Did Bristols modify the Torqueflight

[David C]

I'm told the TransGo item is no longer available but I can't confirm or deny.

[dwomby]

Originally Posted by Kevin H

David, I'm puzzled by your comment. Why was a 1962 Torqueflite fitted to your 408 in the USA? What transmission did it have beforehand?

The 408 (Mk1) for the UK market left the factory with a Torqueflite (A-466), which incidentally had kickdown in 2nd and D (3rd), just like the later A-727.

Hi Kevin, my car was exported to USA in 1992 after body restoration in UK but without an engine or transmission. I have spoken to the then owner who said Tony Crook found that car for him and it had no engine or transmission when he bought it for restoration. He left it that way as he reasoned import duties to US would be less and the engines and transmissions would be plentiful and cheaper here.

After arrival here, the car was fitted with an appropriate '62 pushbutton TorqueFlite (donor unknown) but with a 1978 360 from Dodge Monaco (modified with a performance camshaft and intake manifold).

David

[Connoisseur]

There was another TorqueFlite modification, which was a locking device to prevent the wrong gears being selected on the push buttons. I think that was a Chrysler development adopted by Bristol. But it is possible that they also developed their own system.

[Kevin H]

Originally Posted by Roger Morrall

When 1st gear was selected on a trailing throttle it would only engage 1st gear after I’d brought the speed down to about 6 mph on the brakes. This is not in accord with the Chrysler literature, which indicates that when 1st is selected it should engage 1st when the speed is down to about 30mph. My recollection is that the Bristol drivers handbook did not match the Chrysler literature in this regard.

Roger,
What was the Chrysler literature you refer to?

Kevin

[Connoisseur]

"The Chrysler Torque-flite 3-speed automatic transmission was likewise altered to meet Bristol’s exacting requirements. The part-throttle kick-down has been eliminated, as not giving a sufficiently smooth action, and the full-throttle kick-down adjusted to suit the lower weight of the Bristol against that of a massive Chrysler sedan."