this may have been asked before but i have an 85 camaro berlinetta and it has the stock automatic tranny in it. I really dont like automatic tranny's, i just dont think that they are as much fun to go for a nice drive in.I was just wondering if putting a manual in the car would be worth it and if it was then would it be extremely involved? I would really like to switch it but if it is impossible then i can keep looking for a stock manual 3rd gen camaro. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

its pretty involved, but the tranny you want is a Borg-Warner T-5

 

would the borg warner tranny be srong enough to handle a 350 motor or the 325 horsepower 305 if i decided to switch?

 

I don't know about BW trannies, but the BW 10 bolt rear axles are pretty much bullet-proof. We have a 3.45 posi BW rear axle in our 92 Camaro and a BW 3.46 IRS on our GTO. They are awesome rear ends. I would guess that they are good quality for trannies as well.

 

yes it is very involved. first of all you would have to cut a hole in the hump for the stick, cut a hole in either the firewall or the floor for the pedal. Then there is the thing of the wires and cables. Even though a manual is more fun, you can treat an auto like a manual

 

I'm a Mustang guy (sorry!) so I know all about the Borg Warner t-5. It's good for about 325-350 ft/lbs of torque on street tires in a Pony (depending on how you drive it), but if you really want to be safe get a World Class (Tremec Made) t-5 from Summit Racing. They're a little over a grand new, and will handle plenty more power than they say they do. The Tremec t-5 has the same case, so it is exactly the same as the standard; not sure about the exact real world power rating, but my neighbor's 86GT runs mid 12's on drag radials with no problems. Watch third gear f you go this route though- it's the first to go...

 

well, if i did decide to go this route then would i be able to fit long tube headers under there or would i have to stick with shortys.im not positive but i have heard that there really is not much of a difference between the two. And if i did go with a manual, would i have to get a new driveshaft or cut the old one?