[poncho-mike]

I have a 71 T/A I bought in 1982. It is an all numbers match blue automatic with A/C and the deluxe tuxedo interior. It has about 80K miles, and was a one owner car used as a daily driver by a middle-aged woman. The body is excellent, and to the best of my knowledge everything is numbers match. It has KRs, all of the born with sheet metal, and no rust. The paint on the roof and trunk was starting to crowsfoot when I got it, and that was sandblasted and has several coats of epoxy primer over it. The car has been stored indoors ever since I've owned it. It is an unrestored project waiting to be done.

I found the identical car but with a 4-spd last year. The car was raced much of its life and is missing many original parts. It has a fiberglass hood and front bumper, and I'm sure it was in an accident at one time because it has a later model fender and core support. The lip on the inner rear quarter panels have been flattened out, it has a chrome roll bar, a 12-bolt rear, subframe connectors, driveshaft loop, and holes in the trunk for a fuel pump and trunk mounted battery. I got up under the car, it is rustfree. I also noticed the tranny was a later model Borg Warner. The a/c box has been removed from the firewall. The block and heads are the only thing original to the motor, and there is no telling what the overbore on the block is. It is missing the shaker assembly, the front inner fenders have been removed, and has a fiberglass front bumper.

The current owner bought it from a family member after the owner passed away. The car was street/strip and the last inspection sticker is dated 1982. I met the current owner at Autofair when he came to my spot looking for original parts.

I have most of the parts original needed to put it back together, and the dates will match up except for the KRs and the M22. The current owner is getting sticker shock at what original parts cost, and I think he's having second thoughts about restoring the car.

I prefer stick cars, and the blue 71-72 HO cars are my favorites. What do you guys think the street/strip 71 T/A is worth as is? And would you give up a numbers matching all original automatic to pursue a four speed?

[Aus78Formula]

My 2 cents which isn't worth that. Unless for a valuable restoration where original trans mattered, if I wanted a manual car of this type, it wouldn't be a 4 speed, and it would need overdrive. That probably doesn't help terribly.

[67GTONUT]

To piggy back onto the above comment....

What I would do.....

Keep the T/A you have...... install a TKX 5 speed in it..... and drive the hell out of it.....

Keep all the old parts in case you decide to go back to original

[Judge273]

If you have a shot at a rare 71 TA LB with White deluxe 4 speed no ac. That’s a easy choice!

[necdb3]

That's an easy choice, keep both! I would leave the original 71 alone.

[poncho-mike]

The 4-spd T/A is an A/C car as well.

There are a bunch of things lining up that make the idea to pursue this car questionable. I can't keep both because I have too many cars already. Plus I think the owner of the 4-spd is into it a little deep, and I'm planning on retiring next year and downsizing what I already own. Ten years ago, I would have pursued it and downsized something else.

[Formulajones]

Originally Posted by Aus78Formula

My 2 cents which isn't worth that. Unless for a valuable restoration where original trans mattered, if I wanted a manual car of this type, it wouldn't be a 4 speed, and it would need overdrive. That probably doesn't help terribly.

Originally Posted by 67GTONUT

To piggy back onto the above comment....

What I would do.....

Keep the T/A you have...... install a TKX 5 speed in it..... and drive the hell out of it.....

Keep all the old parts in case you decide to go back to original

Ditto

Your auto car sounds like a much better piece. If you want a stick then put a TKX 5 speed in it so you can actually drive and enjoy the car, and you can thank us later.

[napster]

Originally Posted by Formulajones

Ditto

Your auto car sounds like a much better piece. If you want a stick then put a TKX 5 speed in it so you can actually drive and enjoy the car, and you can thank us later.

I saved everything to my '73.. 455,auto and changed it to a 496 and a T-56. I agree with everything above.

[John V.]

The only reasons I can see for getting the 4 spd car:

1. You are keeping both and want a fun retirement project or,

2. You have the dollars, talent, and time to complete the project within 6 months so that you will be able to drive it by next summer and not miss driving a TA for such a short period or,

3. You want a long term fun retirement project and won't miss being without a drivable TA for the foreseeable future and maybe forever.

No. 3 is mostly what I wanted when I reacquired my long lost '73 4 spd TA. But I didn't have to give anything up to get it.

Auto cars are unappealing to me, I get bored driving them so I appreciate your sentiments about it. If you were looking to buy the TA you currently own now and torn because it is auto trans, I wouldn't think you would want to buy such an original car and convert it to man trans, seems a bit blasphemous to me. Just keep looking for the right 4 spd TA, right?

I don't know if I would give up an original auto TA for a 4 spd project. Hard to say since I likely would never have acquired an auto TA to start with.

I like what napster has done with his '73. So I'm not totally opposed to auto to man trans conversions.

The 4 spd project appeals to me and the fact you already have most of the parts needed, all the better. If you want a retirement project, there's a lot to like. Just depends on what you're wanting.

Your car, your call. And your money, your call.

[keith k]

Give up an unmolested original TA that you've owned for 40 years, in exchange for a Frankenstein project car.... just because one was born with a 4-speed and one wasn't?
You're kidding, right?

If the trans is that big of an issue, do as the others have suggested and swap in a modern OD manual trans to the car you already have. Since neither car would end up with its original trans any way, save yourself the headaches and work with the one you already have.

[poncho-mike]

Keith,

It's not quite as simple as it seems. Both will require about the same amount of work. My 71 T/A automatic car was last cranked and moved around the back yard around 1992. The body is excellent and it has all of the born with parts, but it will need a restoration.

The 4-spd car was probably last operated some time around 1982. I have most of the parts I need to put it original, but it would never be 100% numbers matching. I have a 72 M22, a pair of 72 fenders, a 72 3.42 posi, and KRs dated too late for the car. I also have no idea how overbored the engine is.

[Formulabruce]

Back yard.. Grass... underside oxygen... FE02 .. How are the frame rails and the trunk, Really??

[R 70 Judge]

Very hard to pass on any 70-72 Lucy blue TA, especially a 4 speed car, but it honestly sounds like your ‘71 may be the better project. Any pictures to compare?

But that being said I’d buy it. lol! I’ve been trying to find a 70-72 TA for the last year (any color) and I keep striking out. I missed out on two cars this year by literally hours.

[poncho-mike]

I thought I would follow up on this thread since a few people asked about the car.

My wife and I went to the southwest VA mountains this week to look at a house, and I called the T/A owner the night before to ask if I could come by. I planned to take some pictures and see if the motor turned over. He told me he had sold the car for $23K. So the car has moved on to a new home. I hope the buyer gives it the restoration it deserves.