Build Thread 1978 Fairmont. I bet somebody back home’s thinkin’…I wonder why he don’t write..?

You guys are probably gonna think this is weird, but when considering all that is in front of me with this swap, the single part I dread is the rear gear change. Dropping the trans, removing all of the dash/ interior, and all of the related things tied to the Auto, fabricating a hydraulic linkage for the clutch, swapping the pedals, and possibly having to re-do the eps mount, cutting the tunnel for the shifter poke-thru, patching the floor where the old shifter lived, building a new rear crossmember...all acceptable.

replacing that freakin gear set and changing from the current 3.73 to 3.31.....dread.
 
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Wanna see what $1000.00 looks like?
168A706D-5EDD-4FA9-BBDA-FA99251DF525.jpeg

Wanna see what $3000.00 looks like?
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That freakin’ thing is 32” from the bellhousing surface to the center of the shifter. The dogleg moves it forward to about 30.5” where the shifter ball would be, for all the good that’ll do. ( Might as well be a mile ) The old A340 transmission bellhousing gets reused ( again).

Excepting the hydraulic slave cylinder and the lines to get from the master cylinder and it, this thing is done.

I really have to do some measuring now..I can’t have the freakin shifter so far back that i’m in an awkward way shifting this thing. The ONLY other shifter out there is made by the same guy that made the adapter, and it fits where that cover plate in front of the shifter is now. The problem with that thing ( other than it costing 500.00) is you are cutting some shaft inside the transmission, effectively dooming the thing to only be able to use that shifter.
 
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Me and the 3 were talking last night...

What is the downside to making a “ dogleg” ( if you can even call it that) that will extend the shifter handle forward?
My thinking is that for every inch you move this thing forward, however much the shifter ball height would change through normal shifting, will change exponentially.

Unlike any other console, I‘ll have room to extend the shift arm forward under the steel mesh. ( provided that shifter itself doesn’t extend too high past floor height.)
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I’m thinking that that shifter is gonna be right where the rear cup holder is right now, or somewhere in between the front and rear cupholder at best. ( way too far back). So, if I make a extension that moves the shifter forward and penetrate the mesh say...between the rear of the existing shifter, and the front of the first cup holder, it should be right where I’d want it. of course, i’ll have to replace the existing mesh with a new piece, and move the cup holders forward ( Where they should be in the first place).
 
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Well I don’t know what I was worried about. That shifter is gonna come through just barely behind the current location.

I found this to be worth celebrating.

I ordered the stage 3+ Spec clutch, and the GM T/O bearing.:banana:
 
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There’s a “ cars and coffee” like thing tomorrow. Magic City Octane.

When I found out it was happening, I’m like “ Fck me.....I’m so tired of missing these things because i have to work every freaking Saturday”

Then i’m like “ It’s from 8 am to 11:00am....ain’t sht happenin at that place in the morning, and I’m going, fck that place”.

So,...I go into the desk today and tell mgmt that I’m gonna be late tomorrow.....really late,...like 12 pm really late.

They just look back at me.....”uhh you planning on tying one on tonight”?

Nope...but i’m still gonna be late.

Done deal.

The Monster gets to rub elbows with the Ferraris, and Lambos tomorrow.
 
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Well... now I can say I’ve been to a cars and coffee type event.
One with mega exotics, Ferrari's, Lamborghini’s, Porsche’s, Standard fare German stuff an occasional Tesla or two, C8 Vettes, various other gasoline fueled oddities, and every make of ricer on the planet.
I can take it or leave it.

I keep searching for the right venue for this thing, and it always seems to miss the mark.
So far, the big venues are worth the wait for me. It’s still Cliquey, (the mustang/camaro/challenger guys hang around each other, the tri-5 guys bring out their awnings and lawn chairs, and make it a family reunion) but there’s still a constant stream of spectators and gawkers to make it fun to sit around and watch and wait for them to come.
Right now I’m at one of the lesser attended bonafide red-neck bonanzas, in Moody al.
Everybody here all appear to be related
( maybe that’s just how I see it)

It seems that there are 3 each month that attract the bigger draw, and since I’ve never come out to this one I figured it was close enough to ck out. I will not be coming back here.
 
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Had I been able to stay at the redneck bonanza last night, it would’ve proven to be OK after all. About 1/2 hour after I posted that update last night, cars ( and people) started pouring in. But as is usual in the car business, people that I talked to earlier in the day decide that coming back at 5:30 ( when we close at 6) will give them enough time to buy a car, when we haven’t given them a price.

It don’t.

Nonetheless, I get a call letting me know I got people looking for me. Fortunately i’m only 15 minutes away. But i have to leave, just as it’s starting to get good.

So...No Big Deal. There will be another one after this, then another, and another.....

And,.....as I sometimes do when I’m mega bored...I look back at the old stuff in this thread. Since more than likely, there’ll be a picture that might confirm or deny a current concern on something I may have....

Like,....”Will that new shifter location get into the floor reinforcement”, given that it looks like it’s gonna end up being immediately behind the existing hole in the tunnel.

So I look for a picture...and there it is.

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Yep...Right smack dab in the middle of it.

I kinda expected it..so it’s not the end of the world. What i’ll end up doing, is welding a tubular reinforcement there to add back strength to what I cut out.
 
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Put the current trans on FB marketplace to test the water At 1500.00. W/i 30 minutes of publishing it, two inquired, w/ one supposedly coming by on tuesday to ck it out.
Evidently, 1500.00 for the trans/converter/shifter is in the ballpark.
 
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Are you sure that you want to let it go before you have a chance to drive and bond with the MT Monster?
I thought about that. I drove the car a fair amount over the last two days, and I just keep wondering why I’m doing the swap. If not for the potential power increase, reduction in heat, and the ability to put the thing easily into neutral in traffic I wouldn’t go through with it.
But, there are those reasons.,.,
 
I keep searching for the right venue for this thing, and it always seems to miss the mark.
So you build something to be unique and found no where else, but are surprised when it doesn’t fit in anywhere?

Cars N Coffee seems like a solid event for the Monster. Surely there is a parking spot between the Mustangs and Supras.
 
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