4 speed conversion. Help or hurt value of car?

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I think you should leave it automatic and send me the parts to change my formula S to a 4 speed.
 
Daves69 said:
IMO, A potential buyer with some knowledge will likely use the 4spd conversion as a negative in the negotiation of the sale (even though it's what they would prefer). So I'd think it could cost you with that buyer.
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Cheap buyers will use anything to try and lower the price, legit or not. If you don't lower the price, it doesn't cost you anything but time talking to a cheap bastard.

If some sleazy buyer is gonna try to tell me my car is worth less because it's a four speed now my response is "then go buy a car with an automatic".

AJ/FormS said:
I got no patience for guys like that.....there's the door....Go buy a Neon.
When my S-clone was fresh, we went to a few shows, and I learned real quick that there are lots of those guys out there.So I stopped going as a participant.
I quickly got tired of :"you shoulda this or you shoulda that, or how come such and such, or my uncle had one of these -insert favorite non-Barracuda here." Yeah, I suppose I'm a little crusty like that...
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Exactly!

That's not crusty. Tire kickers like that drive me nuts. I stopped going to shows for the same reason. I don't need a bunch of douchbags that drove a Kia to the show telling me what I should've done to my car.

Or all the rich jerks at the shows that have "perfect" original cars that they never drive and paid someone else to build pointing out stuff that's not original on my car. Those aren't car guys, they're investors. Trailer queens are boring as hell. I'd rather see a car that's not perfect, isn't 100% stock, and generally looks like the owner actually drives it and works on it.
 
I say swap it! I just got all the bugs outta my 4-speed swap (mainly clutch issue's!) & couldn't be be happier with it! Ive always wanted a 65 GT hi-po 273 4-speed. I found the car that was an all original 235 hp 273 GT but with an automatic. I built the auto to shift when & how I wanted it to. It Worked great, but slowly (with the help of a good friend & fellow fabo member) got the correct parts together for the swap. Its your car man do what you want to do & above all DRIVE it you only live once!

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SSVDP said:
I think it hurts the value. Not too many can or want to drive a manual.
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You would be suprised how many multi-carb #'s matching cars we have converted. Building over 150 A833 trans a year I find it hard to believe that no one wants to drive a manual trans and I'm not the only one who does them. Let alone all the other tremec manual conversions. Bottom line its your car so build it how you want. Given your position its my opinion it would increase the value of your car.
 
AJ/FormS said:
I got no patience for guys like that.....there's the door....Go buy a Neon.
When my S-clone was fresh, we went to a few shows, and I learned real quick that there are lots of those guys out there.So I stopped going as a participant.
I quickly got tired of :"you shoulda this or you shoulda that, or how come such and such, or my uncle had one of these -insert favorite non-Barracuda here." Yeah, I suppose I'm a little crusty like that...
Click to expand...
 
Dan Brewer said:
You would be suprised how many multi-carb #'s matching cars we have converted. Building over 150 A833 trans a year I find it hard to believe that no one wants to drive a manual trans and I'm not the only one who does them. Let alone all the other tremec manual conversions. Bottom line its your car so build it how you want. Given your position its my opinion it would increase the value of your car.
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AJ/FormS said:
I got no patience for guys like that.....there's the door....Go buy a Neon.
When my S-clone was fresh, we went to a few shows, and I learned real quick that there are lots of those guys out there.So I stopped going as a participant.
I quickly got tired of :"you shoulda this or you shoulda that, or how come such and such, or my uncle had one of these -insert favorite non-Barracuda here." Yeah, I suppose I'm a little crusty like that...
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I hear you on that. I don't go to shows anymore either for the same reasons. when I'm out cruising I get asked a lot to bring my car to shows or cruise nights. I always say "no thanks. Don't need my car picked apart". I tell them. I built this car for my enjoyment and those who enjoy seeing it cruise by on the street and that's good enough for me. People giving thumbs up, waving or yelling out nice car. That to me is way better than sitting at a show listening to how great someones car was and what's wrong with yours.
 
I am a stick shift junky. Everything i own is a standard shift. My 67 notch was a slant sux 3 on the tree. I bought it for the body and the pedals. It will be 360, A833 OD 4 speed. Nobody in my household knows how to drive stick shift. I am perfectly ok with that. I dont let anybody drive any of my vehicles, and this just helps with that.

Build it how you want it. Unless its a rare numbers matching muscle car version of what you own, then make it how "you" want it.
 
I have 2 Barracuda`s and they are both 4 speed although 1 I had to take out the auto and convert it. It is just more enjoyable to drive a 4 speed in my book. I dont race so I dislike an auto except in my daily beater.
 
as having converted my Dart over to a 4 speed stick and glad I did, another option though is an overdrive auto. as stated before ,more consistent at the track and better mileage with the O/D, easier to do and less down time also.
 
Really, it should be about what you want. If you are keeping the car for a while, and you would get more enjoyment from a 4 speed, then you should do it. I know that if I had the funds for a 4 speed swap in my '68 notchback, I would do it in a heartbeat.
 
you most likely wont get a return on your investment. motorsports rarely appreciate... and we all know the makes and models that will... almost all other modifications beyond stock, do not appreciate on average.
 
4 speed it and enjoy it. Save all your automatic bits in case you want to put it back to stock.
 
I am 4 speed guy I had a 73 Dart Sport 340 4 speed for 16 years and loved it! Now a 69 383-S 4 speed Barracuda. I do have a 67 383 Auto Barracuda and when taking it for a ride the habit of the left foot going for the clutch gets me in trouble as I hit the brake sometimes lol It happens quick, no harm, just a quick ops....
Kinda funny doing it....then realizing I am in the wrong car (one two pedals) Both Auto and 4 speed cars are console cars so they feel similar behind the wheel....bottom line, I like my 4 speeds!
 
AJ/FormS said:
FWIW; I would, if funds are available go 5 speed. With an application-specific rear gear. You will never regret that extra gear. 340s love 11/1 starter gears.Normally that would be a 2.66 low and 4.10s. Well that makes touring a pita.But an o/d gear could bring those 4.10s down to 2.7s or 2.8s, a very nice hiway gear.
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This x100000.

I'm doing a TKO 600 swap in my factory 4 speed car and i will tell you first hand that it would be easier to start with an auto trans tunnel then a 4 speed hump and tunnel so why not skip a step and move to 5 speed? By the time you find and add up all the stock swap stuff you'll probably be a good 65-75% to a full TKO swap.
 
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again... a manual will increase the value of the swap, it MAY decrease the liquidity, but you will most likely not get a return on your investment
 
one time I had to buy 2 cars to get the one I wanted.
I went looking for a roof for my 71 dart,
found a slant six 70 dart
guy said he would only sell, if I bought both >the other a 70
4 speed dart.
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after looking at it I mentioned it wasn't a real 4 speed dart and missing the bucket seats > Had bench seat
But it was a H-code.
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I didn't ask, but he did come down off the price of the 2
I'm not a #'s guy,
it will still be a "Fun" car
When I restore it, get it back on the road> bangin gears.
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My vote is 4 speed all the way!!!!!!!! Much more fun to drive. At the track with the right guy at the controls a four speed will run very close with automatic car and will usually have higher mph due to slippage losses with auto. Remember, other than floor work it is a direct swap with factory parts. Can always go back. Much harder on driveline if you are going to wail on it.
 
OK, here is my 4 cents worth (already chimed in once). WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO???? You just got about a zillion opinions from your FABO family. The bottom line is which do you prefer. If it does matter value wise, it probably won't be enough to worry about. The main thing is to build it the way YOU want it and get maximum enjoyment out of it!!!
 
A car in 1000 pieces should not be reflected in by how much it might be worth if you sell it! You have a long road ahead, just do what makes you happy and worry about the value later! I think you'll find that the difference in value between the 2 transmissions will be negated by your enjoyment of what you decide!! In the end, value doesn't matter as much as enjoyment!!
 
draginmopars said:
after looking at it I mentioned it wasn't a real 4 speed dart and missing the bucket seats > Had bench seat
But it was a H-code.
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The Dart probably was built that way, my Duster is a 4 speed with a bench seat, VS29H on the VIN. The original owner even stated it was ordered that way.
 
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