manual installation?

Let's say I found the perfect LT1 firebird in my area at a dealer. Say I saved money from searching for a manual because it was an automatic, all hypothetical of course...lol. How much would it cost to get a T56 installed, pedals, gearbox and where would I go for this? I have NO time to do it myself

It would be much much cheaper to simply buy a car with a manual transmission. You are talking about some serious labor to do this installation, not to mention the parts you will need like pedals, shifter, ecm needs programming, drive shaft? (ask john about that one), clutch, flywheel, maybe a starter. If its something you can do yourself, it does work to buy the car with an automatic and put a manual into it, but its not a weekend job.

Call your local tranny shop and get a price quote. I can't imagine something that labor-intensive to be cheap. I was quoted $500 for a header install. So for a tranny swap, you might be looking at 2-4 grand easily.

Call your local tranny shop and get a price quote. I can't imagine something that labor-intensive to be cheap. I was quoted $500 for a header install. So for a tranny swap, you might be looking at 2-4 grand easily.

If it was 2k I'd be giddy. The big problem is the LT1 is already 9k, because it only has 33k miles. Seems like a good deal, but it's still automatic.

That does sound like a good deal. I don't know, with only 33K miles on it, it might be worth doing a tranny swap. But it would be more cost effective to hold out for a car that already has a manual in it. Its all up to you. It might turn that car into a $13K+ car purchase though.

Why is everyone so anti auto nowadays, I mean don't get me wrong. I totally get the fun factor of a stick but I would prefer quickness to fun, after all how much fun is there in losing?

Why is everyone so anti auto nowadays, I mean don't get me wrong. I totally get the fun factor of a stick but I would prefer quickness to fun, after all how much fun is there in losing?

Learning not to lose :evillol: but I see what you're saying. I'm going to look at it tomorrow or monday.

A stalled, transgo installed 4L60-E. Will show 95% of similar modded t-56's tail lights in the quarter and even in stock form you will find the auto's with similar gearing to the sticks run a click or two faster times quarter wise and light to light races. Sure peak power wise, on the windys and top speed racing (which should not be done), the stick has the advantage but we are talking about a muscle car here. They were meant for light to light races. Not the friggin Autobahn.

A stalled, transgo installed 4L60-E. Will show 95% of similar modded t-56's tail lights in the quarter and even in stock form you will find the auto's with similar gearing to the sticks run a click or two faster times quarter wise and light to light races. Sure peak power wise, on the windys and top speed racing (which should not be done), the stick has the advantage but we are talking about a muscle car here. They were meant for light to light races. Not the friggin Autobahn.

The Autobahn is a highway. I think you mean Nurburgring.

The Autobahn is a highway. I think you mean Nurburgring.
I said it right the first time, no need for a correction :)

Alright I watched a few videos of the autobahn and there's some serious twisties, mostly off ramps. So I agree.

A lot of cars haven't been designed for motorsports and hardly any do as I understand the automotive market. I still feel more comfortable with a manual.

But isn't the taller gearing in the 4L60E a negative in street racing compared to the T-56? 2nd gear in the auto pulls hard, but 3rd is somewhat weak. So, any roll from about 65mph+, those narrower T-56 gears come in handy. Just my :2cents: .

4L60-E has the advantage 1/4 wise. Its got a better first gear and second gear pulls strong. Your right with 3rd being a little mild but its in the 1/4 1st and 2nd as well as the near lack of driver error give the auto the advantage. Its the better strip tranny to have of the two IMO. Tripple digit, twisties, from rolls, those are the conditions you want the T56 but the 4L60-E has the advantage at the 1/4 or light to light.

Yeah, you're right about that. I look at it this way, autos for daily drivers and hardcore strip racing, everything else in between is for the 6 speed.

The automatics actually have more gearing off the line compared to the 6 speeds.

For what you would spend swaping the auto to a manual, you'd save ton$ of ca$h just buying the manual TA :grinyes:

The only cheap way to do this would to be to get a donar car for all the parts, then install it yourself.
It sounds like an easy thing to do, but far from it.

I think the manual tranys are tougher then the auto ones.
But, I drive autos like manuals :D

Thats why I'd like a 98-99 manual TA, I like keeping busy :lol:

Okay I think we've established to wait for a manual to buy or if you want to drag race, performance autos get the job done.

I think the manual tranys are tougher then the auto ones.
But, I drive autos like manuals :D
If by tougher you mean ability to handle power, then no, its the opposite. If your talking reliability of handling that power and abusing it. I would have to agree based on the amount of auto' s I hear, getting killed by enthusiast drivers.

Say you put 2 race drivers against eachother, one in a standard firebird and one in an automatic firebird. They both have the same racing skill, but the manual driver has the ability to shift faster. You're telling us that all that fast shifting will still be slower than a 4L60E/4L80E? That would mean the T-56 is flawed...

Say you put 2 race drivers against eachother, one in a standard firebird and one in an automatic firebird. They both have the same racing skill, but the manual driver has the ability to shift faster. You're telling us that all that fast shifting will still be slower than a 4L60E/4L80E? That would mean the T-56 is flawed...
You think a average skill driver can shift a car faster than a computer without engaging and disengaging a clutch can?

You are also not thinking of a transmission as a distribution of gears and not just black and white boxes. A more aggressive first gear is a major advantage in out of the hole racing.

If by tougher you mean ability to handle power, then no, its the opposite. If your talking reliability of handling that power and abusing it. I would have to agree based on the amount of auto' s I hear, getting killed by enthusiast drivers.


Yes I mean manuals handle that HP better than an automatic.
Granted an auto is quicker at shifting then a manual.

Just to many things to go wrong in an automatic trans and more of a pita to work on too.

I suppose thiers drawbacks on both, and its all personal preferance. When I'm in the city I hate stop and go with a manual trans.

I hav never killed a manaul(maybe a clutch), but I sure the hell hav killed more automatics then I care to count :grinyes:

You think a average skill driver can shift a car faster than a computer without engaging and disengaging a clutch can?

You are also not thinking of a transmission as a distribution of gears and not just black and white boxes. A more aggressive first gear is a major advantage in out of the hole racing.

Alright well I heard automatics were better for bracket racing but I didn't know they were faster than stick.

I hav never killed a manaul(maybe a clutch), but I sure the hell hav killed more automatics then I care to count :grinyes:

I've killed exactly 2 manual transmissions in 18 years. The first one was killed by abuse but oulasted 3 clutches, numerous u-joints, 3 sets of spider gears, and a couple of transmission mounts. The second one ran out of oil and ate a few critical bearings (thanks jiffy lube for telling me the trans was full :banghead:), that one is coming apart in a week or 2, should have pictures of how ugly that is. Yes, a manual trans can handle the power and abuse that an auto won't, but they are not impossible to kill. Anyone want to guess how long Luos's trans would last under some serious continual abuse?

Poor Luos's transmission, we knew it well...

I hav broke half shafts, and a few spider gears, but they are easier to replace then a lets say planetary gear in an auto.

I can rebuild a manual alot fastr ans easier than an automatic.

Ya Skibum I havnt heard Mr Luos talk about beafing that trany of his up ....
Hum,.... I'm sure we'll all hear when it does, maybe he's done something we dont know about :D

Poor Luos's transmission, we knew it well...


So it already died ?

So it already died ?
It was a joke...ha ha

Yeah, Mr.Luos is definetly outside the torque rating a LS1 T-56 can handle but as long as he limits his abuse to occasional, he might get by for a while without a issue.

Yeah, Mr.Luos is definetly outside the torque rating a LS1 T-56 can handle but as long as he limits his abuse to occasional, he might get by for a while without a issue.

The occasional 4th gear burnout :evillol:

Let's say I found the perfect LT1 firebird in my area at a dealer. Say I saved money from searching for a manual because it was an automatic, all hypothetical of course...lol. How much would it cost to get a T56 installed, pedals, gearbox and where would I go for this? I have NO time to do it myself

if you are concerned about the differences have you ever thought about the idea of a shift kit or an electronic shift improver kit? my 94 formula is an auto but it has a performance transmission button on the center console, when i push the button it seems to change the shift points, make the car wind out a little higher before shifting, and the electronic shift improver kit that i have makes the car shift between gears faster, so the two together almost make up for it being an automatic.

Remember, I don't make full power at my altitude.
440/410 here....give or take.

I don't really abuse the tranny that much, but I am sure in time I will have to get an upgraded one.
T56 is said to take 450-500 ft/pounds.

Id have to agree on the autos for the strip and stick for any other type of racing. You have more control in a turn in a manual than in an auto. when i get my bird to kick into second on a corner she has a tendency to throw the rear around, where as in a stick you can keep it in what ever gear you want till your ready to shift. As far a straight line racing, go with an auto less things to worry about (missing a gear/grinding them).

I was wondering why my thread got ressurected. I just like manual more, in traffic, on the corners, so there.