[MikeR64]

I recently did the 5 speed swap on my 64 GTO convertible. Overall, it went well, but it was not without a couple of speed bumps.
To start with Kiesler sent me a proposal which was a parts list along with all the pricing. This was a very comprehensive kit in that it has virtually anything one would need. In it they listed a 10.4 clutch disc.
When I called to order it, I referred to the proposal number. I told them I wanted to get the whole clutch setup instead of just the disc. They sent the whole package out the next day. The included the entire clutch assembly as requested, but went all Chevy on me and sent an 11” unit. Duh. So I had to send that back

The first thing they tell you to do is READ THE ENTIRE SET OF DIRECTIONS BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE. This is good because they tell you to remove the seats, console if equipped, and carpeting. Shift handle and linkage goes also. Then buried later on in the instruction book, they tell you “If the car is originally a four speed car, you may not need to cut the floor.”

Long story short, I never removed anything in the interior except for the console and shift boot. I was able to bolt the crossmember back 1 ½ inches as required by not using the rubber end mounts and instead bolting it directly to the porches on the frame rails. I did need to cut two small (one inch) slots to the rear of the existing shifter hole so the shift tower would clear the hole when trying to put the trans on the bellhousing. These were later sealed off again. The carpet, shift boot and console cover everything. The shift handle they sent LOOKS exactly like the original except with their logo, but it hit the seat in all but 1,3 and 5th gears. Anything south of neutral was impossible. The culprit was the angle of the handle in relation to the tower. I took a 3” cutoff wheel and cut most of the way through the shift handle just above the bolt area where the boot would hide it. I bolted the handle on bent it slightly and went through the gears to make sure I could reach them and the handle hit nothing – including the console. After a session with my handy welder, it fit nicely.

Driving impressions: Holy Cow! The car is completely different. Since it is a Pontiac and has the usual torque abundance, it pulls the same in 5th as it does in 3rd. I found myself hitting 75 mph accidently the first time out on a two-lane test road. I now have to watch the speed when in cruise mode. Before the swap, running 3.55 gears, I had to work on keeping the car at 65 mph just due to the engine speed, which was around 3 grand. Now the 65 mph engine speed is right at 2 grand.
The trans crossmember being bolted directly to the frame porches only seems to give the car a slightly more “granular” effect, but that may be due to the trans itself. I’ve put about 200 miles on the car and have gotten used to the more mechanical feel – not that it was any real difference anyway. And being a 5 speed with the lower gearing in 1-3, I found the 60 series radial 16 inch tires are somewhat useless if one applies large amounts of loud pedal. I’ve only tried that once since Kiesler wants to put 500 miles of easy driving on the trans before you go into warp drive.
All in all, was it a good swap? No. It was a great swap!