I am looking at buying my first classic Mustang. I have been doing research for the past few weeks and finally feel like I can start looking at some Mustangs. The thing is... I like driving manuals and much as automatics. Which is more fun to drive for the classics? Auto or Manual? The reason why I ask... The one I am looking at is a 66' (coupe) with a C4 in it. Also has a hotter cam, 600cfm carb and an intake mani. I am wondering how much power will these things throw down with these mods. I am assuming the cam isn't too wild.
Buying a Mustang. Questions and a poll...
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I wish I had a manual in my 66. I have the C4 3 speed auto like that one. That's why I am going to do the T-5 conversion in the future.
I have the same mods as the 66 you mentioned plus headers and exhaust but minus the cam. I dont know how much power i'm putting out but I bet it's only in the 200-220hp range, if that. It's still helluva a lot of fun to drive!
I have the same mods as the 66 you mentioned plus headers and exhaust but minus the cam. I dont know how much power i'm putting out but I bet it's only in the 200-220hp range, if that. It's still helluva a lot of fun to drive!
SoCalCruising
Founding Member
Look for a manual car, it is cheaper to add overdrive (via T5) than with an auto (via AOD or Gear Vendors). However, your initial purchase price may be a little higher for a stick. Yes, a stick car is MUCH more fun to drive, especially with some horsepower. Anyway, my $.02.
More autos where produced back then and therefore more survive today add to that a larger percentage of the manuals where hotroded. The auto will be cheaper for a comparable car but keep in mind the auto to manual conversion is not cheep about 2k. What is more FUN well if you are going to cruse it then I would say auto and auto is better for drag. However, the fun-o-meter pegs for me in a manual. I was going to convert my car to a manual until I found out it is a GTA “A” being for automatic I decided to keep it that way but with an AOD instead of C4. Decide what you want form the car then find one with the best body you can. The mechanicals will be cheaper than bodywork and rust repair besides you would want to upgrade the drive train in short order anyway.
92LX_Stroker
New Member
I may not be the smartest man........ ANY LADIES OUT THEIR WITH A STANG, PLEASE CLOSE YOUR EYES AND GO TO A DIFFERENT THREAD.
Are you married?
If you answered Y, go manual and hope she dont know how to drive it.
Are you married?
If you answered Y, go manual and hope she dont know how to drive it.
If the car is going to be a daily driver I would get an auto. If it is for fun I would get a manual. I have a manual in my 66 and when it was a daily driver sitting in stop and go traffic sucked, also in the rain on any kind of incline I would just side around trying to get moving. The auto would have been great then. Now that my car is a toy, I love the 4 speed and would never go auto. I love the sounds it makes when I am down shifting and I get brubling sound and it is just a blast to drive because I feel I have so much more control.
my 2 cents
Alex
my 2 cents
Alex
Thanks for all the replies guys. It seems my first post was rather incoherrent. I think I posted this late at night. Anyhow, I have been doing even more research on the subject. Right now two Mustangs in my area caught my attention. A Spring time yellow which is a 65 with a 4 speed toploader or a very nice looking Caspian Blue 65 with a 3 speed manual. This car will be my fun car... So daily drivability isn't too much of a concern. Now, is there any large draw back to a 3spd? Does it still have a locking diff (errr... sorry, I deal with modern cars. Whatever the equavalent to an LSD is). :blush: My intentions for this car is to modernize it tastefully (power steering, brakes, seats, radio, ect. ect. ) and add some power to it. Also, what do stock 289's throw down to the ground?
302 coupe
Founding Member
a stock 289 4 barrel will put about 155 to the ground. That doesn't sound like much (because its not), but its good power for such a light car. Plus, all the torque is right there in the lower rpms, so it feels pretty strong. 289's are easy and cheap to beef up, you can get 400hp out them pretty easy.
The transmission will not determine axle ratio or whether or not it has a trac-lok (Ford's LSD). Most cars came with 2.79 gears and an open differential, some 3.00's and 3.25's. Trac-lok's were rare in early mustangs, they became more popular in the later years. That being said, its real easy to swap to a different set of gears and a trac-lok differential. You can purchase a rebuilt center section with your choice of gear ratios and trac-lok for around $600, takes about 2 hours to swap it out using common sense and basic hand tools.
Four speed cars are more sought after, so if nothing else, it may be a selling point sometime down the road for you.
The transmission will not determine axle ratio or whether or not it has a trac-lok (Ford's LSD). Most cars came with 2.79 gears and an open differential, some 3.00's and 3.25's. Trac-lok's were rare in early mustangs, they became more popular in the later years. That being said, its real easy to swap to a different set of gears and a trac-lok differential. You can purchase a rebuilt center section with your choice of gear ratios and trac-lok for around $600, takes about 2 hours to swap it out using common sense and basic hand tools.
Four speed cars are more sought after, so if nothing else, it may be a selling point sometime down the road for you.
jcode68
Active Member
Speaking from experience, you will not like the 3 speed manual transmission much if you are looking for any performance. The gearing ratios are not performance oriented and the shifts, even with a good rebuild are sloppy. The good news is you can easily fix that with a T5 conversion like many have done on this forum. The 4 speed toploader is a big improvement over the 4 speed and it will handle a lot of power, but many crave the overdrive and improved shifting of the T5. Niether transmission has anything to to with how the rear end is setup, but odds are that the 3 speed car will not have a locking differential since it's a performance option. In either case, go for the overall better car (body, options, engine, what it will take to finish it...). Don't let the tranny dictate your decision as you will probably end up doing a swap on either down the road.
As far as the 3 speed vs. the 4 speed, pick the color car you like best. It is far easier to slide a 4-speed into a 3-speed car than it is to change colors or some other options. If you like blue a lot better than yellow, (I do), I would get the 3 speed car and convert it later.
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