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GreenHornet & rustygirl,
The info in the transmission exchange is excellent, especially if anyone is deciding to build something with a Kubota mill. When GreenHornet is at a point where his is on the road we'll have even more data.
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IF I wasn't focused on freeway capable, the original Spitfire 1300 4 speed along with the 3.27 rear differential was a very nice and simple setup. 1st was low enough you could dump the clutch at idle and not stall the engine. 4th gear arrived quickly so shifting was mostly at a minimum. The drawback of course was a 65 mph limit against the governor making freeway driving somewhat worrisome.
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Currently (quirks aside) I do get a big kick out of the Spitfire 1500 transmission with overdrive. First is not as low as the older 4 speed but still not a problem even in town on inclines from a dead stop. The overdrive makes an excellent "patch" between 3rd and 4th and I use it often - especially where the speed limit is in the 30-35mph range. And the overdrive is very well suited to the 3.27 with this little D850 (65-70 cruise is not a problem).
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The real kick in the pants is the overdrive though. It shifts hard enough to remind me of an aggressive "shift kit" in an automatic, yet there is still the fun of manual shifting the regular gears. I will hate myself everytime there is a problem with it - but for the rest of the times - it is pure driving bliss that keeps a foolish grin visible.
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One thing I'll be interested in - mostly with GreenHornet's eventual setup - is the transition into the final gear at speed. With the D850, it's still quite a sensation to enter that top gear at a low rpm from an engine that just isn't making a lot of power at that point - but pulls like a train anyway. If there's a car dawdling along at 55-60mph and I need to move along I can. GreenHornet will hopefully give us a visual when the time comes and maybe it will have many reconsidering an engine of just two-cylinders!
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Thank you both for sharing your thoughts and info!!!!
~CrazyJerry
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