Ramon Lowe '58 Cheifton

[Mark Yacavone]

I saw where Ramon won two classes the same day, way back when. Didn't he have a 60, and maybe a 62, also?
Where is he now?

[bill dedman]

Tony,

You're right; those Jetaways and Strato-Flite transmissions were not the best drag racing transmissions ever to hit the strip.

I was being sarcastic, but my humor leaves a lot to be desired...

They did have better ratios than the Dual-Range hydros (3.95; 2.55; 1.55; 1:1) instead of 3.81; 2.63; 1.45; 1;1.

The 1956 Pontiac Dual Range hydros had a 1.55 front planetay that gave ratios of 4.08: 2.63; 1.55 and 1:1.

That was a better deal than the 1.45 (regular) front planetary unit because it did two things;

1. It raised the stall speed (power flows from the crankshaft, and though the front planetary before it goes to the fluid coupling, on a hydro), so the 1.55 planetary gives the engine more "leverage" at stall, using the same fluid coupling, and

2. it closed up that awful ratio gap (2.63:1 to 1.45:1) on the two-three shift, a little. Anything in the way of help there, was welcome....

I put a '58 370 Pontiac motor and Strato-Flite into my street car, a '56 Chieftan 2-door HT.

Hated the transmission, so when it failed after a short time, I replaced it with a Dual Range hydro out of a '56 Pontiac.

What a difference... lol!