- Joined
- Aug 14, 2014
- Messages
- 4,535
- Reaction score
- 1,579
- Location
- Madison, WI
- My Car
- 1971 Mach 1 w/408C stroker
As a feedback, with my cable system with MD it takes some strength to do. Obviously, this is very subjective. It is fine around town and most of the 98% driving I do. When in heavy traffic it can be tiring after a while (HRPT traffic). I have never tested a linkage system to compare. Just comparing to my previous two 4Runners, it id heavier. However, if I compared to my 1978 Land Cruiser it would have been on par or lighter.I upgraded my 72 Mach 1 with an AOD from a C6. I preferred to go with a 4 speed toploader not only because it is a virtually indestructible but a stickshift is a built-in anti-theft device and most of all......a hot rod should have a stick! I costed all the parts and compared them with a simple auto to auto changeout and of course the AOD was definite cost savings. I really wanted a stick but economics ruled it as it was 3K more than the AOD. Also, had I known that the TV cable system is such a pain to deal with, I would have gone with a stick. Anyway, the pricing seems fair to me since I had priced all the materials two years ago. The one thing I question is the use of a clutch cable. When I was researching all the parts i needed for the changeout, I downloaded an exploded parts list for the OEM clutch system. There is a series of springs, levers and other gizmos that will give you a solid yet easy way to push the clutch pedal without fatiguing your left leg in traffic. The question is how will the simple clutch cable method translate to force needed to push the clutch pedal down. You might research the use of cable vs the use of a hydraulic clutch system. A hydraulic clutch is more to buy and install but the results may be worth the expense especially if you want to make your Stang a daily driver..
I think a hydraulic clutch system would be nice but I was already stretching my budget back then.