A whole donor car might be a good option. I recently bid up a very straight, solid and complete o/d 56 Merc at auction and let it go for $650 to the other bidder. A 56,000 mile car that had been sitting a couple decades, 312 not stuck. Buyer later told me he was all in at the 650 and if I'd bid 700 it would have been mine.
 I did come away with a 59 F250 4x4 though, same condition and I now have it running like new.

My '59 daily runs that combo, i is great with the 3.73 gears in the back. I cant wait to 4bbl swap it and see what the 292 is like since this 2bbl isnt in the best shape. The .70 gear sure makes a world of difference compared to the r's i pull with the same 3.73 gears in my '65 el camino.

Jeff I have all of the parts you need to change the 55 to standard shift, if the wagon in the junk yard is to rusted up.  Carl

Get the bell housing if it has it. Every trans I have seen for sale does not include it. Also when you do buy a OD make sure it has the governor and solenoid with it. The last two posted on here from eBay did not have them.

Durham Missouri

This fall when the weeds die down I am going to grab all the clutch linkage,column and pedals from a 55 wagon in a local junkyard and then start the hunt for the trans and other needed parts,its going to be a big job getting those parts since there is a 2 1/2 foot diameter tree right up next to the drivers door of that wagon and probably the reason all those parts are still on the car.


Butchering up everything I can get my hands on in Dayton Ohio

Jeff I have a 55 Top loader OD trans with a bad cluster gear,probably have a non Od 3 speed for parts Carl

Hmmm...  This eBay seller has quite a bit of '55 / '56 stuff including two transmissions.  One is just a 3 speed and the other a 3 speed with overdrive.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FORD-OVERDRIVE-TRANSMISSION-56-FORD-1956-USED-/302034312998?hash=item4652a5df26:g:44oAAOSwCypWo8Ww

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FORD-USED-TRANSMISSION-FOR-56-FORD-1956-3-SPEED-STANDARD-/302034313001?hash=item4652a5df29:g:6E8AAOSwX~dWo8Ju

Consider communicating with the seller.  Items don't always sell for the seller's asking price.   Too, maybe you've got something he wants or needs.   

Not needing something NOW is a great position to approach things from, Jeff.



NoShortcuts
a.k.a. Charlie Brown
near Syracuse, New York

Jeff.  Food for thought...
The parts you need are getting o-l-d.  Even though you don't need some things right now, you may want to pick things up when they become available.
Consider these eBay offerings from flypigeon:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1955-1956-Ford-passenger-car-NOS-brake-pedal-arm-and-NOS-rubber-stop-std-auto-/331740494254?hash=item4d3d4639ae:g:HGMAAOSw9N1VxKYM

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1956-FORD-PASSENGER-CAR-NEW-CLUTCH-ROD-B5A-7525-A-FAIRLANE-VICTORIA-CUSTOM-ETC-/331767798127?hash=item4d3ee6d96f:g:oggAAOSwwTlUn0aT

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1956-FORD-Z-BAR-CLUTCH-BELL-CRANK-EQUALIZER-ASSEMBLY-FOR-MANUAL-TRANSMISSIONS-/231898464703?hash=item35fe39c1bf:g:Q-MAAOSwZQxW51RQ

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1955-1956-FORD-THROTTLE-LINKAGE-FIREWALL-BELL-CRANK-FOR-MANUAL-TRANSMISSION-l2-/231843703737?hash=item35faf62bb9:g:7zYAAOSwuAVWvemz

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1955-1956-FORD-CLUTCH-PEDAL-ARM-WITH-HARDWARE-FOR-MANUAL-TRANSMISSION-/231898461729?hash=item35fe39b621:g:coAAAOSwr7ZW6Aqt

I needed a '55/'56 y-block timing set oil trough and obtained one from this fellow.  Everything is negotiable.  Perhaps you could obtain a package deal on the parts you need or want to secure.

Here's another piece from Forum member Dan Jessup

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1955-1956-55-56-Ford-Transmission-Clutch-Rod-Y-Bloc-3-speed-Manual-and-overdrive-/262567978019?hash=item3d22456423:g:~58AAOSwanRXgvmr&vxp=mtr

I'd write Forum member Carl Lynn, also.  He's got quite a bit of '55 / '56 stuff, I think.  Email Carl at cl56vic@yahoo.com

By assembling your parts over time, you'll have them when you need them and one set-up that comes along may be better for you than another, too.  


NoShortcuts
a.k.a. Charlie Brown
near Syracuse, New York

Jeff, about the only abuse they won't take is dumping the clutch hard. Even then, many of them lived a long time on stock tires without posi. I doubt you'll build a motor with enough torque to break one once its moving in gear. They don't take to speed shifting (to me, that's right foot on the floor during the shift), but with a column shift you'll probably float the valves first. Big tires and posi did more to destroy any transmission than design problems. I put a T-86 O/D behind a 352 in a 59 bird, and at 16, I never manage to break it. Couple u joints, but never the trans.

The main problem is the lack of Syncro in first gear. I live in a town full of hills and stop and go traffic. I just got tired of trying to double clutch into low. So I put a T-5 in. You can break even a world class like I have, but I've got posi and 235/60 T/A's on the back.

With the factory wiring, including the kick down switch, they're great to drive. Add a cut out switch (real easy), and they can even be pulled out of o/d while moving. (There's a couple tricks to that, but my Dad knew and made me learn it).

miker
55 bird, 32 cabrio F code
Kent, WA
Tucson, AZ

Before I get too carried away trying to get one just how much abuse will they take,I am thinking I am going to build the motor a little and want to stab the go pedal every now and then so I do not want to have something that will have to be babied all the time. I know nothing about these trans and are something new to me as when I grew up 4 speeds were the rage and did not want a 3 speed even with o/d.


Butchering up everything I can get my hands on in Dayton Ohio