Switching from Automatic to Manual

"Max" wrote in news:1148861576.649928.316380 @y43g2000cwc.googlegroups.com:

Almost anything is possible. Whether or not it is practical is a different question entirely.

A while back I picked up a '93 Loyale with a bad 3 speed FWD auto trans. The chassis was solid which is very unusual for the upper midwest where I live. What I really wanted was a five speed dual range 4WD, but to get one in decent shape would have meant catching a plane to some state that doesn't salt their roads in the winter and driving one back.

It took me almost four months to locate an '86 GL I could use as a parts car and I still have a problem. The '86 was on the city impound lot in Milwaukee because the former owner had driven it back from the west coast and then left it in a tow away zone before getting the title transfered. With no valid title he couldn't reclaim it and I got it on a sealed bid auction with a 'quit claim" that let me go to the DMV and get a clean title.

I should be all set to build my Frankensoobie but the '86 is so solid structurally I can't justify tearing it up for parts. Unfortunately it has a carburator that needs to go away and is very close to needing a clutch. I rebuilt the trans in the '93 to have something drivable but the 3 speed auto makes it rev too high for a long haul freeway cruiser.

So now I'm looking for *another* parts car to swipe the SPFI for my '86. When I'm finished I'll be able to sell the '93, scrap the parts car residue and have the 4WD, 5 speed dual range I wanted in the first place.

In the long run it would have been cheaper and simpler to grab a plane ticket and go sun country car shopping.

Later, Joe