1961 T-10

[Joe M.]

I always thought the T-10 in my late April 61 was original until I read recent posts and archives. I have owned the car for 35 years and it was all original except for having a replacement 870, 64 327/365 block. Even the flywheel is cast 3.29.61

Main case and side cover are cast iron, tailshaft is aluminum.

tail markings = 6.14.60, T10 - 7B, a raised "1"

main case = raised date 4-20, T10-1B, Q1, WG Div, "1" stamped on main case just forward of side cover, no date on side cover, stamped behind side coverWM80-2.

side cover is cast iron and has no markings

1- Any possibility this could this be the original trans for an April 61 car?
The 4-20 date and raised "1" was the reason I believed it was original to the car. The early tail shaft seemed a possibility given the manufacturing vagaries.
2- Is this a late 60 or an early 61 vette T-10?
3- Is this a vette trans?

Another T=10 in my 57 appears to be a 1960 vette trans but not sure.

main case - cast iron, T10-1B, 1Q, 5-13, WF10??

tail shaft - aluminum, T10-7B, 5-24-60, "1", WG div,

side cover is aluminum with no markings

3- assume this is a 1960 vette trans?

Thanks,
Joe

[Loren L.]

I think your first trans may have been

at least partially made up from parts, then restamped with an assembly date that gets you into the '61 model year. An April Main case and a June tailshaft that don't assembled until Dec 8 - that's a reach. I'd be much more comfortable with the date spreads in your '60 trans - May & May and assembled in June.

[Verne Frantz]

Re: 1961 T-10

Joe,
Re: your '61: If the main case is stamped WM80-2 as you say, then it was assembled on Dec. 8th, 1960. Regardless of what the current discussion is relating to the cases originally produced as per the NCRS guidelines, I do not believe that case could be original to your car. My reasoning is that the 4-spd option (both Corvette and Passenger) was somewhat difficult to obtain then due to very slow production by Warner Gear. I believe that once a trans was assembled there were orders waiting (even in competition) for it to be delivered to an assembly plant. So, a trans assembled in Dec, and installed in an April car, is not what I would consider a typical time frame under the tense "supply to production" timetable then. I would expect the time between transmission assembly and final vehicle assembly to be no more than a week in that time frame of production.
From what I believe to be true, I don't think the main office would have broadcast the build order to the line unless they knew a trans would arrive at the assembly plant by the time the chassis was ready for assembly. There are others here who can address this subject (from personal experience) much better than I.