2004R that runs 10's. and with all the Art Carr parts in it seems to hold up. This car was a Hot Rod magazine cover car years ago.
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I just Love The Pontiac Motors Legacy.
It has been about Racing Always .
Especially Street Racing.
I am 46 Years old now.
I recall back in 1976 I spotted a brand new all White Trans Am 455.
I was In Love then.
My Father had a 1959 Catalina 389 4bbl Super Hydramatic Trans.