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Will either of these overdrives work?

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There's a website for a guy who wedged a Laycock D-type OD into a 1500 Midget, with photos and tutorial. A Laycock D-type will fit, however, it takes a bit of bending of the propshaft tunnel which should be done with great care (obviously).

The J-type is larger than a D-type which may eliminate it from consideration. There isn't much extra room to work with for this mod, so it make sense to use a D-type. Again, if the propshaft tunnel has to be widened for a D-type, the wider J-type unit would require further widening which could be unpractical.

Does anyone have a link for the guy who installed a D-type in a 1500 Midget? I think his name was Trevor, not sure.

Anyway, it can be done and seems like a great mod. The D-type goes with the 3-rail gearbox, just like a Spitfire. Not that hard to find and less expensive than a J-type.

Anyway, let us know how this goes. And please provide some photos for us as this would be a most valuable documentation project.

Good luck . . . :thumbsup:
 
Wouldn't a conversion like Rivergate be on the short list here?

Not as original but isn't it thought to be "easier"?
 
LAW3 said:
It might be easier but on the surface appears much more pricey.
Click to expand...

Probably, but then again it is supposed to bolt right in. Guys, does fitting an O/D require a new prop shaft etc? You'd need the shaft for use the the O/D as well, right?
 
Rivergate won't work with the later 1500 engines.
 
If the D-type OD bolts right onto the back of the 1500 tranny, that's quite a deal! A little welding and wedging, and you're shiny.
 
In the link above, Trevor states that he did not have to modify his propshaft, so that saves time and money. And, even if you have to rebuild the D-type gearbox, the Laycock D-type mod costs a fraction of the cost of the Datsun gearbox conversion.

Rebuilt D-types can be had for less than a thousand and I've seen good ones for $600 or so. All you need is the wiring (Teglerizer.com shows you how to fabricate it from scratch--pretty easy).

Plus, it's at least somewhat "correct" for the car. What's more, the D-type provides more reduction in your final drive ratio, delivering lower RPMs on the highway.

It also has the "coolness" factor: switching that gearbox into overdrive never fails to wow passengers, most of whom have never seen an overdrive gearbox in action!

If money is important, do the D-type conversion. A well-sorted/maintained D-type will deliver tens of thousands of miles of driving fun.
 
How can I identify which overdrive is a D type as opposed to a J type? I sthe unknown overdrive in the ebay listing at the beginning of this post a D type?
 
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