Six Bolt Toploaders

[Joe Travers]

Looking @ Kee's table; I'm assuming the HEH-BK & BP are the 6 bolt ones for Falcon/Comet?
BK- close ratio, BP- wide?

Joe

[Lou's Comet]

Looking @ Kee's table; I'm assuming the HEH-BK & BP are the 6 bolt ones for Falcon/Comet?
BK- close ratio, BP- wide?

Joe

They also have a HEH-BS listed for 65 comet/falcon

Lou

[Joe Travers]

They also have a HEH-BS listed for 65 comet/falcon

Thanks, Lou!
Totally missed that one. By the dates listed, looks like BP may be 5 bolt narrow housing w/ wide ratio?
T-10s and Toploaders made @ the same time. One of those wacky Ford things, drives me nuts.

Joe

[comethead]

Last year I found an HEH BK trans on eBay with a Hurst shifter. Bought it and yup….it had a 65 Cyclone VIN stamped on the lower flange of the main case. Pretty cool close ratio Hipo Comet trans. It was a pile of poo though. Second gear engagement teeth were wiped clean and I think all the gears and synchros were toast.
A fellow on the East Coast contacted me about it. Apparently he had two 64 Hipos and a 65. He wanted the trans. I sold it and I’m happy it ended up going to a real Comet guy.

Joe

[Joe Travers]

Last year I found an HEH BK trans on eBay with a Hurst shifter. Bought it and yup….it had a 65 Cyclone VIN stamped on the lower flange of the main case. Pretty cool close ratio Hipo Comet trans. It was a pile of poo though. Second gear engagement teeth were wiped clean and I think all the gears and synchros were toast.
A fellow on the East Coast contacted me about it. Apparently he had two 64 Hipos and a 65. He wanted the trans. I sold it and I’m happy it ended up going to a real Comet guy.

Joe

Cool deal, Joe
Hope you broke even on the tranny. I'm keeping my eye open for a BK, but I'm not gonna get swindled.

Joe II

[comethead]

Yeah Joe I got all my money back plus a finders fee. I wouldn’t waste time looking for a BK. They’re rare and not worth it unless you have a numbers Hipo car. Better to find a cheap Toploader and convert it to close ratio and find an early tail housing with the forward shifter bosses.
I guess “cheap Toploader” may be a thing of the past.
My buddy is building a Cobra and he said he wanted a Toploader built. I got all new parts except for the tail housing. Big in/big out, wide ratio and all new guts. Cost was $2400. Considering the junk they have on eBay I thought the price wast too bad. Although I wouldn’t pay that!

Joe

[Joe Travers]

Better to find a cheap Toploader and convert it to close ratio and find an early tail housing with the forward shifter bosses.

You're right, no need for any number matching.
Finding the tail housing will be the toughest part. I see T-10 tail housings for sale all the time. I think Mustang guys are thinking like you.
Might be the place to look.
Or better yet, change gear cluster in T-10 and change out to torque lock sliders.

Joe

[comethead]

FYI all new sliders and gears for Toploaders are of the “torque lock” design. Also I’ve seen a bracket selling on eBay that uses the tail housing bolts to locate the bracket about where the stock 63-65 Comet Falcon shifter would be on the forward part of the tail housing. Pretty slick part to convert any tail housing for a Comet. If I find it I’ll post a link.
Looks heavy duty like it’s made of 1/4” plate. A dude might even be able to fab one hisself.
Joe

[Joe Travers]

FYI all new sliders and gears for Toploaders are of the “torque lock” design. Also I’ve seen a bracket selling on eBay that uses the tail housing bolts to locate the bracket about where the stock 63-65 Comet Falcon shifter would be on the forward part of the tail housing. Pretty slick part to convert any tail housing for a Comet. If I find it I’ll post a link.
Looks heavy duty like it’s made of 1/4” plate. A dude might even be able to fab one hisself.
Joe

Thanks, Joe! Good food for thought

Joe II

[Rootsy]

Yeah I am into my toploader for a solid $2500 (maybe more) minus the $1000 shifter. Bought a junker from Facebook marketplace, kept the main case, shift rods and detents. Rest is 100% new (most from David Kee) except the tailshaft housing. Spent $400 for a Mustang one on eBay that had the bosses (cut off mind you) for the comet / falcon. A bit of time on the mill and some spacers in the lathe and works just like it should. They are getting hard to find.

[Joe Travers]

They are getting hard to find.

Mustang builders have been hoarding parts for decades, now.
I know one locally.

Joe

[Rootsy]

They are getting hard to find.

Mustang builders have been hoarding parts for decades, now.
I know one locally.

Joe

Dan Williams told me he is sold out and he is no longer making the new universal ones. David Kee is having trouble getting the universal ones he offers too.

Recently there was an early comet / falcon toploader for sale close to me. The price was good enough that had I not already had my setup complete I would have purchased just for the tailshaft housing. The rest was pretty worthless (narrow case, 25 spline out).

Guy on FB Market place had a couple of comet / falcon tailshaft housings recently for like $450. He stopped by here a month or so back and bought the tailshaft housing and main shaft I had sitting around from my donor trans.

[Joe Travers]

No big problem w/ T-10, just don't beat on it too hard.
Holds up good for hot rod engines if you run street tires w/ recommended pressure.
Hooking up ain't my bag. Too hard on my wallet!

Joe