Recent News and Articles

The time had finally come for us to bust out one of our oldest projects—to take our long abandoned ’69 Chevy C10 off of the back burner and get it back on the road.

In It To Win It: This almost-new '57 gasser built by Woody's Hot Rodz could be all yours!

If you've been a longtime reader of Classic Trucks, you might remember my F-1 project that I've been working on for the last handful of years.

The concept for the Nomad wagon originated with GM's chief designer Harley Earl as a Corvette dream car that debuted in 1954 at Motorama.

The Ultimate Summer Camp Jeep came together quicker than you might imagine, as can be seen in the current coverage of our annual weeklong on/off-road-trip. This year we constructed a scratch-built Jeep.

Our Big-Block-Powered '61 Bel Air Needs a New Transmission. A Bulletproof Gearstar 4L80E is the Perfect Solution.

Backing Up a Stout 565hp Shafiroff Engine Meant Using Hefty Drivetrain Components to Avert Certain Disaster.

The Level 4 Gearstar 4L60E four-speed isn't much larger than the three-speed TH350, yet it's much stronger, allows precision adjustment of shift points and firmness, and adds a freeway-friendly 0.70:1 Overdrive.

Most often referred to as the Coyote, Ford's official designation is the 5.01L Ti-VCT (Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing). This all-aluminum powerplant is light, powerful, efficient and is finding its way under the hood of an increasing number of street rods.

We built our Alabama Army Truck last summer as a high-horsepower, big-torque mud slayer and trail basher. But this Chevy also sees highway duty and everyday work chores, like hauling hay, trash, goats

The world needs another LS-powered early Camaro! It really doesn't, but it seems no one in the performance industry got that memo, cuz guys are building the ubiquitous combo in soaring numbers, and manufacturers are releasing new swap parts like popcorn.

It hasn't been an easy life for our in-house project, Blue Bomber, a 2011 Chevy Silverado with a supercharged 4.8L. But so far it has done everything exceptionally well.

It hasn't been an easy life for our in-house project, Blue Bomber, a 2011 Chevy Silverado with a supercharged 4.8L. But so far it has done everything exceptionally well.

I once drove a K5 Blazer from the bottom of the country to Idaho and back. I did so with 39-inch tires, a 500 HP big-block, three transmission speeds, no climate control, no top, earplugs, and a very loud stereo.

For the last several months, we've been teasing about our ultimate Chevy project car being on the donor list awaiting its very special LSX engine from our friends at BluePrint Engines. Luckily, the 1964 Chevelle, appropriately named Project BluePrint, is now finally ready for the process we've all been waiting for. So it's out with the old and in with the new (engine that is).

With the number of miles the AMSOIL/STREET RODDER Road Tour car accumulates in a short period of time we've learned what it takes to combine drivetrain components that provide the performance we want with the reliability we demand.

Taking on a build project like we did with our Project BluePrint Chevelle is a daunting task, but it can also lead to some fantastic results. While we're not completely done, we have made some astounding headway on the car in recent months.

Despite the truck being a 2011, Chevy put the antiquated four-speed in the base-model Silverado and the 442 rwhp ate through the Second and Fourth gear bands. Gearstar stepped up huge and built a Level 4 4L60E four-speed transmission for the Chevy.

Our Project BluePrint Chevelle has made it through its final series of modifications, upgrades and tests to give our vintage Chevy the best shot at being the ultimate pro-touring car and and we couldn't be happier.

In the early days of the automotive industry, manual-shift transmissions were the norm. As technology advanced, it should come as no surprise that shiftless transmissions followed soon after.

Guys who didn't dig it at first have a least gotten used to it. Our Crusher Camaro's makeover as a late- '70s street machine in the Dec. '09 issue might have been a bit early for the trend. The look was a bit more accepted, if not embraced, by the May '11 issue.

In addition to a Lokar dipstick and a trans cooler, Gearstar included a new, laser-cut mid-plate to bolt between the C4 and engine block; it's a handy universal plate that can handle either of the starter offsets used on the small Fords.

With all the miles covered we've learned a number of lessons concerning the construction of a safe, reliable car, and with the record of performance that's been established we'd classify the endeavor as an unqualified success.

Gearstar is well known for their high-performance automatic transmissions and have been the official transmission supplier to the Road Tour for a number of years.

There are many mechanical sounds that have a certain way of crawling right into your head and releasing thoughts of dread and dismay. There seems to be a direct correlation between the emanating sounds and your wallet.

Over the years, the trucks have certainly become more sophisticated. Take transmissions for example. At one time the only choices were "three-on-the-tree" or "four-on-the-floor" manual boxes. Today most of us want to put more modern transmission in our trucks, and that usually means an automatic transmission.

What keeps people from enjoying their car on long distance drives? It's no doubt the gas mileage generated from that old tired 3 speed auto trans.

When it comes to applying the latest technology to street rods some of us are more enthusiastic than others. Then there are those of us who are skeptics...

So we switch to a Gearstar Level 4 electronically controlled 4L60E/four-speed automatic. Follow along now...

I looked to the folks at Gearstar Performance Transmissions in Akron, Ohio, for the TH350 I planned to mate to the Power Crate 350. It was a decision based on past experiences where I have learned many times over that Gearstar...

A Gearstar 200-4R trans capable of hadnling 475 lb-ft of torque and 500 hp. The Gearstar 200-4R has a taller (33 percent) overdrive allowing you to pull numerically higher gear ratios or spin shorter profile tires while cruising down...

Just like a quick stroll through the cruise night parking lot will confirm the dominance of GM overdrive automatics on the street, walking down the staging lanes of any dragstrip will reveal an equally overwhelming number of...

Knowing about my luck with transmissions, an ex-editor of Off-Road magazine turned me onto Gearstar Performance Transmissions of Akron, Ohio. It seemed a little far to go for a transmission build, but I'm always eager to learn...

Through Gearstar, we sourced a 200-4R overdrive transmission outfitted with their Level III intervals. It all came shipped complete to our door in a crate...

When we began building the Hot Rod Hauler, our updated '73 Ford F-350, we had a number of objectives. One of the most ambitious was to increase fuel economy while maintaining towing capacity. The first modification toward that...

The professionals at Gearstar Performance Transmissions are known for the quality of their engineered transmission and torque converter assemblies, can provide a transmission to fit any of your needs, from mild to wild...

For a bulletproof transmission we turned to Gearstar Performance Transmissions for their experience and reputation. Zack Farah, Gearstar's owner, got his start over 25 years ago at Tristar International...

The Gearstar 700-R4 is a completely remanufactured and upgraded trans that comes with just about everything you need to install. A technician at Gearstar will ask a bunch of questions about rearend gears, horsepower of the engine...

Let me start this story by coming clean and letting you know we didn't finish the job. With that out of the way, let me explain what we were attempting to do. Our art director for this fine magazine owns this sweet '63 Nova wagon...

At the outset of our Hot Rod Hauler project, one of our major goals was to increase fuel economy while maintaining the towing capacity of our '73 Ford F-350. And while we will be building a new fuel-injected engine in the near...

The old TH400 three-speed automatic trans and stall-speed-never torque converter were replaced with a bulletproof Gearstar 4L85E transmission, and the bleeding, haphazard fuel system was made futuristic with...

The cooling system on any vehicle is vital for its survival. If you happen to have one that isn't functioning properly, then it can incapacitate its ability to maintain a consistent and safe operating temperature for any of the components...

At HOT ROD, we spend much of our lives ramrodding guys to get out there and really use their cars in glorious and punishing ways. We hock Power Tour, Drag Week, the Top Speed challenge. We needle in general...

The AccuLink TPS is designed to easily mount directly to Edelbrock AFB, Holley and Rochester carburetors and connect through included stainless steel linkage. A cable-operated sensor is also available...

Every once in a while a company flourishes when it is formed for all the right reasons, under the right circumstance, and by the right people. Gearstar Performance Transmission is one such company and Zack Farah is the man...

Approaching 375,000 miles would be an impressive milestone for any car but what about 15 cars? To say you built 15 cars and their cumulative miles are in excess of 300,000 says a great deal for the cars, along with the products...

For this years car we chose Gearstar Performance Transmissions Ford AOD Level IV automatic overdrive transmission with a custom 10-inch, non-damper-style, billet converter with stall speed tailored to the engine's specifications...

The advantage that is hot rodding is the ability each of us has to individualize our own car. We could all build Model T's but in the end the real beauty of hot rodding is that they would all be different. I have seen many street rodders...

Simplicity. No matter where you look, it's part of our everyday lives. From the way we communicate with one another to the manner in which we upgrade antiquated automobiles to better coexist with modern mobiles, simplicity...

Though I installed the Gearstar 200-4R transmission in my project '49 Chevy months ago when the motor went in, I never fitted the trans cooler or shifter. With all the big fabrication jobs out of the way the time had come to do so...

A confused as Blue Oval and Mopar fanatics may be in their misguided hot rodding proclivities, at least they know a good automatic transmission when they see one. How else can you explain the overwhelming number of Outlaw...

Not since the heyday of he Flathead have Ford engines been as popular in street rods as they are today. Thanks to the performance reputation established by the muscle-bound powerplants, like the Smeding Performance 347 incher...

Building high-performance transmissions is not a job for Zack Farah, it's a way of life. The owner of Gearstar Performance Transmissions quite literally sleeps, eats and breathes his business.

We have a Gearstar transmission in the Project '49 Chevy and for good reason. All Gearstar trannies are assembled one at a time by a single technician, built specifically for each vehicle's specifications and driving needs. The TH350...

When the Intercity truck showed up at Cotati Speed Shop, the Shadow Rods XL27 Road Tour car was well on its ways, but anyone who has built a street rod knows that there are a thousand details large and small that have to be...

This GearStar Street Performance Turbo 350 transmission and torque converter package is designed to work behind a small-block engine producing up to 400 hp with 360 lb-ft of torque in a street-driven truck. All GearStar Turbo 350...

How times have changed. When our Chevy was new there were two choices when it came to transmissions: a three-speed manual or a two-speed Powerglide automatic. Interestingly, when the automatic was ordered it came with a larger...

The next stop was the Akron, Ohio, home of Gearstar Transmission. Gearstar has been the official automatic transmission supplier for the Road Tour cars for the last four years. We put about 20,000 miles on our Road Tour vehicles each...

The Gearstar Performance 700-R4 Street Performance transmission and torque converter package is designed to work behind a small-block engine producing up to 400 hp with 300 lb-ft of torque in a street-driven vehicle. This overdrive...

How times have changed. When our Chevy was new, there were two choices when it came to transmissions: a three-speed manual or a two-speed Powerglide automatic. Interestingly, when the automatic was ordered it came with a larger...

Today's automatic overdrive transmissions offer gear ratio spreads that are perfect for a truck that will see more time on the highway than the dragstrip. Gearstar specializes in building hi-po versions of these trannys that will stand...

For the longest time, if you ran a Ford small-block or Windsor engine and wanted to run an automatic, your transmission of choice would likely be a C4. For heavier duty applications you'd likely opt for a C6. As with everything...

Zach and the crew laid out the welcome mat for the Road Tour travelers who welcomed a stop in the Rubber City and a chance to see the inner workings of what has become one of the most popular transmissions shops in America...

When we decided to build a street gasser there were only a few things we knew for sure: The car would have a straight axle, a blown Hemi, and fenderwell headers. Granted that wasn't much of an initial plan, but after finding our '50...

You probably thought I'd forgotten all about the project '49 Chevy huh? Unfortunately a combination of work schedules, the start of the show season and the fact that I have been doing a few jobs on my '46 roadster pickup...

Overcoming A Major Engine Setback With A Direct Sheetmetal Firewall. I can remember back when Total Cost Involved was about to drop the '58 Chevy 235 engine and Gear Star Turbo 350 trans in my '39 just as they finished up the...

Like many street rods, our AMSOIL/STREET RODDER Road Tour '09 Chevy is equipped with an automatic transmission. But instead of the two-speed cast-iron Powerglide that was original equipment in '52 we're slipping in a...

Muscle car guys can call it character if they please, But there's nothing fashionable about single-digit gas mileage, subjecting your ears to a NVH beat down, or sweating like an Illinois governor. Late-models are all about knocking...

Gearstar's owner, Zack Farah, got his start over 25 years ago at Tristar International where they were manufacturing upwards of 100 transmissions each day and 300 converters. While bulk production was Tristar's bread and butter...

One of the most common components in today's classic trucks is an overdrive automatic transmission, and one of the most popular of the breed is the General Motors 700-R4. Although the 700-R4 is a good transmission and can be...

Whether they're used as precision tuning instruments or as obligatory instruments of bragging, the purpose of a dyno is to triumph in numerical glory. Even real racers and bench racers can both agree on that one. Consequently...

For once, maybe we should cut the Blue Oval loyalist some slack. Sure, many of them would rather swallow their pride and bolt a venerable GM automatic behind their motors instead of taking their chances with a junk C6 or AOD, but who...

The highs and lows that accompany building a project car can seem never-ending. It's a virtual roller coaster ride of aggravating let downs and animated high-fives (with anyone within arms length). But even after a month of...

A few months back we took a trip up to Smeding Performance in Rancho Cordova, California, and followed along with Ben Smeding as he assembled their new 383 Hot Rod crate motor. When the build wrapped up we hit the dyno...

Gearstar Performance Transmissions has a solution in the form of its 502 Big-Block Package for the GM 700-R4. It uses upgraded internals, like a hardened steel input shaft and hardened expanded capacity drums, Raybestos...

If there was a vote for the most misunderstood automotive component, we�re willing to bet the automatic transmission would rank pretty high, and the torque converter itself possibly higher still. OK, so it�s kinda like a clutch for an...

As time rapidly moves farther and farther away from the 20th century mark, more and more customized classic truck owners have discovered an increasing desire to restore their truck�s mid-century appeal with a hopped up early V-8 engine...

It's been said that a man's commitment to his art can be judged by how he has equipped his workshop to handle the task at hand. In the case of Gear Star Performance Transmission their commitment to the art of custom building...

The trappings of modern technology can spoil even hardcore authenticity buffs. Sample something new, and before you know it, you can't do without it. It happened to us. After years of driving late-model machines for most of our...

Before the advent of the Allison automatic transmission in diesel-equipped GM vehicles, the toughest transmission in GM's arsenal was the 4L80E. Used on the early Duramax trucks, the 4L80E was also bolted behind big-block gas motors...

Transmissions are pretty much the most ignored component on a vehicle in terms of maintenance. People take transmissions for granted: and don�t think the slightest bit about the amount of heat that goes through them or the amount...

There was a time when automatic transmission had all kinds of unique names- Cruise-O-Matic, Hydra-Matic, Ultramatic, and the list goes on. But while he names were different, the basic operation was about the same and they...

Many drivers take components that work in unison, which allow them to pull the gear shifter of their vehicle into drive and reverse everyday, for granted. Transmissions keep our trucks moving, and when overworked and under-built...

One of the most common components in today's classic trucks is an overdrive automatic transmission, and one of the most popular of the breed is the General Motors 700-R4. Although the 700-R4 is a good transmission and can be...

Three Times The Factory Power Equals One Tough Camaro SS. The Camaro has been through a lot in its 35-year existence, and this particular 2000 model represents the third year of the LS1 powerplant in an F-body and the...

The 'ol '55 puts at least 10,000 miles on it every year and that old 350 auto trans. has been hauling magazines for the past 10 years, and well, you do the math, then add a bunch more from the previous owner- it was gettin ' tired! Needless...

Why is the last thing a car collector thinks about is the transmission? After all the money and time spent deciding paint, graphics, wheels and interior, the item that transfers power to the rear, usually gets a "Oh yea, my buddy has one...

Enthusiasts can be a funny bunch sometimes. We�re proud of our cars, usually rightly so, but every so often for the wrong reasons. We like to brag about how much power we have, how wide our tires are, how fast we run the...

There's little question about what the hottest trend in rodding is right now: traditional styling. Old speed parts and vintage powerplants have grown from an underground counterculture to one of the most popular trends in the industry...

Why is it always the little things? They seem to be able to make or break just about anything in life, from trucks, taxes, to the opposite sex, but let�s just stick to trucks here. Last month we showed what it takes to rebuild a GM 12 bolt...

This is the first in a series of tech features on the 79 Chevy C-10 Big 10 that I recently put over 5,000 test miles on in less than two weeks' time while participating in Rod & Custom magazine's 2007 edition of Americruise...

It�s not a stretch of the truth to say that one of the best parts of owning a classic truck is actually driving it, and one of the major components on he short list of making a classic truck a joy to drive is an overdrive automatic transmission...

Gear Star has been remanufacturing performance automatic transmissions since 1984, but what separates the company from the rest is the fact that every one of its transmissions are built to the specification of the engine and its intended use.

Some things have been commonplace for too long. Times are changing, an some of it is for the best. There probably aren't too many people out there faced with the question of having a three- or four-speed automatic in their truck who...

One of the most common components in today�s classic trucks is an overdrive automatic transmission, and one of the most popular of the breed is the General Motors 700-R4. Although the 700-R4 is a good transmission and can be...

One of the most common components in a contemporary street rod is an overdrive automatic transmission, and one of the most popular of the breed is the General Motors 700-R4. Although the 700-R4 is a good transmission...

The GearStar 200-4R features a 30-spline, 300m hardened input shaft, a Billet Forward Drum, a Billet Overdrive Planet, Billet Overdrive Ring Gear, and a Kevlar Wide Band with Billet Anchor. This package can be used behind a LT1 or LS1...

Most of us spend money building high horsepower motors and back them up with mildly modified automatic transmissions. Builders add higher stall speed converters, deep tranny oil pans and shift linkage. These do little to increase...

TRUST ME Yeah it�s rebuilt...trust me. How many times have you heard that? It�s easy to get bamboozled in the game of buying remanufactured parts. It seems like you can�t trust anybody these days. Gear Star Performance Transmissions...

Designed for three- and four-speed automatics with the lockup option, Gear Star is pleased to debut its all new 10-inch street and strip converter that allows stall speeds between 2,500 and 4,800 rpm. Each converter is rated up to 1,000 hp...

When I'm not stuck under the hood of various magazine project vehicles in the Primedia Tech Center, I like to spend as much time as I can working on my '49 Chevy pickup. More than that, though, I really like to drive it, and not just...

Overdrive transmissions might seem like the perfect solution for any vehicle, and indeed they are offered today in almost every machine from the smallest puddle-jumper to the largest SUV. However, you need sufficient beans in the engine to...

Goodguys is proud to announce Gearstar Performance Transmissions as the presenting sponsor of the coveted Goodguys Hot Rod of the Year award. The Goodguys Hot Rod of the Year is presented annually at the Hot Rod Nationals...