280zxt auto to 280zxt 5 speed transmission swap questions

[fisheric]

Hi everyone.

 

I have an 81zxt stock with the 3 speed auto. I have found a local guy who has an 81 zxt with a 5 and he will sell me the car for $525.

 

I want to buy the car and swap the transmissions so that I can gain most importantly a good cruising speed on the free way with better gas mileage and better acceleration.

 

The guy who is selling this car, for his elderly friend, says it has 300,000 miles on and that besides a leak in the exhaust manifold the car runs fine.

 

I asked him if was rebuilt and he said to his knowledge his elderly friend had never rebuild it.

 

If in fact he is telling the truth and the engine or transmission has never been rebuilt would they still be any good?

 

I guess what I am asking is "Is there a point where it is no longer worth rebuilding a transmission? And If there is has this transmission reached that level?"

[woldson]

Considering that he hit 300k and it still runs good, I would say don't worry about the tranny.

Seach for the answers for the swap, lots of good info.

[fisheric]

thanks, i had searched for "5 speed swap" and read through all 8 pages. There is alot of good information in there.

[roger.svoboda]

it isn't an 81zxt if it has a 5 speed in it unless someone already did the swap of the slushbox for the 5 spd. regardless it is worth getting the car cause you need a bunch of stuff off a 5 spd to make the swap. I was lucky and there were three zx at the junkyard from which I got all the stuff I needed to do the swap. All the firewall holes and mounting holes are there except for the welded bracket for the slave cylinder hose but you can live without that.