89lx302

i got a 89lx with auto trans, where can i find the kits to convert to a standard. i looked on ebay and found this guy selling the convert standard off his car plus the t-5 trans, the aution is at 500 right now. good price or should i look elsewhere?

roundman

IMO it would be more cost effective and reliable to keep the auto tranny and put a good shift kit in it with a 2,500 stall converter and trans cooler than go to all the trouble and expense of swapping it over to a 5 speed but that's just because I'm a shiftless kind of guy! check out www.lentechautomatics.com, these guys have all the 4-1-1 on the AOD's and what it takes to make them perform better than any 5 speed out there.

Halfpint5.0

All-Mustang Performance www.ampperformance.com has kits to convert back and forth, for almost any year... they charge $1500 I believe for the standard AOD-to-T5 kit, but they'll buy your old bell, flex-plate, etc. back. You could also go AOD-to-T56, or 3550 or TKO, but those kits are up there in the $2000+ range... also, i'm not sure they include the computer or driveshaft, but for an AOD-to-T5 swap the driveshaft is the same.

Depending on the condition of everything, $500 for a full swap setup, if it included the computer, clutch/brake pedal assy, and EVERYTHING else, would be a pretty good price... or you could just find a parts-car/donor and rip everything out of it--that's what I did on a car I was building. I came out spending around $400, but it took me about a month to find a car that was local and had the parts I needed.

That said, in all honesty I agree with Roundman--Autos are more consistent and are (to some) easier to drive in rush-hour, stop-and-go traffic... personally, I have no problem driving my 5spd every day, during whatever traffic, though the clutch does get a bit heavy after 30 minutes. I wouldn't trade my manual for any automatic, just 'cuz I like to row the gears myself. It's really all a personal-preference thing, but it's a worthwhile swap if you want to do it.

Dan89lx

go to a junkyard/salvage yard, if you look around, you can do this fairly cheap.you can use your stock computer(should be an A9P, works for aod/t5, i know because my buddy just swapped his) u need peadls and quadrant, cluch cable, trans/belhousing, flywheel,clutch assembly, clutch fork, i think you need a crossmember also for a t5, i may be forgetting something but thats about all. I would search junkyards and/or ebay for everything. I would try to get everything used except for the clutch assembly, and you may consider getting a new adjustable clutch cable/quadrant and a firewall adjuster as this allows you to adjust the clutch pedal however you want it. Roundman has a good point though, a good aod with a shift kit and stall would be ideal, but if you arent worried about consistency and just want to slam gears just get a 5 speed(im not trying to say you cant be consistent with a manual).

Dan89lx

sorry, i didnt read all of halfpints post, i wasnt trying to post whorr. I wasnt trying to copy him, I guess we just think alike [sm=alcoholic.gif]