not many people would want to spend over 3k after install on a brand new car to install a new transmission and lose the warranty. the whole idea of the post is that he wants his ideas factory stock/optional.
I plan on the auto to 6spd conversion once the costs come down a bit more. I love the car I have too much to buy another stang. Hell another stang would cost more than the conversion and still not have the 6spd obviously.
Thing is I am thinking about non-Ford 6spds too. But who knows. I will continue to talk it over with my shop.
Many of the current 6-spd cars these days are low torque 4 and 6-banger cars. The gearing is usually consistent of short RPM drop offs designed to keep the engine in it's powerband.
With the Mustang, it had enough torque to not require 6 gears. Compare the Mustang 6-spd and 5-spd and you will find 4th gear is both 1:1 on both trans. The additional overdrive on the 6-spd is added IN BETWEEN where 4th and 5th would be on the 5-spd..usually an .80 ratio.
The 6-spd adds cost due to transmission complexity, and does add a TON of cool factory, but i'm not sure it's really all that necessary on a car that makes over 300 ft-lbs of torque.
Many of the current 6-spd cars these days are low torque 4 and 6-banger cars. The gearing is usually consistent of short RPM drop offs designed to keep the engine in it's powerband.
With the Mustang, it had enough torque to not require 6 gears. Compare the Mustang 6-spd and 5-spd and you will find 4th gear is both 1:1 on both trans. The additional overdrive on the 6-spd is added IN BETWEEN where 4th and 5th would be on the 5-spd..usually an .80 ratio.
The 6-spd adds cost due to transmission complexity, and does add a TON of cool factory, but i'm not sure it's really all that necessary on a car that makes over 300 ft-lbs of torque.
6 speed may be over rated for the 4 and 6 banger, but it is what makes most GM's V8 powered cars very tough to beat. Take the 05 Charger and 05 GTO for example. Both cars are heavier and have more HP/TQ than the 05 Mustang. Stock for stock, the Mustang will dust the Charger, but the GTO will dust the Mustang. If I remember correctly, the Charger has 5 gears and the GTO has 6 gears. If the GTO only had 5 gears, I don't see any way the GTO could beat the Mustang with it's current HP/TQ rating.
I will say Ford did one hell of a job with the S197 Mustang. I don't know of many cars that come stock 300hp/320tq for under $30k. Hell, I got mine for $25k.
The 6 spd trans is much stronger than the 5 spd. The Tremec 3650(current GT trans)is rated at 360 TQ. One model of the Tremec T56 is rated at 550 TQ(most of the others are near or over 400)and only weighs 9 LBS(129 to 120) more than the 3650. The previous Mustangs used the T5. There are only 2 models that have the TQ rating of 300. That is weak for sure, but they only weigh 75 LBS!!!!! The TKO 5 spd is still the way to go. They are rated for either 500 or 600 TQ and weigh only 105 LBS
I'm trying to drive that point home with my girlfriend. She is in love with the new BMWs.. i tell her she's asian and she is drawn to expensive things and doesn't know any better.
I told her she could lease a new car and get rid of it, cause i'm used to doing my own oil changes, regular maintenance, etc. and with these cars you simply can't do it.
but back on point....
The mustang is fine with a 5-speed. whoever said that 6speeds were usually reserved for cars with a narrow powerband had a good point. I wouldn't complain either if it did come with a 6speed. Subtracting weight isn't as easy as it appears for car manufacturers it usually costs more to make a car weigh less by using costly materials and making things smaller. The mustang would lose a LOT of appeal if it cost more, it's a pretty good performance bargain as it is. I don't think i would have bought one if it had cost 5k more.
Making a stripper model of the mustang (see Lancer RS) would be kind of cool, but what's the market for this? How many would they sell? I wouldn't drive a mustang (or any car for that matter) without A/C here. When it hits 100*, windows down just doesn't cut it.