Super Chevy – October 2019

26 SUPER CHEVY OCTOBER^2019

TECH

supply of salvage transmissions from

trucks has helped lower prices to make

this a more affordable option, along

with most salvage engines sourced

from trucks are being bought with

their factory transmission as part of

the package. While the stock Tri-Five

transmission tunnel has a lot of space,

the 6L80 can’t be fitted without some

tunnel modifications due to its larger

width and length compared with the

earlier 4L series automatics.

Alongside that, the demand for

a new firewall insert has increased.

R

eal Deal Steel (RDS), based in Sanford, Florida, was

one of the first aftermarket companies to offer brand-new

Tri-Five bodies. As the demand grew and feedback came in

from customers, RDS recognized there was a need for more options

on the new Tri-Five bodies to help reduce the amount of time

customers/builders spent modifying their cars. They also found that

some parts, such as mini-tubs, were much easier to add during the

body-building phase, which let them offer options that would save

their customers time and cash in the long run.

Installing a late-model engine and transmission into a Tri-Five

Chevy has become even easier thanks to RDS’s new 4-inch recessed

firewall and enlarged transmission tunnel.

A big factor in offering these parts has been the increased popularity of

using the 6L80 series of six-speed automatics in builds. The increasing

SMOOTH

OPERATION

ADDING A SLICK FIREWALL AND LARGER TRANSMISSION TUNNEL

TO OUR REAL DEAL STEEL 1955 WEEK TO WICKED PROJECT

Story Patrick Hill (^) + Photos the Author