Manual to Automatic

[Gartman]

First, is it possible to take a charger with an Automatic transmission and convert it to manual? And if so, what do you do? (i am NOT planning on doing this, i am just curious). thanks

[Rolling_Thunder]

there have been about 1001 threads on this ---   search for a parts list - yes it is possible

[Mike DC]

 
The short answer is that yes it's possible to go from auto to manual. 



But you need to spend several thousand bucks on parts.  Look at the threads. 


And you also need to cut out a big chunk of the floor/tunnel around the shifter area, and weld in a different sheetmetal bulge in that area. 

(This is the same thing the factory did on manual-shifted cars.  They actually only made one style of floorpan for these cars, the automatic one.  They had workers manually hack & patch the smaller number of cars they were going to build with 4psds.)


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As long as numbers-matching is not a vital chunk of your car's value, doing this conversion actually isn't too much of a crime in terms of resale. 

Just use the correct repro parts & methods for the cutting & welding on the floor to copy the factory deal, and the average buyer usually won't view it as a butcher job.

 

[richard pettys 73]

I WAS THINKING OF DOING THE SAME THING... ...MAYBE I WILL JUST FIND A MANUAL PARTS CAR  THEY DID MAKE THEM IN 73 RIGHT???

[Gartman]

so i guess its more of a hassle than just living with automatic. haha yeah maybe ill try to just find one.

and how was/is the automatic transmissions for them?

[idahogrumpy]

Keep the automatic!!!!! I own a 73 charger that came from the factory with a 400 hp and 4 spd. Fun on the street, not so much fun at the strip. Breaks lotsa parts when you try to hook & go at the strip. I converted mine into an automatic car.  Kyle

[Gartman]

so the manual didnt do so well. so do you have an original transmission or a later version?

[idahogrumpy]

I have all of the original 4 spd parts, they and the original 400 motor will stay with the car. I installed a manual shift 727 and a 3600 stall turbo action converter. Kyle

[1969chargerrtse]

The important thing is that your drive shaft has the hole in it for the 4 spd trani shaft.  I thought about it several times and it is a lot of work and money.  I'll bet easy 3 to 5 grand and that's with an old original trani.

[Ghoste]

Like Kyle says, you're gonna break stuff with the 4 speed and truthfully, even though we all think we're Ronnie Sox reincarnated the automatic is almost always going to be quicker at the dragstrip.
That being said, nothing beats the grin you get when you yank 2nd hard and the car gets all sideways in a stick car.