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Trying to identify this Borg Warner T-10 4 speed transmission. Cast iron case, aluminum tail housing. Tail is dated Dec 1958 so it is obviously for a 1959 GM car. So, what do y'all think it is and is it for a Corvette or passenger car?
Tail case looks good with Dec 58 date and the main case has Feb 6 casting date which could be 1958 or 1959. Is there an assembly date stamped on the main case?
edit: passenger and corvette all used the same transmission
Last edited by tgtexas02; Feb 25, 2021 at 09:32 PM.
Rex, it's been a while since I crawled under my '60 to have a looky-see. My memory is that its T10, original to the car, is also constructed with an iron main case and an aluminum tail shaft housing. I think you've got a righteous '59 Corvette (or passenger) T-10 there.
Jim
Rex, it's been a while since I crawled under my '60 to have a looky-see. My memory is that its T10, original to the car, is also constructed with an iron main case and an aluminum tail shaft housing. I think you've got a righteous '59 Corvette (or passenger) T-10 there.
Jim
Sorry if I was not clear but both cases are T-10 correct. As an example, my May 28, 1958 built Corvette has T10-7A aluminum tail cast 3-25-58 (Mar 25, 1958), T10-1 steel main case cast 1-2 (Jan 2) but assembled WD18-2 (Warner April 1, 1958-2d Shift), and an aluminum side cover without any ribs which was only used in 57 and 58 Corvettes. As long as the main case on yours is assembled after Feb 6 but a few weeks before your car's build date and the side cover has "ribs", It would be very correct for your 1959 Corvette or Passenger car.
Sorry if I was not clear but both cases are T-10 correct. As an example, my May 28, 1958 built Corvette has T10-7A aluminum tail cast 3-25-58 (Mar 25, 1958), T10-1 steel main case cast 1-2 (Jan 2) but assembled WD18-2 (Warner April 1, 1958-2d Shift), and an aluminum side cover without any ribs which was only used in 57 and 58 Corvettes. As long as the main case on yours is assembled after Feb 6 but a few weeks before your car's build date and the side cover has "ribs", It would be very correct for your 1959 Corvette or Passenger car.
Thanks for the info. I checked today and I don't see an assembly date. Just 2 letters, probably the previous owner's initials ?
The BT stamped into the case is not factory. Agree a previous owner did it. The '68 383 in my '61 has the previous owners last name stamped on the block pad over the factory numbers and is stamped other places on the block and heads, all in 1/2 inch tall font. The guy was a tweeker/drug dealer so he was pretty paranoid.
I may not be helping you much but seems you have two ways to go on the main case. Without an assembly date it could easily be a Feb 6, 1958 main case and rare find for a mid-to-late 1958 Corvette only. But, the tail case would obviously be date mismatched. This main case, if 1958, would only be for Corvette as no 58 passenger cars had a factory installed 4-spd; however, at least "one undocumented" 58 del ray supposedly had a factory four speed installed. This "one" undocumented example passenger car does not convince me. By 1959, Corvette and Passenger cars both could be purchased with the 4-spd option. I just happened to own a 59 Impala with the 348 3x2 carbs and factory 4-spd when I was in high school. So, if you wanted your main case to be for 1959 Corvette or Passenger car it would fit this application perfectly as long as the car's build date was within a six month range of Feb 6, 1959 on...Corvette or Passenger. Hope this helps you better understand things.
edit: appears the T10-1B first came available in June 1959 through January 1960 and then the T10-1C and T10-1D followed until 1963.
Last edited by tgtexas02; Feb 26, 2021 at 08:52 PM.
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Transmission identification
