Trans conversion. auto to manual

how hard would it be to convert a 73 challenger with a 318 V8 small block with an auto trans(unknown transmission) to a 6 speed manual. i know i would need a new flex plate or something or another and something about a flywheel? not sure, gonna be honest. i have a fuck ton of tools and plenty of time.

T-56
Bellhousing adapter
Custom clutch+flywheel
Driveshaft
Clutch fluid gear (master cylinder, etc)

$3-7k

i think the pedals are the biggest issue as well as getting the shifter in the right spot

well, im redoing the floorboards anyway because they're rusted pretty bad(michigan for you), i feel like finding space for the clutch won't be hard.
damn, for that price, i would be better off just buying a different challenger. i guess it's good i asked though, rather find out now than after i buy it and find out that it will cost more than the vehicle.

This guy knows what he's talking about.

Problem is everyone wants Tremecs because there are off the shelf bellhousings available.
Might be a lot cheaper to just use something else and make it fit.

Why are you not using the appropriate a833?

that's a four speed. I (OP) want a 6 speed. what would you suggest? im going super budget here. i'm a broke as fuck college student and i'm very intent on going as fast as possible for the cheapest i possibly can. fuck speeding tickets.

just use whatever 6 speed you can find as long as it's not some weak shit like miata or lexus is200 etc
bmw are pretty good

to be incredibly honest and i'm sure everyone reading this will groan, but i have no idea how transmissions bolt up, i've only ever done body work and electrical. so, how do i know what trans will fit in this car and what engines it will be compatible with. i don't want to get the trans and find out that it doesn't fit or it doesn't bolt up to the engine, etc.

99% likely it won't fit. you make it fit. it's always hassle. pilot bush, clutch fork etc all need making.
if you have a lathe and can weld and form metal you shouldn't have a problem.

In between the engine & the trans is the bellhousing. The bellhousing has to mate to the engine to start with, then you get a trans that mates to the bellhousing. As a previous user mentioned, if you have, say, a Tremec trans, you look for a bellhousing that mates that transmission to your 318 V8. Searching for six speed installs on 73 Challengers will give you an idea of what transmission/bell housing combos are out there that might work.

>damn, for that price, i would be better off just buying a different challenger.
Fuck that. You'll love this one more.

You will need a transmission capable of handling the power you put down.

If you decide to tune the engine you'll need to keep that in mind as well.

I know for my Corvair, people can really crank out like 400hp out of the engine but at that much power the flywheels start shearing bolts.
I'd take a while and read up on gearboxes and whatnot.

Unless you've built that 318 and God know why you would, a 6 speed is way too many gears for her.

>i'm very intent on going as fast as possible for the cheapest i possibly can

>318 Challenger

you could just buy a Honda and go faster for less

Junkyard T56, zipties, and an afternoon.

The other thing that you'll want to do is find a clutch/pressure plate combo that has the right spine count to mate to your transmission and will bolt up to your engine.

I just bought nearly everything I need for my conversion to an 833
Just need Tunnel, Clutch and a Shifter mounting Bracket.
6 Speed was never an option

>putting a Ford tranny in a Chrysler product.

Brb need to put out the fire in my eyeballs.

First, get an existing manual transmission car... it'll make the whole job much much much simpler. And second, six gears is probably overkill for that motor/body combo. There are plenty of 5 speed builds out there that will work well, and most of the issues you have doing one will be minor (assuming you started with a manual trans equipped car). If you really have to have six forward gears, you'll probably be looking at a lot more custom work.

>BMW 530d gearbox and clutch
>billet steel flywheel
>bronze bush
>adapter plate
>clutch fork
>hydraulics
£1500

The transmission is made by Tremec. The T56 was used in the second gen Viper

The T-56 is used by everyone, retard.
>Not putting a Viper and Aston Martin gearbox in your car

well, i haven't bought the car yet, i just had one prospect in mind. if the 318 isn't that good of an engine, which it seems to be the consensus, then perhaps i'll just look for a different challenger with a different engine. the reason i was interested in this one was cus it had a blown trans, but lower miles, so i figured i could make it a manual and be good to go, but idk. seems like a lot of work if the engine isn't going to do any justice to it. what engine should i be looking at if i want an older challenger? keep in mind that i have around 7 grand to spend on a project car, then after a year or so, i'll have roughly that same amount of money to put back into it.

if it has a blown trans then just do a manual swap.

insisting on 6 speed will bump the costs up considerably.

that said you say it's a rotten shell so maybe walking away is the best thing unless you can do body work and it is seriously cheap

dont bother with any Challenger below a 360 (unless its a 340)

its still going to be slow

if youre not dead set on a Challenger get something like a Foxbody for cheap speed

why do you need strut tops?

>40+ year old car
>caring about mileage

You want something with the minimal amount of body work needed and the most complete as far as parts. Fuck mileage, you better be rebuilding that engine regardless. Also adding to the choir, a 6 speed in a 318 is stupid, don't waste your money and time.

i can do body work. i used to do cosmetic restores on all my friends trucks back in highschool. michigan is a ford state, so lots of rusted out cab corners and fenders as well as some floor boards. they only want like 2,200 for the chassis, frame and engine, so i think the deal is sound, considering that the exterior looks really nice, hardly any visible rust. im just really iffy on it though. seems like it will be more trouble than it's worth if the engine isn't that great and the reason i want a 6 speed is because my dad had a 67' camaro rs/ss and it had a 6 speed manual and well, i liked it a lot better than any 4 or 5 speed i've driven and it's not like those were crap cars either. one was a 70' chevelle and another was a 66' mustang. i just like the feel 6 gears.

exterior of car is gorgeous, interior needs work. i don't REALLY care about the mileage that much, it was just a nice little bonus. i like 6 speeds and i was unaware that the 318 isn't that good of a motor. i've never owned a dodge before, but i've always loved the look of a challenger. i wanted to build a 67'-69' camaro, but everyone wants like 8k minimum for even just a rolling chassis that isn't so badly rusted that a swift kick would turn it into dust.