It's getting easier than ever to get classic looks and late-model performance all rolled into one sensational ride. This technology is available via modern fuel injection, performance brakes and suspension, sound deadening, sound systems, roller tappet camshafts, improved lighting, power windows, larger wheels, and speed-rated tires. Overdrive is another popular upgrade with a late-model AOD automatic or a five/six-speed manual. But you can also upgrade to a Gear Vendors overdrive for your C4/C6 automatic or four-speed Top Loader transmission.
If you're fond of the sound of First gear in an old close-ratio Top Loader or that soft whine of the First gear planetaries in a classic C4 Cruise-O-Matic, Gear Vendors' overdrive unit is the perfect solution for your vintage Mustang. Originally conceived to help motor homes cruise more efficiently, it wasn't long before Gear Vendors applied their approach to classic muscle cars and weekend race cars. Gear Vendors now has an overdrive for virtually every vintage Ford transmission, including C4, C6, and Top Loader. What's more, this rugged overdrive unit has withstood as much as 1,850 hp in NHRA competition, so it will definitely stand up to the rigors of your classic Ford V-8 in street and strip use.
The Gear Vendors overdrive isn't just a shift into final drive, then overdrive, although you can do that with it. You can also shift in and out of overdrive on the fly in gears one, two, three, or four in a practice called gear splitting. This happens via sophisticated electronics that enable you to engage overdrive manually or automatically based on vehicle speed.
The Gear Vendors overdrive works like an automatic transmission, which makes it hydraulic in function with a cone-style clutch pack. Set your Mustang in motion and your transmission's output shaft turns the overdrive's pump. If you're in Autodrive mode, upshift into overdrive happens at approximately 45 mph. In manual mode, overdrive happens whenever you desire.
The Gear Vendors overdrive...
The Gear Vendors overdrive kit arrives ready for installation. Think of overdrive as an additional set of planetaries like you have in an automatic overdrive transmission.
Like an AOD, overdrive is...
Like an AOD, overdrive is a hydraulic function unit. Your transmission's output shaft turns the overdrive's pump, which makes pressure to engage the overdrive's clutch pack and planetary gear set. It employs a common vertex (cone) clutch system, which eliminates the power loss experienced through most automatic transmissions. Your Mustang's engine doesn't know it's there until overdrive engages.
Gear Vendors allows you to...
Gear Vendors allows you to have it your way with either a switching system provided in the kit or your own indicator lights and switch.....
....Green indicates manually...
....Green indicates manually engaged and red means automatically engaged. In "red," overdrive automatically engages at 45 mph.
With a manual transmission,...
With a manual transmission, you can engage overdrive with a shift ball/t-handle switch or shifter-mounted thumb switch. Jump in and out of overdrive (known as gear splitting) as you navigate the gears if that's how you'd like to get from First gear to final overdrive cruise.
This is the brains behind...
This is the brains behind the brawn-Gear Vendors' overdrive electronic control, which allows precise control. Gear Vendors makes installation easy with detailed instructions and markings. Everything is color coded, so you can't miss. Yellow is the signal generator (speed sensor) at the speedometer cable. White energizes the overdrive solenoid (engaged or disengaged). Red is the main power on/off switch. Black is overdrive manual engagement. On the far left is the 12-volt main power source, which should be ignition-switched power (ignition "on" only, not accessory). Far right is ground. Mustangs & Fast Fords OC installed the module out of the way in this '65-'66 glovebox.
Bill Hutton of Mustangs &...
Bill Hutton of Mustangs & Fast Fords OC removes the factory driveshaft first.
For '65-'66 Mustangs, you...
For '65-'66 Mustangs, you will have to modify the parking brake cable adjustor to clear the Gear Vendors overdrive unit.....
....Mustangs & Fast Ford OC...
....Mustangs & Fast Ford OC widened the adjustor to clear, which works quite well. Another approach is an aftermarket parking brake cable adjustor (left).