There is no shortage of projects vying for Davin’s time, but in this week’s Redline Update it’s the Chrysler four-speed that’s on the operating table. A manual transmission is a great project if you’ve never rebuilt anything before, and that means for Davin it is a project that can be done in a day or two, and most of that is waiting on parts.

The teardown last week went smooth and showed that the transmission is actually in good shape, so that helped make the rebuild process easier. Despite being able to reuse many of the parts inside, Davin is of the thought that doing it right the first time is going to cost a bit more but will save you big time, because you aren’t going to end up in a situation where something fails and you have to do the whole job again—all to save $15 on a bearing.

With the cases blasted and rebuild kit on the table with the parts, Davin elects to give the exterior parts a quick coat of etching primer before assembly. It’s not the final coat of paint, but it will protect the surfaces from building up corrosion while the final color is selected. Transmission assembly often includes some hurdles that engine or chassis assembly doesn’t; the cage-less roller bearings are a prime example. Luckily, all it took this time was some grease and a lot of patience.

This transmission is all set, marking the first piece of this 1940 Ford race car that’s ready for service. The chassis is sitting on the floor awaiting the suspension to go back together, and the engine is in line behind the straight-eight Buick. What will Davin be working on next week? You’ll have to subscribe to the Hagerty YouTube channel to find out. Until then, Davin thinks you should be out there working on your own projects.