DeesCorvette2008

Hi all,
I am looking to buy a 47k original very nice 72 roadster. My only issue with this car is it is an automatic. I said I would never buy one. However, this car is so nice and the price is right that I am considering it but have questions. I do have concern about originality and long term investment. Will it devalue the car by much by doing a swap to a 4 spd? And is it a simple swap? and third, About how much am I looking at spending to get this done?
Thank you. Dee

fishslayer143

It would certainly change the value. And as to costs, if you find used parts and do it yourself, maybe $1000 and couple days work.... If you buy new stuff and have it done...$4K to $8K depending on which trans

The13Bats

some will say find a car with a stick, this is not always practical or desirable

I too am thinking about this swap not because I love hunting gears or I believe a gear box is better than a slush box but because I dig the old school vide the stick gives it,
The costs, well some will say if you do not go 5 speed or better dont even do it, whatever, I would go old 4 speed if I do it,
And I see complete parts piles pulled from donor cars for 800- up around 1500 being common.
but we do not know the trans condition unless the car was a driver,

how hard? depends, but I would call this more time consuming than really "hard"
I was involved with doing this many years ago and we, 4 or 5 of us did it to a 75 in about a long days work.
A shop would likely charge a pile.

If the car is a numbers matching ncrs dream car with rare options while it is YOUR car to do with as you please it will hurt resale value but otherwise in most cases swapping a auto for a stick will increase the pool of buyers and add some value.

Get the car you want if it has an auto drive it be sure you hate it then gather up the stick parts and make it happen...

skytop

Some people are masochists and like to bury themselves in work, expense and lost of car value. Find the RIGHT car and stop beating your head against the wall.

The13Bats

Not all of us, GM didnt make what I called the perfect c3 corvette and neither did any other modder so I had to make one myself, a lot of c3 builders feel the way I do....

rajin cajin

I bought all donor parts from a 73 BB car. It included a M21 4 speed. Everything cost me $1200. The hardest part is welding in the z bar bracket. I managed to weld it through the fender opening where the egg crate goes. Dropping the auto with the car on ramps was a PITA also.

The Punisher

I did this swap on my '75. The hardest part is installing the clutch pedal assembly. I was able to weld in the z-bar bracket from the top down. I removed the power brake booster, which has to be done anyway, to get the clutch pedal assembly in. Total for me was $1500 with a lot of new parts and took about 8 hours with 3 people.

joewill

z-bar bracket
bracket mount on frame
ball and stud for z-bar mount.
pedal assembly
pedal push rod
pedal push rod boot
pedal foot pads
flywheel
flywheel bolts
bell housing
clutch and pressure plate
pilot bearing
throwout bearing
clutch fork
clutch fork ball pivot.
transmission, rebuilt with new seals/synchros
shifter
shifter linkage
shifter boot
speedometer driven gears
speedometer drive gears
ujoint
rear transmission yoke
gear oil
reverse lockout setup
depending on year, emisions hookups
driveshaft length changes?
transmission mounts interchangeable?
Backup light switch.
trans to bellhousing bolts.

I won't even attempt to put a $$$ amount to it.

Alan 71

Hi Dee,
If you look carefully at jw's list of parts and imagine gaining access to and installing each of them you can see how involved it is to do the switch WELL.
If this is indeed a nice 'original' 72 the issue of the assembly code/date and vin derivative stamps on the transmission's case become an issue too.
It's not as though there aren't nice 4-speed convertibles available.
I'd think very carefully about what you're considering.
Regards,
Alan

PS: I didn't realize Chevrolet made 68-72 Corvettes with automatic transmissions! I wonder why?

fishslayer143

I m one of them...

DeesCorvette2008

Thank you all for your input. There is something about me that would feel bad to butcher a very nice original car. But I drove an automatic 73 for many years and beat myself up for not sticking it out for a 4spd. This car will not be a daily driver so I want to retain the value to some extent. I would only consider period correct parts and my husband is a mechanic and knows these cars. If I know for sure putting a stick in this car will devalue it, I will not buy it. It's getting increasingly difficult to find nice original vettes not full of rust and even harder to find a 4spd convert for a decent price. hmmmm.

redvetracr

I would think a 4spd would increase the value and lets be honest your 72 will never be worth what an LS-6 or an L-88 or a tri-power car is worth, in other words take the ncrs needle out of your arm and enjoy your car

The13Bats

I love that line Howard...

I fully agree if anything it will make the market for your car bigger hence easier to sell and unless it is a L-88 or tri power purists dream it will increase valve not hurt it.

mrvette

My '72 vert was a old show car in the Md./DC region....I bought it in '95, in driving around DC, the car went from 2nd to 4th and almost never hit 3rd gear.....

here in Florida, the easiest/cheapest way to get an over drive was a automatic conversion, settling in on the 200 4r I built it myself at my house......

so it depends on your driving/distances/style/ and btw, I kept the small brake pedal, just to mess with people.....

The13Bats

my wife grinned and says to me, install a 4 speed auto and a cheesy auto shifter that mocks a 4 speed shifter and don't worry about how cool you look hunting for gears....

mrvette

I have an all electronic custom interior, the old HVAC controls and the smoking crap is all replaced by COOL electronics the shifter lever is a HURST chrome one for 5 bux outta Carlisle......the 8 ball on top is the pasty resistance......you know you just not cool unless you got an 8 ball on your shifter.... The fuzzy dice went with the Lemans/GTO convertible I sold some 18? years ago.....

The13Bats

yeah...I recall you used a 4 speed hurst shifter on the auto...very slick and cool...I have one in my tool junk pile

mrvette

THAT is HURST CHROME!!! junkpile?? how DARE you show such disrespect!!!!

69FASTFUN

I have a 72 convertible that was an automatic that I am putting in a 5 speed because that is what I want. I believe this will not devalue the car and I will enjoy it more. When I bought my car it was a Bloomington Silver and an NCRS Top Flight judged in 95 so it needed to be restored the way I want it.

bj1k

Everyone will have a different opinion on this but for me the car would have much more value with a standard transmission even if it didn't come from the factory with it , mainly because I have never even considered a classic car without a standard shift . In my Chevy trucks I prefer a standard but my everyday drivers have to be automatics .