97droptopGT

Whats up guys, i got a 4.6 auto, and was just curious, would it be hard to convert a 97 GT auto, into a 5 speed, what is involved? Is it worth it, or should i sell and just buy a real 5 speed?

jacrockett

What don't you like about your AOD?

akelemecz

if you're ever wanting to do high perf. upgrades.. keep it .. with shift kits and rebuild kits and torque converter upgrades out there .. it'll be nice to have .. if you just want one to drive around .. i'd sell your car and find a manual

lookin4astang

Keep the auto man. If you're gonna race it you can build up an auto to carry the front tires if you wanted.

GThopeful

I was wondering this same thing a while ago. I bought my auto GT for convenience (I drive in very heavy traffic for school), but now I'm craving the 5-spd fun factor. After a while I plan on just selling to try and find a nice Mach or something.

JT76

whats tha old saying "autos win races, sticks impress high school kids"? If your going to want to race the car, get a stall

GreyStang

And who exactly is it who says that?? Umm, auto tranny guys right? Hey sticks are faster & rob less power from the engine. Autos are more consistent I'll give you that.

As far as the conversion from auto to manual, the general consensus is,, if you can do the work YOURSELF then swapping trannies is do-able. But if you have to hire someone else to do the work then it's ultimately cheaper to sell the car & buy a 5-speed

2000GT4.6

Up to about mid 11s my money is on the stick every day of the week.


Just because the vast majority of perfommance car owners can't drive to save their life doesn't mean nobody can.

memphissfinest

I disagree I'm in the process now of switching my auto to stick, if you find someone who wants to switch with you then any shop can do the switch for WAY LESS then to sell your car and buy a 5 speed. If you can do your own switch then that's even more of a plus. It is only costing me $400 in shop labor to switch from auto to manual.

Netmaster

I'd say, you are very lucky to have found someone that will do it for that cheap cause most shops would charge a few thousand for it in parts and labor at least. The heavy labor is what usually jacks up the price so the part cost factors in very little. It's all that work they are having to do. In switching with someone else you are saving on parts, but that's it. That's all providing you can find someone wanting to switch and pay out some major $.

My situation was a bit different. I originally wanted a GT but I saw the price of one brand new (2001) and chickened out after seeing what my monthly payment would look like (around $430 a month is the kind of cash I just couldn't swing at that time) so I ended up getting a V6 auto because I also shyed away from the stick shift in the first Mustang I looked at. My ignorance of a manual shift at that time just put me in the usual mindset of those who are too lazy, or afraid, to learn how to drive a stick. The V6 I got was bare bones. No cruise control (my first car, a 79 Buick Regal had it and that really spoiled me), and no spoiler (I tried to justify it by telling everyone, and myself, that it was not needed and that spoilers were overused anyway), and it had the cheapest feeling seats. The lack of power was also something I tried to always justify by telling everyone "Well this is fast enough and gets me around just fine". I always deeply regretted not having cruise control and everytime I put my hands on my steering wheel I could feel the plugs in the steering wheel where the cruise contol would have went. It was as if they were constantly mocking me and reminding me that I went cheap and was stuck with it now that I had my high payments [:@](I still ended up paying $375 a month for a V6 that fell very short of what I really wanted). Well I made do and was patient. It was a brand new car and there is a certain bit of excitement of getting a car that is brand spankin new but that feeling quickly wares off. This went on until the wonderful day that I realized that I only had a few payments left on it. When I found that out, I couldn't wait one single second to get rid of it and get something that had everything I wanted. When I decided to get rid of it, I initially told myself that I was sick of a Mustang. Well I thought it through and realized that I wasn't sick of a Mustang at all. I was just sick of the subpar V6 that I had. I wanted a lower payment than what I had though, along with lower insurance than what a brand new GT would get me, so I decided to see what used car lots offered, and I only went to those that offered an extended warrantee on their vehicles (so I could have the same benefit that new car owners get when it comes to maintenance and repair). I settled on the most reputable used car dealer in my area that had the most word of mouth and the biggest outfit. The only things they had were V6s though. They tried to sell me on another V6 Mustang only this time it would be the new 05 body style. Well, I was less than pleased with the newly designed sides and with the removal of the side scoops and trim, and also with the removal of the scoop from the hood in the new models I looked at. They did have cruise though and I was very tempted to pick it up because they weren't necessarily bad (just not the look that liked) but I had resigned myself to the fact that I was going to own a real GT come hell or high water! I did not give in to his sales tactics. I told him that if I got another Mustang that this time it would be a GT and would have everything I wanted along with a low monthly payment. He said that he didn't have any but that he would keep an eye out for me and give me a call if he found anything. Well the next week he calls me up and tells me that he has just got in a GT with only 66 thou miles on it (still well below average mileage for that year). To top it off it had cruise control and the hot looking spoiler (they really do just seem to make it look even faster). Although the seats are not leather, the seats are clearly made of much thicker and much higher quality material than my previous V6. Once more, they even had it in my favorite color (silver) that my previous stang was in (the one thing I did really love about it) and with my low milage trade in, I was assured of a nice low monthly payment. It was a stick shift though and I had only driven a stick two other times. Well I decided that if I really wanted a real GT and a true sports car, then I simply had to go all the way and get a stick and stop being lazy or afraid, and just learn it once and for all. Well that was only a week ago and I can honestly say I have never ever had as much fun as I have now when I get into the driver seat of my Silver 01 GT. It's a whooooole new world baby! The rumble of that engine, and the rush I get when I slam that stick into 5th gear and feel the explosion of power as I take off like I was just shot from a rocket launcher, is as close to heaven on earth as you can possibly imagine.

Stick or auto? No contest here. Not even a chance.