hey im not up on the formulas i found a car i might buy guy knows nothing about it says motor runs, any how car has no tranny was a manual, says he thinks is a 305 i guess i thought the formulas all had 350's?

quiestion is what motor did these come with is it possible a 305

and what exact tranny would i need for a v8 formula so i can do some recearch on prices of used trannys thanks Jason

 

You could get a formula with a (H) 305 4bbl, (E) 305 TBI, (F) 305 TPI, or (8) 350 TPI. The carbed 305 was only available in 87, and was replaced by the TBI 305 in 88-up. Since it was a 5spd, it had to be one of the 305's, since the 350 was only available as an auto. The 8th digit of the VIN will tell you what it was, and casting numbers on the block will tell you what it is now.

 

so how about tranny most likely T5 ?

 

If it was a stock 5spd, yes. The T5 was the only 5spd offered.

 

ok is it a certain t5 i hear there are a couple different types?
for an example if i found a used t5 on craigslist or somthing like that will it work even if it was from somthing other than a 3rd gen

 

No, the Thirdgen T5 is basically the only one that will work. It is tilted at an angle and the it has a torque arm mount.

 

great thanks for the answers

 

Yeah, I have that conversation all the time with friends. There are a lot of T5s and some of them share the same parts, but most of them won't interchange with other applications. For example a Mustang T5 can't be swapped in place of an Fbody T5, or a T5 from an S10. Even V8 vs V6 T5s in the same platform are usually somewhat different, sometimes they can be made to work but they're less then ideal. Worse yet the T5 is a really weak transmission, most of the V8s they were paired with were already pushing their limits. The T56 is probably the best upgrade, but it has it's own problems. It can be swapped into place of a T5, but it's not a direct bolt in replacement.

 

out of curiosity what if i went automatic would this open up more options or pretty much same deal

 

Pretty much the same deal... Because of the torque arm rear suspension, only platform specific transmissions will work. 4th gens use almost the same platform, so you have your choice between the T5 and T56 in manuals, and 700R4/4L60E autos. They sell adapters to install the TH-350, and you could theoretically use a 4spd manual, but why? The choices are really limited to 4spd auto or 6spd manual, or stick with the T5 and pray.