VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Mechanical - Engine, Trans, etc 1946 chevy pick up 4speed to automatic

Hi all,
I have a 1946 chevy 1/2 ton pickup with a 235 and 4 speed manual transmission. My wife will not drive the manual so I need to convert it to an automatic. My question is what year and model donor car would I need to get an automatic transmission to work in this truck?
What about torque tube compatibility?
Thank you in advance for your knowledge.

Hi shohola,

Welcome to the VCCA's website!

I don't know the answer to your questions, but I suspect that your proposed tranny swap is more complicated that just finding new parts and bolting them in.

Although this website is mostly about preservation and restoration, there is a forum for Personal Modifications further down the list. That's where you'll find folks that do these kind of swaps. Here is a link to that forum: https://vccachat.org/ubbthreads.php/forums/86/1/personalized-modifications.html

Another place to look is the Tech Tips page of the Stovebolt website. Their site is mostly about modifying Chevy and GMC trucks. Here's a link to that page: https://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/

My suggestion is to gently suggest that your wife give the stick shift a try in an abandoned parking lot. Remind her that back in the day, these trucks didn't come with automatics so men and women learned to drive them and it was no big deal. I recently taught my son to drive a stick so he could drive my 1928 Canopy Express. He picked it up pretty easily.

If you keep your truck in its original configuration, you'll have a unique vehicle that people will appreciate for being a survivor and a representative of a bygone era.

Good luck either way! Dean

I would leave it as a stick shift, anti theft device as it will prevent your wife and a lot of others stealing your pick up.
Tony

If your truck still has the enclosed driveshaft then you are limited to PowerGlides from 1950 through 1954. Chevy did offer the PowerGlide in trucks in 1954. I expect that those are pretty rare. I do not know the details of differences between the truck and car PowerGlides.

You said the truck has a 235. What generation or year is it? There were 235's available as early as 1941.

While I am sure that you can adapt an automatic to your truck, there will be lots of details and "gotcha's".