- Joined
- Jan 29, 2011
- Messages
- 264
- Reaction score
- 5
- Location
- Ft Walton Beach, Florida
- My Car
- 1965 Mustang 2+2
1973 Mustang Convertable
Like your automatic trans, yet want overdrive?? Overdrive allows you to drop the rear end gearing, yet still have lower RPM @ highway speeds. As I have already done this swap on my 65 2+2. I knew this is one of the first mods to do to the our 73 Convertible. This past weekend we finished the C-4 to 4R70W swap in the 73. (All part of taking it on a 5000 mile vacation trip. Florida Panhandle to Kalispell, MT. and return)
The AOD has always been the choice, yet using the last of the AOD trans family, an AODE/4R70W is even better. The AODE/4R70W's have all the AOD's weaknesses & flaws worked out of them and with little prep can easily handle 450+ HP engines. The W's wide ratio gear set is another bonus.
Best of those is a 4R70W from a V-6 1998-2003. The V-6's from those years have the same Windsor bell housing bolt pattern as the 289/302/5.0/351 Windsor V-8's. The newer OHC Mod-motors have their own bolt pattern.
When converting my 65 2+2, I found that the 4R70W's larger diameter tubed yoke w/ harmonic balancer, has clearance issues in the trans tunnel. The tailshaft housing can be easily swapped for an earlier AOD short tailshaft housing, then use a AOD or even better T-5 yoke(stronger).
The major difference between the early AOD's and later AODE/4R70W's, is the latter uses a computer to control the shifts. Though several companies make controllers, IMHO Baumann Electronic Controls makes the best http://www.becontrols.com/
The swap is almost a bolt in (Ok well sorta bolt in), except for Trans mount, shift linkage and using a shorter drive shaft. I re-used my 65's shorter DS, for a perfect fit, modified a 2001 Mustang shifter & cable, and built my own trans mount. Glen Buzek of Rosehill Performance http://www.rosehillperformanceparts.com/ makes T-5 conversion mounts and sent me two sets of prebent tubing and mounting flanges. One was for my mount the other duplicate was returned to Glen as a Prototype Mount for other folks. Glen will be making these mounts available.
The AOD has always been the choice, yet using the last of the AOD trans family, an AODE/4R70W is even better. The AODE/4R70W's have all the AOD's weaknesses & flaws worked out of them and with little prep can easily handle 450+ HP engines. The W's wide ratio gear set is another bonus.
Best of those is a 4R70W from a V-6 1998-2003. The V-6's from those years have the same Windsor bell housing bolt pattern as the 289/302/5.0/351 Windsor V-8's. The newer OHC Mod-motors have their own bolt pattern.
When converting my 65 2+2, I found that the 4R70W's larger diameter tubed yoke w/ harmonic balancer, has clearance issues in the trans tunnel. The tailshaft housing can be easily swapped for an earlier AOD short tailshaft housing, then use a AOD or even better T-5 yoke(stronger).
The major difference between the early AOD's and later AODE/4R70W's, is the latter uses a computer to control the shifts. Though several companies make controllers, IMHO Baumann Electronic Controls makes the best http://www.becontrols.com/
The swap is almost a bolt in (Ok well sorta bolt in), except for Trans mount, shift linkage and using a shorter drive shaft. I re-used my 65's shorter DS, for a perfect fit, modified a 2001 Mustang shifter & cable, and built my own trans mount. Glen Buzek of Rosehill Performance http://www.rosehillperformanceparts.com/ makes T-5 conversion mounts and sent me two sets of prebent tubing and mounting flanges. One was for my mount the other duplicate was returned to Glen as a Prototype Mount for other folks. Glen will be making these mounts available.
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