[tucsonjwt]

Thanks for the information Kipps.

For background, there are no square bodies left in the junkyards around here. A rust free square body in the desert Southwest goes for $2K and up, depending on how complete it is. The body can be dented up, but as long as the frame is rust free and straight they sell for top dollar. About 5 years ago people started snapping up the available square bodies off Craigslist and they never make it to the junkyards. Occasionally you will see one "lightly rolled" as they say in the junkyard business, but that is a frame only truck. Even the Suburbans are popular now.

I can see doing mods to get the NV4500 in place, but hacking the tunnel doesn't sound like my cup of tea. I am told by the transmission guy here that 2WD NV4500 are seldom seen, and he pays $1,000 when he finds one, so getting one of those would not be easy for me.

I will not be doing the work myself. I do the simple stuff, but R&R transmission and Gear Vendor is more than I want to tackle, especially with limited facilities and tools.

I do like my mechanical clutch, and don't want another hydraulic item to break.

Actually, the granny 4 speed is fine with me, but I do miss the Gear Vendor overdrive. With a 4:10 rear axle my engine is revving high above 35 mph in town, and that is where the GV was nice. When I had the GV working I could take my foot off the accelerator and the truck would coast to a stoplight easliy.
Now the truck feels like I downshifted into 3rd.

If I could fix the granny incontinence problem (leaking oil out the front) and fix the sloppy shifter without welding it up, then I would get a reman Gear Vendor and call it good. I am hesitant to buy a rebuilt SM465 online, since everyone I know who went that route got burnt. Transmission shops have the worst reputation for doing good work, and the big companies have the worst reputation. My granny shifts fine, so I am hesitant to give it up.