Hello all,
this is how I look at the "Why a 5 speed".(a good question).
When I was 20' ish, a good friend had a 1970 MGB Roadster
4 spd w/o/d. We drove that on every windy road on
Cape Cod for 2 summers, I drove almost as much as he did.
At the end of that time we both knew our way around the mechanics
of a B roadster pretty well. Things broke, etc, but we Always called
the transmission-the "Slop box", the shifter handle always seemed to be
positioned wrong, too tall, too far forward even in neutral,
big time sloppy, you'd grab the shifter and flop it into gear,
(yes it was worn) and it had Long throws between the gears.
Almost 25 years later now, I had a few extra grand in my pocket one day,
I only have a single car garage, 1 1/2 feet on either side of my B,
so I thought what Fun car would fit into that space that I'd Love ?,
an MGBGT came to mind. But with that thought came the thought of that
"Slop box". I purchased my 68 MGBGT, great body NO rust
(a North Carolina car originally) , painted white-a decent job, seats and
dash in great shape, a newly rebuilt .030 over block (out of the car)
all new parts for that , everything else came in cardboard boxes
and milk crates.I bought it 16 Aug 2000, I wanted it on the
road 1 June 01.
Needless to say I spent every spare minute working on my BGT
after my full time job.( I had access to a 2 bay garage-with a propane
heater !) (Jan, Feb, Mar 01 were chilly months in the Boston area).
It was on the road 16 May 2001 all set !!
I was working on a serious deadline so 'my' thoughts were, I'll have
a professional Brit mechanic assemble my rebuilt engine and install
it, as for the transmission, when I bought the car the owner said I
should open it up, it wasn't totally well when it was put away 3 years
ago. So I would have to in all consciousness have to rebuild it to new
condition, (that's how I am) I want to put it in and not worry about it.
My thoughts of rebuild costs came from figures in the Moss catalog.
I looked at what it would cost for an O/D unit in gone over condition
with me opening it up $3 to 400, to rebuild my 4 speed unit/if nothing
was in serious condition, but figuring a gear or 2 may have syncros gone
or teeth ground off $350, my Driveshaft had a dent in it, to have it
checked out and balanced, I don't know $100, now if you figure what a
shop would charge for these same services the figures go up.
So there we are at approx. $850.
Then I spoke with many MG owners and shops, the consensus was, the
Lucas electrical systems made solenoids prone to fail-often, one gent had
2 fail in 1 year (at about $100 ea and then finding the time to repair it).
Then I thought of a 1955 Ford p/u with o/d I owned in Alaska,
I was always fiddling around with wires to keep that unit working.
Then I checked into alternative transmissions, the T9 5 spd. UK Ford
Sierra -High gear unit floated to the top immediately. I spoke with a gent
that had just had one installed into his MGA, he was totally in love with it
and he still raves over the ease of operation etc.
It's an accepted swap, they come in Competition mode also-any gear ratio's
you want, to the standard ratio's that parallel the OEM transmission
gear ratio's (the one I chose).
The reasons were: my stats had me into a good rebuilt 4spd O/D unit at, at
least $850 , with lots of room to keep shelling money into it for solenoids,
switches etc.over the years. OEM shifter problems. 1968 Technology.
The reasons I bought my T9 5 speed conversion kit.
It's a Modern design, a bell housing, a fully syncro 5 speed, a strong
crossmember that doesn't flex and though it doesn't say it in the
literature,
it probably stiffens up the area of the B. The shifter handle is positioned
in the car at a position that "just fits where you want it" it's a tad
shorter and has a "better feel", the "quick shift feature" gets it into the
gear
directly in short throws 1, 2, 3 ,4, after about 40 mph or so, 5th
and down again just as direct and easily. It FEELS modern, not Antique.
It comes with a balanced driveshaft. Brit mechanics easily install them
into your car. Though I didn't do mine, I bet if 3 club members got together
they could put one into a members car in a day.
At the $1750 US dollars it cost me, that is about double the cost of a
OEM 4speed with O/D, but I believe I bought "Piece of mind and
Modern technology, and FUN" !
I live for Curves in the road ! and fast.
If all you do is drive to work and back on the hiway, stick with what
you have, but I like to have FUN in my BGT !
Gearing is everything, you can take any machine and make it do more
with more gears, and it saves wear and tear on that machine if the
operator does it carefully.You have more options right in your hand
while shifting through the gears on a windy road. it shifts smooth as silk !
The new 5 speeds give you much more than just that 5th gear !!
I think all these tranny swaps are to get modern features into fun little
cars.
Like in hotrods in the 50's and 60's, everyone had a swap they liked and for
good reasons. it's the Same today with LBC's.
Plus with competition, the prices will come down.
And the products will become better.
Dan Furbish
68 MGBGT
in Massachusetts
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