My 53 has a 302/c4 combo and I really don't like the transmission. I have an old 3 speed that a fellow Hamber gave me with a Mr Gasket shifter attached. But I was also thinking of a t5 if I can find one cheap enough, or a m50d out of a truck. This is the only Ford I've ever had so I don't have any knowledge of what kind of swaps would work. I may have asked on here before, but I don't remember. I don't post often, but I read all the time. Any Ideas?
A C4 is a very good gearbox. They can be tuned to change the shift points. I have a five speed in my car, and love it. There is a gear for every speed up to 75 or so. Both are a good choice. With the speeds we drive today, putting a three speed in anything is a giant step backwards.
Since the car is already set up with the C4 it would be fairly EZ to swap in an AOD to gain the overdrive,best donor years are 1988-93.Why do you not like the C4?
If you want a manual trans, get a T5. You'll need the bellhousing, trans, flywheel, clutch ***embly, clutch pedal setup, trans mount, shifter, driveshaft, etc. Pre-'94 Mustang 5.0 T5's are the ones to get. The 4cyl Mustangs had t5's as well, but they won't hold up to a V8 if you're hard on it. You can pick an 85-93 Mustang 5.0 apart to get all the parts you need. If you just want another gear for highway driving, the AOD is an easy swap, but it's not a tough transmission like the C4. Nowadays you can upgrade them to handle high horsepower, but it aint cheap. If it's just a driver and you're not hard on it, the AOD will work just fine.
I am using a C4 in my 55 that has a cammed 302 . That's one of the best transmissions Ford ever made ! We use them for drag racing and is the go to trans for that . A good 3 speed is nice but to me you are going in the wrong direction . If you muct have a standard trans either get a Ford T10 4 speed , 4 speed Toploader or a T5 would be the best choose since it has the overdrive . Remember this , any T5 you get at a Bargain price is junk ! By the time most people sell they they are selling them for a reason . Just keep that in mind . One thing......I really don't understand why you don't like the C4 unless you either want an overdrive trans for better fuel mileage or you want a standard transmission . If you don't want your C4 just let me know . I really do like them ! Jim
My biggest problem with it is that it's an automatic. I don't like the way it shifts up or down. Maybe it's normal, I don't know since I dont drive anything with an auto. At the prices I've been able to find t5's and toploader 4 speeds I can swap over to a 350 with a saganaw 4 speed. That will probably be my best bet.
Well it's your car and your choice but I am just sitting here shaking my head trying to figure this one out . Why would you want to stick a chev into a Ford when you have everything already ? Doesn't make since but like I said it's your car and your money . A good T5 can be bought for $300 any day of the week and a rebuilt one for $400 . So how do you figure on getting another chev engines and 4 speed trans for that amount ? I am not sure where you got the prices but you are looking in the wrong places . Even a 4 speed Toploader can be bought for less than $500 ! But in the end it's your car and your call . I just wish you lived closer to me so I could get that 302 and C4 from you ! It's just my opinion ! Jim
Since you like shifting you may want to give this a read: http://www.fordmuscle.com/archives/2000/09/t5swap/index.php This is actually easier than adapting a SBC into your Ford and you should be able to sell the C4 to pay for the change over,I would not use a Mustang "Z" bar as shown in the article the way the early Fords are configured using a hydraulic clutch will be much easier,Todd aka ctfortner has been down that road already and could share some advice with you.You should be able to adapt the T-5 to your stock trans crossmember fairly EZ,and the Mustang T-5 will be close to the length of your C4 and you won't have to spend the $$ to modify the drive shaft since the splines are the same.
I was thinking of doing the 4 speed conversion to my 55 Ford with a 302 also but kept the C4 because it was just rebuilt . You should be able to get everything fairly cheap at a salvage yard down there . As for the " bar , you can sell the one you have with the shift rods to help pay for the simple conversion . I was just going to use the cable set up like the Mustangs came with for mine . It's really a simple conversion and I was going to use my swing peddles too . It's a awful lot easier and will be a ton cheaper than changing everything over to a sbc set up . It's been done a lot and a 5 speed will really be nicer than a 4 speed because of the overdrive . I understand about loving the standard shift . i have a toploader for mine but changed my mind . I am going to be building a g***er from my 49 Ford . That will have a 429 and I have a 4 speed toploader close ratio already for that car ! I will be having tons of fun banging gears with that set up ! Just somethings to consider ! Jim MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE !
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