I read the other posts, and i see there is a little bit of work needed to do this(obviously) So, I found an ad on craigslist for someone who is parting out an 84 z28 5 speed. first of all, would an 84's parts be interchangable with my 83? I'm guessing they would....also, if i was to do this, what exactly would i need to be taking off of his car (assuming i get there while all the parts are there) I need the transmission and clutch i know that much, but is there any other parts i will be needing? I read in another post that the stock gears wouldnt be good with the 5 speed....so would i need to take his gears also? or was that just for the T56...i dont know what that is but ill do some research on t56. any suggestions on what a fair price to ask would be for all the parts i would need from him if he has them? thanks for any help


[edit] oh yeah i forgot...i already have a B&M shift kit, which i am pretty happy with, is it even worth the switch? will a 5 speed be that much better than a B&M kit with overdrive?

 

Go to the tech articles here on the site and there's a really good writeup on how and what you'll need to swap the 5 speed trans in place of your auto. In addition to the trans/clutch/bellhousing, you'll also need the pedals and the clutch hydraulics(master cylinder, line, and slave cylinder). Basically, if he'll let you take whatever you want for cheap, grab everything you can (shift plate for the console, clutch safety neutral switch, shifter, etc.). You really need to figure out what gears you have in your rearend now. If they're 2.73's you'll definitely need better gears. 3.08's would work OK. 3.23 or anything numerically higher would be even better. Just a tip, most of the V6 powered thirdgens usually got either 3.23 or 3.42 gears, and V6 cars are everywhere in the junkyards, so it'd be cheap to grab a rear with good gears from one of those. If your car is a true Z/28, there's a good chance you've already got 3 series gears, but you never know for sure until you check. Some of the early H.O. Z/28's even got 3.73's, but usually just the 5 speed cars.

 

One thing I would add: unless it is almost new, I would be reluctant to install his old clutch. Since you have it apart, it's a good idea to have his flywheel (which you also need) resurfaced, and put in a new clutch. It would be a shame if you put this all together only to have to replace the clutch right away. Same goes for throwout bearing.