Which 9" rear end would you choose

I've got a 66 Fairlane 500.. 8" rear, peg leg, 2.xx gear ratio (whatever it is, I don't recall, other than 2 something).. anyways, got a line on two different 9" rear's, both peg legs (unfortunately). Both out of 67 Fairlanes.. One, Im told, is a 3.89 gear ratio, the other appears to be a 3.25 ratio (here's the numbers off it) web - c5 3.25 6gd881
Im assuming the 3.25 is gear ratio, and 6gd is the year/month/week (1966, 7th month, 4th week).. at least according to one decoding site I've seen. 881 is plant code, correct?

Not sure what C5 is...

In any event, here's the setup. Im pretty much a street guy, although I would like to run it down the track and at least be respectable. Motor is a 302, currently 2bbl, C4 tranny. Im planning on eventually pepping up the motor a bit (ie 4bbl, mild cam), but that is down the road when I get everything else done. I will drive some freeway miles to head to different car shows, but mostly local driving, and like I said, perhaps an occassional run down the track for fun. If I keep the car more than a year or so, I may even go so far as putting a stroker in it, but that's way down the road.

Im leaning towards the 3.25 but don't want to be disappointed and wish I had gone the other way. I want it to kick off the line when necessary, and smoke 'em when I want to (at least a little). Im not sure that 3.25 would give me all that, but am also worried that the 3.89 will be too much for some of the freeway driving I may find myself doing to get to the next car show.

So, given the two choices of gear ratio, which would you choose and why?

Thanks for your thoughts...

Mike

To me there is no happy medium with the gears,3:25 will make you happy on the hwy and 3:89 will make you happy in town.
Me I would go with the 3:89 and accept the fact that hwy speed will be limited unless you go with a aod trans.
Gear for what you do the most of and accept anything else, you still will be able too tool down the hwy with the 3:89's for the odd show and shine but the smile you will get with them while tooling around town will make it worth while

definatley the 3.89 to still have fun around town.....why get the lesser??? my theory is if your worrying about gas milliage....dont build a car???thats just me though

Hiya Walaby, I know what I would do if it were me and my 66 500, I'd put that 3.25 rearend in and get that 3.89 third member out of that other rearend. That way you can switch them back and forth when you want. If you don't mind doing that and changing gaskets and fluid then I'd try that.

Did you ever get that kick down cable put on and working?

With the limited racing you're doing, I'd get the 3.25 for sure.

I had a C4 with a 3:73 gear in a Fairmont, and it made the car no fun to drive faster than 40 mph on the street. Unless you're willing to turn the motor 4000 RPMs on the freeway, you're going to get run over.

The lower gear would give you a tenth or two in the quarter, if you could actually hook with the lower ratio.

Steve

I got burned out with my 3.70 making 50+ mile trips going to club meetings and to work and went with a 3.25 gear. It did take a little bite out of the bark. Now I have a reason to start off in 1st gear now. I don’t think twice if I wanna drive out of state. Remember my Falcon is a lot less weight and has a manual transmission. I have no clue how your Fairlane will act. I do know my rpm dropped from 4000 to 3500 keeping up with 80mph traffic on the interstate.

Well y'all aren't a bit of help I was hoping for a consensus, but realize I probably would never get it. I talked to some folks at work today and got very similar feedback. I'll have to choose, although for the price I might be able to buy both!

For Rick Racker - Haven't done anything with the kickdown yet.. been working on other things, and tied up alot with work of late. It's on the list, just not at the top yet.

Will look forward to more responses.. THanks for the replies thus far.. definately some good things to think about.

Mike

Well here is ya answer friend . I got a few 66 fairlanes , all 4 speeds . I got both of those gears as well lower and higher . You can put the higher gear in and run 14 inch rims on back with a low profile tire and it would gear your car down to the lower gear anyway . Also you can place the lower gear instead and run 15 inch rims on back with a high profile tire and that would give you the high gear effect .

Now ....If you place the low gear and run 14s with low profile tire that would gear you say a 513 gear . Now use the high gear with 15s and high profile tire that would give ya in range of a 300 gear . It has alot to do with the tire size . Take all that info and you can choose either gear , switching rims and tires and have both worlds with 20 mins and another size tires switch .

Now with all that said I sold a 66 that had a 373 spool I think it was . When I bought it it had 14 inch rims with low tires . Geared like a freight train . On 95 highway (interstate) to drag strip and such rmps were screaming . I put 15s on with a high tire and ran with traffic very well at 3000 rpms . Wana play and spin a tire ? Throw 14s back on . I would put low gear in and move up and down with tire size .

This fairlane has 14 mag 500s on front and 15s on back with the 373 spool . Tires are I think remembered as 33 inches tall . Ran very well for me . When I sold it I placed 28 inch tires with 14s back and rpms went out the roof , same gear same car , dif rims and tires . That should cover ya question .

Rcode, you kind of lost me on the higher and lower part pertaining to gears. When you say higher you mean around 3.00 gear and lower would mean around 3.89 or so? If I'm understanding you right then, my 66 has around 2.73 or whatever in it now with 14" stock rims and tires. By me switching over to 15" rims and taller tires it would raise my gear ratio to say around 2.50 or whatever? If that's true then I think I'll be making a gear change myself.....maybe a 3.50 would be in order with those 15" tires.

Took me a few times to read, but I think what he's saying (RCode, please confirm).

If I bought the 3.25, and drove it with 14", it would be something more than 3.25 (mebbe not 3.89). If I put 15's on, it would be less than 3.25

If, I went with 3.89 and 14's, then I would be more than 3.89, and I put 15's on, I would bring it closer to 3.25 than 3.89...

Did I get that correct RCode, or am I all jacked up. After I typed it, Im not sure anymore!