[MustangMan302]

Hey Guys,

I have recently bought an '89 Gt.It's in decent shape just needs a little TLC.I just don't like the fact that it's an automatic.Is it worth it to swap a 5 speed in it or to build up the AOD with a stall converter,ratchet shifter and the such so i can manualy shift the automatic?If it's worth it to put in a five speed how much would it cost and long is the swap?

[ryan218]

three things to ask yourself.....


is a AOD fun to drive?

man banger gears are fun!!!

and three. will this be a track only car or street/strip, if street/strip id go 5 speed.

[Nopantz]

Ryan you dont even have a 5.0

Anyways a built AOD can be as effective if not more effective and as fun as a stick. With the right converter and shift kit/valvebody you can make a AOD that will run with any 5-speed. If you really want to no more about built AODs check out clickclickracing.com, great site with great info. good luck

[MustangMan302]

Thanks I'll check that site out.And it's going to be a street/strip car that i will drive everyday but take it down the track occasionally.

[ryan218]

Originally Posted by CAMAROEATER01

Ryan you dont even have a 5.0

Anyways a built AOD can be as effective if not more effective and as fun as a stick. With the right converter and shift kit/valvebody you can make a AOD that will run with any 5-speed. If you really want to no more about built AODs check out clickclickracing.com, great site with great info. good luck

shhhhh he dont know that

yes good points but it would come down for me if this would be a strip only car or a fun weekend toy.

[MustangMan302]

Originally Posted by ryan218

shhhhh he dont know that

yes good points but it would come down for me if this would be a strip only car or a fun weekend toy.

Actually I know all about you wanting a 5.0 and stuff i browse this site all the time I just don't post that much.

[OrLackThereof]

Nothing more amusing as a street/strip app than a 5 speed...gotta love banging gears.

You can build an AOD to work well, and it will usually outrun a 5-speed at the track unless the guy driving the 5-speed is a good driver, and lets be honest most arent but think they are.

Things to think about when choosing an AOD are, what stall converter are you going to need.....can you get a lockup style, or do you want a stronger non-lockup input shaft... How about an anti-ballooning plate for big nitrous hits?

And for the valvebody....are you going to run a full manual valvebody, or upgraded stock-style? Shift kitted? Make sure you match your governor to your rear end, otherwise you'll have a NIGHTMARE of a time getting the thing to EVER perform properly (which is my case). Are you going to use the stock shifter? Not a lot of AOD shifters on the market, and most all shifters out there are 3 position where overdrive has to be run to a switch or push-button so far as I can tell.

[MustangMan302]

That's another question I'm leaning towards the 5 speed like I wanted from the start but what is a "Lock-up" converter?

[mansonozz]

Originally Posted by ryan218

three things to ask yourself.....


is a AOD fun to drive?

man banger gears are fun!!!

and three. will this be a track only car or street/strip, if street/strip id go 5 speed.

An AOD car can be REAL fun to drive. Drive a built one before you say anything.

I am having a 4R70W built for my car right now, which I chose over a manual swap. Granted I'm getting a manual valve body, but still...I won't be pushing any clutches.

[2000xp8]

Built up aod's seem to be hit or miss with quality and reliablility, so if you go that route, definetely do your research.

And the 5 speed swap may land up being cheaper.
Built aod prices are pretty expensive, then add a $500 converter, $100 for a shift kit.

[25thmustang]

I agree you have to experience them before making claims. I have driven everything from stock T5s and AODs to build autos, proshifted 5-speeds, T56s, Tremecs, proshifted Tremecs, Top Loaders etc... I can say this much about it all:

1. What exactly do you want from the car. Are you going to be daily driving it, in traffic 50 miles a day. Or is it going to be a nice weather car, seeing maybe 50-100 miles a week tops.
2. What is the motor combo? If your building a turbo set up thats going to see more track duty, a 5-speed will most likely only hurt your times.
3. Do YOU mind driving the car with either tranny. Is the auto going to be fun enough in your eyes to warrent having it all the time. Is the 5-speed going to perform how you want, and are you willing to drive around all the time having to shift your own gears?
4. Cost. Do you have the money to build or buy either, then keep up with burning up clutches in the 5-speed, or the gas mileage loss you would get from the auto? Not huge deals by any strecth, but they come into play when your deciding and dont have a gut instinct.

Personally its up to you. The reason I say this is because if you ask for opinions your going to be driving in what someone else wants. I would NEVER put an auto or even consider it in my street/strip, or track car! You might not believe it or understand why, but I need to be shifting gears and would sacrafice a little time at the track to be doing so!

[90]

befor i bought my car i never had a 5spd, now that i have one when i drive my DD auto, i find myself looking for the clutch, lol i wish my dd was a 5spd!

[funkytrunk92]

WARNING: OFF TOPIC!!!

Thatrabbit with the Bancake on it's head is the funniest damn thing I've seen in a while. I keep seeing it, but I finally had to say something about it.

[blackened88lx]

Originally Posted by 25thmustang

Personally its up to you. The reason I say this is because if you ask for opinions your going to be driving in what someone else wants. I would NEVER put an auto or even consider it in my street/strip, or track car! You might not believe it or understand why, but I need to be shifting gears and would sacrafice a little time at the track to be doing so!

High stalls and transbrakes and manual valve bodies and all that are cool, but it's just nothing like a stick car. Yeah, a correctly built auto will almost always be a little faster and more consistent, but I own a car to have fun, not just sit along for the ride but run a tenth quicker. I was unsure of what I wanted until I bought my car and powershifted for the first time. I will probably never own an auto go-fast car in my life now. I love to watch single digit stick cars.
Two of my favorite videos. These make me
http://videos.streetfire.net/hottest...6b00ad9aa9.htm
http://videos.streetfire.net/search/...e6325372c5.htm

[MustangMan302]

Originally Posted by 25thmustang

I agree you have to experience them before making claims. I have driven everything from stock T5s and AODs to build autos, proshifted 5-speeds, T56s, Tremecs, proshifted Tremecs, Top Loaders etc... I can say this much about it all:

1. What exactly do you want from the car. Are you going to be daily driving it, in traffic 50 miles a day. Or is it going to be a nice weather car, seeing maybe 50-100 miles a week tops.
2. What is the motor combo? If your building a turbo set up thats going to see more track duty, a 5-speed will most likely only hurt your times.
3. Do YOU mind driving the car with either tranny. Is the auto going to be fun enough in your eyes to warrent having it all the time. Is the 5-speed going to perform how you want, and are you willing to drive around all the time having to shift your own gears?
4. Cost. Do you have the money to build or buy either, then keep up with burning up clutches in the 5-speed, or the gas mileage loss you would get from the auto? Not huge deals by any strecth, but they come into play when your deciding and dont have a gut instinct.


Personally its up to you. The reason I say this is because if you ask for opinions your going to be driving in what someone else wants. I would NEVER put an auto or even consider it in my street/strip, or track car! You might not believe it or understand why, but I need to be shifting gears and would sacrafice a little time at the track to be doing so!

1.It's going to be a daily driver to school (about 20 minutes away)and cruising around and strip action on the weekends.

2.It's going to be just a bolt-on car with H/C/I in the future

3.I'd rather go with the 5-speed because I love messing around with my buddies
'89 that's a 5-speed and I don't mind shifting all the time at all.

4.I think i can deal with the burning clutches but the whole gas milage is also turning me away from the auto.



See my dad is going to oversee everything I do and I told him from the start I wanted a 5-speed but we couldn't find a nice 5-speed car so we got this car because it doesn't that much help(minor body damage) and it's 100% bone-stock.He doesn't want me tearing out the whole tranny and changing everything.To me an automatic just doesn't seem fun to drive. My dad wants me to build the AOD but i really want the 5-speed.I looked at conversion kits and it comes with a new t-5,Ram clutch,flywheel,and everything-else for about $2200 it sounds nice but pricy.It just doesn't seem to warrent any fun with an auto.The only obsticle is the price of the swap and convincing my dad to allow the swap I can get help me put in the tranny that know what there doing so that's not a problem.

[OrLackThereof]

Originally Posted by MustangMan302

what is a "Lock-up" converter?

Torque converters operate with turbines that spin transmission fluid....imagine a fan that you turned on. That's bolted to the engine and turns with it. Now put another fan in front of the first, in the path of the air....the second fan, without being turned on, will begin to spin. That's the turbine that spins your transmission. Needless to say, there is always a margin of slippage involved in the system because it's not directly coupled. A "lock-up" style converter, will engage the two turbines and lock them together into one-piece, hence the name....it does this during cruise, usually at or above 40 mph. If youre accelerating or decelerating, or below 40 mph, it won't lock because it could induce a stall or put too much stress on the converter. Locking up the converter makes the engine run at one or two hundred rpms lower than without it locked up, gives you better gas mileage, and also keeps your transmission fluid cooler. The downside is, if you run a lock-up style converter, it has to be a specific lock-up style input shaft, which is weaker in nature....so you sacrifice strength. To a car that sees a high-rpm launch on slicks off a trans-brake, you need a strong input shaft so that's an issue.

I have a friend that ran mid 10's and snapped two different input shafts in half on two different built C4's.

[25thmustang]

Thats why I love stick cars. You run a 9 in an auto its cool and all, but you bang gears to a 9 second pass and people talk.

It sounds like your leaning towards the stick and I can say from experience if you want the stick and go with the auto your going to regret it. I started modding my auto with converters, shift kits and everything, but was not happy until the T5 went in.

[blackened88lx]

Originally Posted by 25thmustang

Thats why I love stick cars. You run a 9 in an auto its cool and all, but you bang gears to a 9 second pass and people talk.

It sounds like your leaning towards the stick and I can say from experience if you want the stick and go with the auto your going to regret it. I started modding my auto with converters, shift kits and everything, but was not happy until the T5 went in.

to all of that. It sounds like you've already made up your mind. Just gotta convince your dad.

[bditty50]

I've never been an automatic fan but, with my Lentech AOD its awesome. It doesnt have the problem with skipping gears like normal Aods and it also have an OD lockout switch so it doesnt automatically go into overdrive while racing and its better for hard downshifts while getting off of the highway.

[MustangMan302]

Yeah I definetly made up my mind I want A 5-speed.If I can convince my dad where can I get all the parts needed and how much would it cost?I seen on MPS Auto Salvage they sell two 5-speed conversion kits one with all used parts for about $1600 and one with all new parts for $2200.That seems pricy anyway I can do the conversion for say $1000?

[mansonozz]

Piece the kit together yourself, you can likely do it under a grand if you find people looking to sell their old parts real cheap and quick.

If it makes him feel better, you can tell him I just spend $3000 on my 4R70W build. That outta help.

[Prime Lord]

I just can't see having a car that is as much fun as a Mustang and only having two pedals. There are few things better than banging gears in a manual. If it were up to me, every car that is smaller than a van would be a manual.

[OrLackThereof]

Originally Posted by Prime Lord

I just can't see having a car that is as much fun as a Mustang and only having two pedals. There are few things better than banging gears in a manual. If it were up to me, every car that is smaller than a van would be a manual.

I've already vowed never to buy an automatic again except under the condition that that model of car only comes with one.

[1Fine89stang]

I am in the same boat , i have an automatic with a beat tranny and i am really on the fence about swapping in a 5-speed or a built aod with a stall , im going to be doing the swap at my house so i want to keep it pretty simple , and plus it sounds like a lot of work to track down all the clutch parts and put them in , its gonna be a weekend warrior. I would like to know which would be easier and more cost effective , jegs has a built aod for like 930 bucks , plus a converter and a shifter would prob. be around 12 or 13 hundred. As for the 5 speed , thats a lot of parts , and work , any opinions?

[UnderdogGN]

i chose to go with a built AOD...with 4:10 gears and a 3200 stall it comes out of the hole hard!! plus i always shift my own gears with it, just with no clutch haha...still pretty fun if you ask me..