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It used to be easy to find a manual transmission pickup truck. Many drivers enjoyed the engagement of driving stick, but fewer people have the skill today. It also used to be possible to find a new Chevrolet Colorado with a manual transmission, but those days are gone. Read on to find which Colorado model years did have a manual transmission available.
History of the Chevrolet Colorado
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The Chevrolet Colorado and its equivalent, the GMC Canyon, were introduced in 2003. Its first generation was available for model years 2004 through 2012, and the second generation was introduced in the U.S. for the 2015 model year and includes the current model year. The first-generation Colorado had a five-speed manual transmission option. Autotrader noted that this was a surprise to offer this transmission at the time given the decreasing popularity of manual transmission vehicles.
The second generation initially had a six-speed manual transmission as an option for the Base and WT work truck trim levels. The choice came with the 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and two-wheel drive. Four-wheel drive and other engine options were not available with the manual transmission. The choice of a manual transmission remained available through the 2018 model year. With continuing reduced demand, GM ended its availability for both the Colorado and the GMC Canyon for 2019.
The 2020 Chevrolet Colorado
While the 2020 Colorado doesn’t come with a manual transmission option, it does have a number of other choices. It has five trim levels: Base, Work Truck, LT, Z71, and ZR2. The ZR2 is designed for off-road use. It has two cab size options (Extended Cab and Crew Cab), two cargo-bed lengths (long box and short box), and three engine choices. It’s available in two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive.
Car and Driver calls its infotainment system “outstanding” but says the interior feels cheap and that there isn’t a lot of driver-assistance technology. The truck comes standard with the Infotainment 3 Plus system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, power-adjustable mirrors, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. Adding the Luxury package introduces power-adjustable, heated front seats plus a heated steering wheel. The 2020 Chevrolet Colorado starts at $22,395.
Powertrain options for the 2020 Colorado
The 2020 Colorado has three engine options, all of which come with automatic transmissions. The standard engine is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder with a six-speed automatic transmission, which Car and Driver calls “weak and grumpy.” It has 200 horsepower, 191 lb.-ft. of torque, and 3,500-lb. towing capability. It gets 20 MPG in the city and 26 MPG on the highway.
The second option is the 308-horsepower V-6 with an eight-speed automatic transmission, which Car and Driver describes as “peppy.” It has 275 lb.-ft. of torque and has towing capabilities up to 7,000 pounds. It gets 18 MPG in the city and 25 MPG on the highway.
The third choice is the 2.8-liter four-cylinder diesel engine, which has 369 lb.-ft. of torque. With this engine, the Colorado is able to tow 7,700 pounds, which is best in class. The diesel engine also makes the Colorado the most fuel-efficient midsize pickup truck, with 30 MPG on the highway.
The 2020 Chevrolet Colorado does not have a manual transmission option, but used trucks from model years 2004 through 2018 do. Manual transmissions remain more common in small cars and sports cars, so if you’re a fan of Chevy, both the 2020 Camaro and the 2020 Spark have manual transmission options. If you’re looking for a truck, then there are only three pickup trucks with manual transmissions to pick from for 2020: Jeep Gladiator, Nissan Frontier, and Toyota Tacoma.
What transmission is right for me?
Your transmission and engine combination is very important. Your vehicles weight and how you drive it are also a major factor. Transmissions come in two basic types, Automatic and Manual:
Automatic
TH350
Best transmission choice, hands down.
The Turbo Hydra-matic 350 was first used in 1969 model cars. It was developed jointly by Buick and Chevrolet to replace the two-speed Super Turbine 300 and aluminum case Powerglide transmissions. So, although it carries the Turbo Hydra-matic name, the Hydra-matic Division of General Motors had little, if anything, to do with its design. The 350 and its 250, 250c, 350c and 375b derivatives have been manufactured by Buick in its Flint, Michigan, plant and by Chevrolet in Toledo and Parma, Ohio, and Windsor, Ontario. Both Chevrolet and Buick divisions produced the TH350. For the 1981 model year, a lock-up torque converter was introduced which coincided with the new EMC control of most GM cars; This version is the THM350-C, this transmission was phased out in 1984 in GM passenger cars for the 700R4. Chevrolet/GMC trucks and vans used the THM350-C until 1986. The lock-up torque converter was unpopular with transmission builders B&M Racing once marketed a conversion kit for THM350-Cs during the early 1980s until the advent of high stall lock-up torque converters when its overdrive counterpart (THM700R4/4L60) were modified.
| Gear | 1 | 2 | 3 | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ratio | 2.52 | 1.52 | 1.00 | 1.93 |
Pros
- Excellent gear spread between all three gears.
- Very low cost to build up to various levels of power handling.
- Can be built up to extreme power handling capabilities.
- Most all transmission shops are capable of building these to at least level 1 or 2.
- No TV cable to deal with.
- Stall converters are low in cost, and the selection is broad.
- Very reliable and simple to repair if needed.
Cons
- Select a final gear that will allow you the best overall performance and one that allows a decent off the line acceleration, and one that will be in a tolerable rpm range at highway speed. You must have the correct stall converter for optimal performance. This can make a huge difference in the way your vehicle accelerates.
- One THM350 weak point was excessive end-play between the pump and center support and resulting wobble of the direct clutch drum due to both the end play and use of a relatively narrow bushing in the drum. Add an extra thrust washer between the planetary gear and direct clutch to remove the end play and using a wider aftermarket bushing in the direct clutch drum.
- The relatively thin center support and lightweight matching splines in the case cause some people to beef up the case with an aftermarket case saver kit.
- These are becoming scarce, but there are still plenty of them around, and high performance parts are easily obtained.
- You may have to go through this long story to your less than knowledgeable friends as to why you didn't choose a 700R4, and when you explain it to them, they may still think you don't know what you’re talking about.
TH400
Better than a stock TH350, more expensive to build compared to TH350.
| Gear | 1 | 2 | 3 | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ratio | 2.48 | 1.48 | 1.00 | 2.07 |
Pros
- Excellent gear spread. Very similar to a TH350.
- Strong internal parts.
- Reliable.
- Simple to build or repair to stock buildup levels.
Cons
- Very expensive to build up to higher power handling levels, as compared to a TH350. The TH350 has far more high performance parts available at reasonable costs. The 400 trans. is not a practical choice.
- Internal rotating parts (cast iron drum) are very heavy and create a huge drag compared to most any other trans., and this is not a subtle amount of drag. The TH400 is well known to be a heavier duty trans. than a TH350 but this heavy duty factor was designed more for heavy vehicles that may encounter pulling heavy loads. Only the largest of the GM cars weighing around 5000 lbs had these trans. in them, along with heavy duty pickups, usually 3/4 ton or larger trucks. Even the half ton Chevy trucks didn't come with these in them.
- They will certainly hold up better than a stock built TH350, but they are not a desirable trans. for a street rod. You can build a TH350 to level two that would be superior to any stock TH400 in every way for about the same cost. Building a TH400 to a high hp handling level will cost a great deal of money.
- You will never see this trans in a true Pro-Street car.
Powerglide
Only two gears, best suited for very light vehicles, under 1800 lbs. The Powerglide is a two-speed automatic transmission designed by General Motors. It was available primarily on Chevrolet from January 1950 through 1973, although some Pontiac models also used this automatic transmission after the fire at the Hydra-Matic factory in 1953.
| Gear | 1 | 2 | R |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ratio | 1.76 | 1.00 | 1.76 |
Pros
- Excellent transmission to build up to just about any power handling level.
- Most trans. shops are able to build this trans with ease.
- Very reliable, and simple to work on. Not much to go wrong.
- Decent first to second gear spread.
- Rotational drag is very low with this trans., moreso than any automatic on the market. Very efficient trans.
- Stall converters are not expensive and many choices available.
Cons
- Two gears, that's the problem. This trans. can only be run in cars that have a very high hp to weight ratio. It would be fair to say a vehicle weighing approx. 3400 lbs would require an engine output of 1000 hp or more to make it a rational choice, and even then, you would still need a decent final gear to get things moving off the line. The first gear in these is somewhat tall. Those running a T-Bucket roadster weighing around 1800 lbs. with a 500 hp or higher engine could make great use of a Powerglide trans.
- Having only two gears limits having the best of both worlds when it comes to off the line acceleration and cruising at highway speed.
700R4
Gm 4 Speed Truck Transmission
Chevy Manual Transmission Interchange Chart
Worst possible transmission choice.
| Gear | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ratio | 3.06 | 1.63 | 1.00 | 0.70 | 2.29 |
Pros
- None, other than there are plenty of them around for a cheap price, and for good reason.
- Fuel injection does make this trans. more tolerable.
- It will get you from point A to point B period!
Cons
- Very wide first to second gear spread. First gear is a 3.06 ratio Second is a 1.62 ratio. This nearly equates to skipping from first to third gear with a manual trans. This kills acceleration when these trans go into second gear on a carbureted engine with a healthy cam and large runner intake manifold. Compare this to a TH350. First gear at 2.52 ratio and second gear is 1.52 do the math.
- The 3.06 first gear is so low that any final gear of above 3.55 or numerically higher will have you right at the max rpm at around 35 mph, only to then have your car fall on its face when it hits second gear, feeling like it skipped a gear. Wheel spin is uncontrollable upon hard launches, unless you have a very tall final gear, and then you can for sure count on going nowhere quickly when second gear comes in. Overdrive would be totally useless at highway speed regardless of detuning with a tall final gear, unless you were cruising at around 100 mph.
- Huge cost to build up to a decent street rod level. Don't even consider a stock rebuild to handle 500 hp or more. Under hard use, the 700R4 will fail quickly.
- Limited as to what level these can be built up to. High performance transmission builders and parts suppliers don't even recognize this as a serious transmission.
- More complex to build than a TH350 and far more expensive, especially when built up to handle high hp numbers.
- Having to run a cumbersome throttle value cable to the carb. linkage. This feature actually serves a good purpose, but if not set properly, it can destroy your transmission quickly. Very critical adjustment, and often overlooked.
- The overdrive is actually useless with engines running decent size cams relative to the cubic inch, especially with large runner dual plane intakes, and single plane intakes are out of the question with this trans.
- Stall converters are double the cost of the one run in a TH350.
- This is not a reliable transmission in a street rod.
- Lowers the value of your vehicle to some degree, especially on high hp builds. These transmissions do not belong in most carbureted street rods. You must detune an engine considerably to operate the overdrive and be able to tolerate the first to second gear drop.
- Could be classified as the worst mismatch of parts known on a true street rod.
- As a side note, I would like to mention that most of us have owned a regular stock street car with a 700R4 trans, or its electronic likeness, a 4L60E, and didn't find much of an issue with the way they operated, especially if the vehicle was fuel injected. This is because stock car engines are designed to operate totally different in the very low rpm range. They have huge amounts of off idle torque compared to the average carbureted street rod that makes 400 hp or more. This off idle instant torque allows the vehicle to keep its speed up decently when the 700R4 drops into second gear, and the same low rpm also allows the overdrive gear to operate normally at very low rpm. There are other factors that also allow these trans. to operate at low rpm, especially on fuel injected computer driven engines.
GM200
Most all the cons you see for the 700R4 exist within the GM200
| Gear | 1 | 2 | 3 | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ratio | 2.74 | 1.57 | 1.000 | 2.07 |
Pros
- Has a better gear spread than the 700R4 but not as optimal as the TH350.
- Not much good to say about this trans. It certainly has a place in some special late model applications, but old school Chevy engines is not one of them.
Cons
- This transmission can cost up to three times more to build up to a decent power handling level compared to a built up TH350.
- Cannot hold up to high torque engine builds unless an enormous amount of money is spent on this trans.
- This trans is not a reliable trans. compared to any of the early GM trans.
4L60-E
Electronically controlled trans. Most of the same issues as the 700R4. Terrible choice to run in an old school carbureted engine.
| Gear | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ratio | 3.059 | 1.625 | 1.000 | 0.696 | 2.29 |
Pros
- No TV cable to deal with or shifting linkage. It has pump pressure control and shifting via electronics.
- Not much good to say about this expensive trans. It is virtually a 700R4 with a modern twist.
Cons
- Very expensive to build up to a high power handling level. Can cost up to $4,000 to build this trans up to a decent level. Computer controlled engines may require this unless you bypass the car’s computer system.
- Complex. Very complex!
- Pointless to run such a terrible transmission.
- If you insist on such a trans, the 4L80-E is a better choice, as it has a normal gear spread, and is a much stronger trans. Still pointless to use with an old school carbureted engine.
Manual
Chevy Manual Transmission Fluid
Four and Five speed Manual
Don't forget to upgrade your clutch and flywheel components.
Pros
4 Speed Chevy Manual Transmissions
- High quality manual transmissions can be very expensive.
- Excellent acceleration at any speed due to many selective gear ratios. Finding a gear at any cruising speed to hit it hard is easily accomplished with a manual compared to an automatic.
- More efficient delivery of horsepower to the rear wheels with a manual trans. versus an automatic. In other words, less loss of power due to slippage as encountered with an automatic transmission.
- For some people, the fun factor of shifting gears is one of the high points of owning a street rod.
- Very reliable, long lasting. Low maintenance. Simple to change out a clutch if needed.
Cons
Chevy Manual Transmission Cars
- Can be very expensive to purchase a high quality modern manual trans. and high performance clutch and flywheel, especially the Tremec Series.
- Can be somewhat complex to change over from an auto to a manual trans.
- If you think your car is going to run faster with a manual versus an auto, you will be greatly disappointed. The automatic transmission can not only shift much faster, but off line acceleration can be controlled to a much greater degree. This is why most drag cars have automatic transmissions. All things equal, a car equipped with an auto trans will outrun one equipped with a regular street rod manual with great ease.
- Missing gears when racing can cause damage to your engine, and loss of control of your vehicle should you drop into the previous gear during an aggressive run. Been there a couple times, dropped a valve in brand new Lotus Esprit shifting out of second into first rather than third, and locked up the back wheels on a Dodge Viper shifting into second rather than fourth at high speed. Nearly lost control of the car at around 80 mph.
- If you’re deciding to run a 5 or 6 speed manual trans because of the overdrive gear, be aware that most engines built with large lopey cams, and single plane intakes running a carb will usually not allow effective use of the overdrive gear.
- Tremec T56 transmissions are very popular and highly advanced. They are expensive. They tend to be notchy to shift when new. Takes many miles before they become easy to shift. They can be difficult to install in some early model classic cars, as they are huge compared to early model transmissions. They can cost a great deal of money to rebuild if needed. Still about the best manual trans out there, and can handle very high horsepower levels.