fitting a 5 speed

66TigerMK1A

Gold forum user
Messages
1,129
I would like a 5 speed in mine just so that i can have the advantage of the lower 1st gear and then the nice OD top ratio.. its nice to use the torque of the motor and just lope along the freeway at sub 3k RPM... just quieter and more relaxed.... i like the loud antics when im going up and down the box.. when im just sitting on a long boring stretch or road be nice to switch it into top and relax.

EXACTLY!!

My car came with a 3.54 posi and 23.7" tall rear tires... that meant 3500 rpm @ 70 mph ! As much as I like the sound of SBF's, it wasn't fun for long and I drive my car a LOT!
Bought a used z-spec T5 for $800 and was lucky to find an AMC trans for $125 and doing my own fab and labor, it wasn't that expensive really. Drops the rpm well over 1000 revs at cruise.. Nice !:cool:
I've done a ton of mods to my car ( the P.O. had already started down that road ) and the T5 was THE best thing I've ever done for the car... by a MILE!!


Jim
B382000446
 

Tiger tamer

Gold forum user
Messages
318
I have a Tremec TR3550 sitting on the shed floor, but I didn't want to cut the tunnel, so there it sits. Finding all the parts to fit a T5 in this part of the world would be near impossible. My trans although being stripped down and checked over is now slipping out of third every now and then :()
 

hottigr

Gold forum user
CAT Member
Messages
816
I look at the new transmissions and ooh and aah- beautiful engineering. The thought of a 5 speed has a certain appeal. Then, I drive my Tiger with the close ratio toploader, 2.88 gears, 205/60-13 tires, and it just feels so right.

If I crunch the numbers, @5000 rpm in each gear, the speeds are: 51, 69, 91, 117...3000 rpm in 4th gear is 70 mph...6000 rpm (which is feasible but not advisable with my motor) would yield 141 mph. Not a lot I would change.
 

steven

Gold forum user
Messages
875
I look at the new transmissions and ooh and aah- beautiful engineering. The thought of a 5 speed has a certain appeal. Then, I drive my Tiger with the close ratio toploader, 2.88 gears, 205/60-13 tires, and it just feels so right.

If I crunch the numbers, @5000 rpm in each gear, the speeds are: 51, 69, 91, 117...3000 rpm in 4th gear is 70 mph...6000 rpm (which is feasible but not advisable with my motor) would yield 141 mph. Not a lot I would change.

My thoughts exactly, at present my tiger is in the rebuild stage. I have a alpine fitted with twin webbers. Open it up and it screams a very nice sound especially above 3,000rpm.
 

1fineAlpine

Silver forum user
Messages
76
T5's

My project Alpine V8 swap has been stalled because I've been trying to patiently wait for an 88-93 fox body mustang to pop up in the wrecking yard with a 5 speed. I'm on a budget, and I can pull any tranny from this place (they have two yards in different locations here) for $55. Now THATS a bargain, lol. However, most go to private party's who sell the trannys for all they can get. My plan was to do the S10 tail housing ($12-20 at the wrecking yard) and have Modern Driveline set up the speedo gear for me, and they inspect the whole thing for no extra cost. I was also hoping to find the 82-83 AMC Spirit or Comcord T5 needed, but I haven't even found any rotting away in a field anywhere yet... The reason I wanted those years of fox body T5's was because of the torque ratings. I've seen a few 96-99 mustangs pop up in the yards here, but assumed the trannys (if manual, I never checked) wouldn't work. Would they hold up behind a 400+ hp 302? I'd love to be able to drive my car a bit this summer.

Thanks! -Kyle
 

XTIGERX

Gold forum user
Messages
501
I really don't understand the current craze of putting 5 speeds in Tigers?

Sorry I don't see it either. Of course I'm in L.A. and there's a signal or stop sign on every corner and the streets and freeways are pretty much bumper to bumper. So its constantly shift, shift, shift. N, 1st, 2nd is pretty much it.

My first car had a 3 speed stick and I just had to have a 4 speed. Finally got one and was the biggest mistake ever and that was back in the late 60's and you could actually drive a few blocks without shifting but it was still shift, shift, shift.

Of course with the Tiger you could just make do with N and 2nd. When I had the Tiger out a few years back and was driving it to work and back regularly it was about a 5 mile drive thru mostly residential neighborhoods I'd take off from a stop and give it a little gas and stick it in N and coast to the next stop most of the way to work and back. Barely ever went over 25 preparing for the coast in N.
 

CT Tiger

Silver forum user
Messages
101
I hear ya , I learned to drive in NYC. same thing there , but one can always rely on the hand signals to navigate by ! LOL . Where I live now we are fortunate to have plenty of long open country roads, Nothing like the PCH , but you can keep a constant 60 mph if you like . So a 5 speed works in that setting , but if I had to drive my Tiger in the city with the 4 speed it would be just what you said 2nd , N and reverses. So is that a 3 speed !
 
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