Bob Goodman, of the Jasper Authentic Custom Drivetrain Transmission Department, poses with the finished Buick transmission.
The title of this story is a little misleading… because nothing is new when it comes to the Jasper Authentic Custom Drivetrains division. In fact, it’s all old.
Case in point: the Dynaflow “Dual Path Turbine Drive” two-speed automatic. This transmission was built from 1961 to 1963 and was used in the Buick Special. The Special was Buick’s answer to customers shopping for a smaller car, as opposed to the heavy, oversized cars produced in the day.
The concept of the car was light and fuel efficient, but the engineering of the transmission was unique. It was the perfect project for 22-year JASPER Associate, Bob Goodman, now with the Transmission Department of Jasper Authentic Custom Drivetrains. Bob has a special knack for how transmissions work.
“In terms of the philosophy behind how clutches and pumps work in most transmissions, there are inherent characteristics that apply from one transmission to another,” says Goodman. “This transmission was different from all of them, and that’s probably why it had such a short production life.” “The design of the clutch packs is quite unique… they don’t apply with pistons alone, but with a fulcrum and lever,” added Goodman. “It’s an air-cooled transmission, with cooling vanes on the torque converter to dissipate heat.”
Other engineering oddities include the “skillet-type” pan cover, held in place with a single bolt through its center. “The governor on this transmission has a big pivot lever in the back and looks like weights off an old steam engine on the output shaft that would generate a fulcrum effect,” says Goodman. “It would push in a valve on the valve body to generate governor pressure. It’s very abstract in terms of the thought process behind the way it was designed.”
“Most importantly,” added Goodman, “Due to the transmission’s short production life, along with its design issues, it is very hard to find parts. This is not a cheap unit!” But that’s the point of Jasper Authentic Custom Drivetrains. These Associates specialize in remanufacturing engines and transmissions that are currently no longer offered, or have been turned away in the past because they did not fit into a production remanufacturing system.
“One type of client that would benefit from our division, for instance, is the individual restoring a ‘69 Corvette who wants his or her serial numbers to match, and wants their engine to be hand-built by experienced professionals,” says Alex Ernst, Jasper Authentic Group Leader.
“With Jasper Authentic Custom Drivetrains, we spend extra time remanufacturing an engine or transmission,” Ernst added. “We give the customer that hands-on, hand-built treatment that our target customer base is looking for.” In addition, Jasper Authentic Custom Drivetrains provides some extras for the enthusiast. “Customers can opt to have their engine dynamometer tested, in addition to the live-run test we perform on most applications,” said Ernst. “And we can provide the customer with documentation of the remanufacturing process. With a login name and password, they will be able to go to our web site and check the daily progress of their engine or transmission.”
“If a customer opts for the documentation package, Jasper Authentic Custom Drivetrains will provide a binder and CD with pictures & specifications,” added Ernst. “Now the customer can archive the documentation for their own records, or use it to authenticate their unit as they show their vehicle.”
