Beach Goat
Well-Known Member
Hey guys, I thought I'd throw my 2 cents in on this subject, even though its a few years old. I'd like to post up a quick user review on the Passon Performance 855 5-speed overdrive manual transmission. Car is a 70 Charger, 580" wedge ~750hp, 4.10s. Stock suspension, lot of original sheetmetal, not quite a survivor but not quite a resto either. Been in my family for 35 years, definitely wanted to keep the factory trans tunnel intact. Previously had an 833 hemi four speed with a Passon 3rd gear.
So my big motivation for the 855 was so I could cruise the car long distances, make cruising more pleasant, and have an extremely strong transmission that I can beat on confidently. So I found a used one from a local guy I know very well, it was already broken in (approx 2500 miles).
Installation impressions: it went in just as easy as the 833. No interference, no modifications needed, all factory parts bolt right up. Needed a new speedo cable, that's it. Slipped in like it was born for it. Weighs close to the 833 but about ten pounds lighter dry, plus it holds a little less oil.
Driving impressions: A little more gear whine but who cares. Shifts like butter, absolutely perfect. Wonderful positive gear engagement. Haven't missed a gear yet.
Mileage: Here's the good stuff. I have driven it on a 100 mile cruise, from Virginia Beach to Richmond. With a 750hp 580" wedge breathing through a perfectly tuned 1000cfm AED with mechanical secondaries turning 4.10s in a Dana 60, I got 14.7mpg! 100 miles, 6.8 gallons of 93. The drive was a 60mph country road for 90% of the way, so the speeds were somewhat low: the engine was turning 2000-2300 most of the way.
Overall I am thrilled, the fuel economy is far better than I hoped for (I thought 12mpg would be my most optimistic high end guess, with 10mpg probably being more realistic) and I feel like I could drive this car for hours on end. I hope to one day work my way up to a drive to Detroit for Roadkill Nights one year.
So my big motivation for the 855 was so I could cruise the car long distances, make cruising more pleasant, and have an extremely strong transmission that I can beat on confidently. So I found a used one from a local guy I know very well, it was already broken in (approx 2500 miles).
Installation impressions: it went in just as easy as the 833. No interference, no modifications needed, all factory parts bolt right up. Needed a new speedo cable, that's it. Slipped in like it was born for it. Weighs close to the 833 but about ten pounds lighter dry, plus it holds a little less oil.
Driving impressions: A little more gear whine but who cares. Shifts like butter, absolutely perfect. Wonderful positive gear engagement. Haven't missed a gear yet.
Mileage: Here's the good stuff. I have driven it on a 100 mile cruise, from Virginia Beach to Richmond. With a 750hp 580" wedge breathing through a perfectly tuned 1000cfm AED with mechanical secondaries turning 4.10s in a Dana 60, I got 14.7mpg! 100 miles, 6.8 gallons of 93. The drive was a 60mph country road for 90% of the way, so the speeds were somewhat low: the engine was turning 2000-2300 most of the way.
Overall I am thrilled, the fuel economy is far better than I hoped for (I thought 12mpg would be my most optimistic high end guess, with 10mpg probably being more realistic) and I feel like I could drive this car for hours on end. I hope to one day work my way up to a drive to Detroit for Roadkill Nights one year.
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