manual trans to a Automatic trans?

[BrianS]

I am new to the site but am just starting a restoration of a 1979 spider 2000 pininfarina. It is a 5 speed manual and I am thinking about changing it to the automatic trans of the same year. (it will be given to my daughter for her 16th birthday)
So my first question is do i need to change out the rear-end also? ( Are the gear ratios different?)
and the second question besides the cooling lines that run to the radiator and the brake pedal is there any differences that may give me problems?

I have access to get all the parts to do it I just need some help on what i need to get and what to expect

thank you
Brian

[GeorgeT]

Please teach her how to drive the 5-speed. If you absolutely have to have an automatic, sell the Spider to someone who will appreciate shifting gears and get her a Mazda MX5 (Miata). You will lose a lot of the "fun" factor when you take a marginally powered 5- speed and put in a 3-speed automatic (and yes the rear end gearing is different).

[BEEK]

if you do decide to go automatic, i have everything you would need to make the conversion. it so happens i have 2 automatic spiders. one of which i am going to part out, the other im going to convert to a 5 speed.

[TX82FIAT]

Agreed, teach her how to drive stick. She may hate it in traffic but it is a dying art. I was talking with my 17 year old and some of his friends the other day at an event over the house. Not a single one of the guys age 16 to 20 could drive a stick. One of the guys insited he could drive a manual car only to find out he was talking about paddle shifters.

Don't take this out of context with respect to your daughter. When I met my wife in the 80's she was tooling around in a four speed import and she drove that thing better than any guy I knew. She would downshift at all the right times and get every once of power out of a piece of crap Hyundai. Damn Sexy!! it will increase her odds of meeting a man that appreciates cars.

[BrianS]

LOL, my wife started out in a Hyundai too. i guess i should add that the other reason for the switch. the 5 speed will not stay in first gear( think the synchros are bad) so regardless the transmission will need to to be pulled. the auto i found will cost me maybe $100.00 total for all the parts including rear-end but just a lot of elbow grease. So how tough is it to fix or find the parts to repair the 5 speed?

i am fairly mechanically incline, is the 5 speed something i need to have a transmission shop do or something i can tear into?

i just finished my sons 16th birthday restoration project . a 1968 mustang i know this is a fiat forum but will have to post some pictures of it. along with the progress of the fiat

[BrianS]

http://i1274.photobucket.com/albums/y43 ... 4cc835.jpg
http://i1274.photobucket.com/albums/y43 ... 9954dc.jpg
http://i1274.photobucket.com/albums/y43 ... 825c1c.jpg

[TX82FIAT]

Nice Mustang!! Is that a crate motor that you installed? Personally I'd have a shop familiar with early brass syncro rings rebuild a Spider transmission. I just don't have the patience or skill to do it myself. The auto trans I'm told is the same one used in the Chevette. That makes it a lot cheaper than buying a manual gearbox. If you buy someone elses gearbox they have around there is no gaurantee that it is a good. The rebuild of the manual will be costly. To buy an already rebuilt one is in the $1200.00 range.

So, $100.00 for a good automatic starts to make a lot of economic sence but not fun driving sense.

[vandor]

If you go that route I'd recommend you upgrade the intake/carb, otherwise the car will be horribly slow.
Things you will need to change: flexplate, transmission, transmission mount, driveshaft, shifter/linkage, shifter wood, brake pedal, speedo cable, kickdown cable and associated parts, vacuum line, right rear camtower cover that holds the AT dipstick. You will need to add an external cooler for the AT.

BTW, is this a known good AT? They do go bad. Last time I paid ~$850 for a rebuild by a reputable shop.

The 5-speed has a 3.9:1 rear end, you could keep it if it will be an in-town car only (speedo would be off, tho), it will have better acceleration. The automatics came with a 3.58:1 rear to reduce the revs on the highways, as the AT does not have an overdrive like the 5 speeds.

Pretty much all parts to rebuild the 5-speed are available. If you are mechanically inclined then it's not too bad, just involved...

[BrianS]

thank you for the info!!! that is exactly what i was looking for. I think i will get all the stuff from the parts car to do the switch if i choose to go the way of the auto. in the mean time i will drop the 5 speed trans and see what it will take to repair it. I was very fortunate to find the parts car and get it for the price i did.

i have read some of the carb options on this forum and when i get to that area i'm sure i will have more questions. this is looks to be a fun restoration and am glad to find a forum like this one to help me through it.
thanks to all that replied!!!

[ga.spyder]

The Mustang is really nice. You should be proud.My 1st car was a 67 'Stang with a 289 4 speed.I wish I still had it

[BrianS]

thank you! the mustang was my first car too. I held onto it all these years and then decided to restore it with my son. we labored for 18 months and almost every pay check of his went into it, to get it done for him. it taught him the hard work and cost that goes into a nice car, and he has learned to respect it. he actually drives it nicer then i did when i was his age, lol

my plan is to do the same thing with my daughter on this spider.

it seems to teach them their way around tools and body work, and that maybe they can do the same for their kids. or maybe it will just teach them that a new car with a warranty is what they want and i will get the cars back. lol

TX82FIAT, no its not a crate motor wish we could have done that. but we just tore it down the best we could and then built it back up.

[ga.spyder]

I think that is one of the best lessons you can teach your kids.Not to mention that is a fantastic bonding(or Bondo-ing) experience.Congrats!