Gearboxes Commonly Used With Land Rover Engine Conversions
The SM465 was used in GM trucks from 1968 to 1991. They are found primarily in GM and Chevrolet trucks, Blazers, Suburbans and many other models falling under the 1/4-ton to 1-1/2-ton platforms. These have a reputation of being very robust. 1968 - 1978: There were both 2wd and 4wd versions. The 4wd version has a 10-spline output shaft and 4wd adapter housing. The 2wd version has a 35-spline output shaft compatible with a drive shaft yoke and 2wd style tail housing. Internally, they are identical to each with the exception of the output shaft and rear housing. 1988-1991: The last years of SM465 had a 4th gear switch to signal cruise mode operation to the GM EFI Engine Control Module. This version had an aluminium top cover. 6.5" making the overall length to be 18.9 inches. This housing contains fifth gear. 2wd style housings are longer. GM input shafts are 6-5/8" long .
Last night, 60 Minutes had a feature story on the goings-on at tech giant Apple, and most prominently featured CEO Tim Cook. The piece largely glossed over hot-button issues surrounding Apple鈥檚 operations in China staffed by low-wage workers, and it completely avoided talking about the car that Apple is most definitely working on. Despite these omissions, CBS鈥檚 Charlie Rose did talk to Apple鈥檚 chief design officer, Jony Ive. Apple is working on a definitely autonomous, probably all-electric (or hybrid) vehicle, dubbed 鈥淧roject Titan,鈥?and Ive will certainly be involved with the look of this project. Want to know where Ive鈥檚 tastes reside? Ive has also owned a Bentley Brooklands and Land Rover LR3. Though he鈥檚 never owned one, he approves of the styling of the current Land Rover Range Rover. Ive has gone on record criticizing much of modern car design, lamenting some of the more 鈥渟hocking鈥?designs. Clearly from his choice in cars and the products he has designed through the years, he appreciates clean designs that hold up over time, rather than attempts to get ahead of a passing fad. With that in mind, we鈥檙e not so convinced that the sketches that have been kicked around of an Apple Car (bottom image) are what the 鈥淧roject Titan鈥?will actually look like. For a better indicator, check out the Ford 021C concept car (below) that his friend (and now colleague at Apple) Marc Newsome penned in 1999. As stated, it goes for retro-futurism in a way that maybe the enthusiast will enjoy. This is a plucky little car from which the automotive aficionado can determine its vintage influences. And as long as it does its self-driving job right, people will love it. Would Ive鈥檚 vision of the car be a great thing for the automotive world? Or would it result in a move towards too-bland car designs? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Ford dealers reported December sales of 233,938, up 3.4 percent compared with a year ago. Car sales were down 22.1 percent, while truck sales were up 13.7 percent. The truck sales increase was led by F-Series' record December sales of 84,278 and higher sales of Ford's No Boundaries sport utility vehicles (Escape, Explorer, Expedition, and Excursion). December sales of Ford's industry-leading lineup of SUVs totaled 59,608, up 10.6 percent compared with a year ago. Lower Ford sales to fleet customers in December adversely affected the year-to-year car and truck sales comparisons. Lincoln Mercury dealers reported December sales of 26,719, down 21 percent compared with a year ago. Car sales were down 31.8 percent, while truck sales increased 20.9 percent. Sales of the all-new Mercury Mountaineer almost doubled compared with last year's launch-affected results. Retail and fleet sales declined at Lincoln Mercury. Jaguar and Land Rover dealers reported their highest sales for any month in history.
The 1994 model year marked the first year that the Discovery was sold in the United States. Airbags were incorporated into the design of the 1995 model to meet the requirements of US motor vehicle regulations, though they were not fitted as standard in all markets. 1995 models sold in the US utilised the 3.9-litre V8 from the Range Rover SE models, and later models saw a change to the 4.0-litre version of the engine. The Series II Discovery debuted in autumn 1998 and in the US in 1999. Land Rover promoted that the Discovery Series II had been modified with 720 'differences'. The interior and exterior was re-worked to be less utilitarian, but it was still similar to the Series I. Every body panel was new except the rear door outer skin. The rear body was extended to improve load space but at the expense of added rear overhang, which adversely impacted off-road ability. Changes to the diesel engined models saw the 2,495 cc Td5 (in-line direct-injected straight-five engine introduced, in line with the updated Defender models. This electronically managed engine was smoother, producing more usable torque at lower revs than its 300 Tdi predecessor.
