[dmsfrr]

If I'm not too late with another gear ratio story...
Back in '71 I bought a new Mercury Comet, a slightly upscale version of the Maverick.
It had a 2bbl 302 with single exhaust, optional 3spd floor shift with a 2.79 axle gear and small 14 inch tires. Not too quick from a stoplight but no other real complaints as I worked out of town a fair amount, spending lots of time on the hiway.
After the warranty was up the engine had some parts changed: a 4bbl carb & intake, dual point distributor, cam, hi-po Mustang heads of some sort, higher compression pistons and a set of headers. Also similar height but wider tires & wheels.

Being young and foolish at the time (as opposed to much older and only slightly less foolish now) I put a close-ratio 4 speed in it, just because "4spd" sounded so much better / cooler than 3spd.
The engine had a nice wide rpm operating range but the close-ratio gears were all too much the same, still no pull at the bottom and not as much speed at the top. My out of town job had ended and I compounded the earlier questionable transmission change by swapping in a 3.25 axle gear. It had slightly better low end pull but of course even less hiway speed.

In hindsight, a wide ratio 4 speed with an overdrive high gear and the 3.25 axle gear (or maybe 3.00 ?) would have been a better 'all around' transmission and axle gear choice for me as I prefer 'road' driving and corners to 1/4 mile.