World Class T5 Conversion

I learned how to drive stick years ago, but this is the first car I ever owned with a manual trans. The gear ratios match up very well with the torquey 355, and makes the car much more fun to drive! Honestly, I chose the T5 because my budget wasn't large enough for a T56; my mortgage and family comes first. But once my friends in the MMC found out about my plans, it was all over. The MMC (Manual Monte Cult) is a subliminal, yet very powerful force consisting of a few members of the Monte List. The members gently jab and coax owners of "automatic frame lubricators" until they succumb to the Dark Side and add a third pedal to give the left foot some proper exercise. A few members helped me locate all the parts I'd need to get my Monte converted!

My friend Anthony and I installed the flywheel, clutch, and bellhousing before we dropped in the motor. So, installing the T5 was a snap; 4 bolts hold it into the bellhousing, and my DC Customs crossmember was a bolt-in from the old car as well.

Here's the list of new/used parts that we installed-

  • '83 F-body bellhousing and fork
  • '88 F-body World Class T5
  • Hurst Competition Plus shifter
  • '78-'81 A-body pedals and Z-bar
  • SpeedDirect spherical rod-end upper and lower pushrods
  • '86-up 153-tooth 16lb. nodular flywheel
  • Ram 88761 clutch set

Even though the T5 is canted 17 degrees towards the driver, the mount is straight up when used with an F-body bellhousing. However, it's about 7" away from where the original 200-4R crossmember sits. The T5 with bellhousing is also about 3" longer than a 200-4R, so the driveshaft will need to be shortened. I had mine done by Drive Line Inc. in Clifton, NJ.

My buddy Don and I decided it would be best to use the original front holes for the rear bolts on the mount, then drill two new holes 2.5" forward and slide the crossmember up. This gave us just enough clearance by the catalytic converter flange and torque arm mount on the T5.

Don cut the original mount off the 200-4R crossmember, flipped it over, and welded in a plate of 1/4" steel to reach the T5's mounting point.

This is the SpeedDirect upper pushrod sitting inside a MuscleCarsOnly boot. There are dimples for the retaining screws still in the firewall of a G-body, and if your car has cruise control, the hole for the upper pushrod has already been opened for you.

I made up a harness to plug directly into the original reverse light switch. Bob (a fellow MMC member) supplied me with the color-coded wire and a pigtail, which I gutted and crimped new connectors on. Then I made a new WeatherPak connector at the other end to mate up with the plug on the T5. The harness runs under the carpet and out the hole in the floor where the shifter cable came through.

Click here to check out the next stage.