The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. If you run an automatic, you envy the stick guys who don’t need to hassle with the aggravation and expense of finding a “magic” converter that makes everything click. When you run a stick, you dream about the easy-on-parts, easy-to-drive consistency of an automatic.
When we put together our ’86 Mustang drag car project, we envisioned the macho factor of a stick from the get-go, and up to this point we’ve been using a fresh-from-the-junkyard factory T5 five-speed that cost 75 bucks. We’ve even been making do with a used stock clutch and flywheel, and it’s all been good enough to get the car into the mid-12s. But pass-to-pass consistency has been miserable mainly due to the clapped-out transmission’s propensity to miss shifts despite the precision B&M Ripper shifter we installed. The car launches hard on Mickey Thompson ET Streets with the T5’s 3.35:1 First gear combined with 4.10:1 rear gears, but the weak-link trans was a ticking time-bomb. We’ve been warned against power-shifting any stock T5, especially with the 400 hp we have on tap from our naturally aspirated 302, and given our plans to eventually add a 150hp nitrous shot, we knew it wouldn’t last more than a few passes on the bottle.
Of the several possible solutions to this dilemma, the least attractive was to bite the bullet and swap in an automatic. The upside of that would be a virtual guarantee of faster e.t.’s, since we’re no Ronny Sox in the shifting department. The downside would be feeling like we gave up too soon. Manual trans alternatives included a stronger overdrive, such as a Tremec TKO, which is a virtual bolt-in to a late-model Mustang, but is pricey at about $1,200, and we had absolutely no need for Overdrive in a dedicated drag car. So what’s the best solution? How about a Liberty’s Pro Shifted four-speed Toploader? Betcha didn’t see that one coming unless you read our “Stick-Shifts for Drag Racing” article in the Apr. ’02 issue, where we gave away the answer. The decision was made even easier when we were able to trade some parts with a friend for a cast-iron Toploader that had already been Pro-Shifted and came with a Hurst Super Shifter.
The basic concept behind a Pro-Shifted trans is elimination of the synchronizer mechanisms in the transmission to allow quicker shifts. Back in the glory days, drag racers built their own “slick-shifted” crash boxes by grinding off the engagement-face teeth on the gears and removing the brass blocker rings . Liberty’s process takes this a step further by replacing the face teeth entirely with components of their own design along with special sliders.
Given its non-synchronized design, a Pro-Shifted crash box isn’t too practical for everyday street use, but its fast-shifting performance combined with the inherent strength of the Ford iron-case Toploader design makes it an excellent alternative for the drag racer on a budget. For well under $1,000, even less if you don’t need a total rebuild while it’s apart, you too can have your transmission Pro-Shifted. Liberty’s Gears offers Pro-Shift components for most popular manual trannies, including Muncies, Super T10s, T5s, Mopar A-833s, and even the aforementioned Tremec. Prices start at $65 per gear, plus the cost of a rebuild, which is usually a good idea anyway. With the swap completed, we couldn’t wait to get to the track, and we weren’t disappointed with the results. This thing shrugs off brutal power-shifts like water off a duck’s back, and driving the car is a manly experience. Yank the stick in the direction of a gear and it bangs into gear with authority. Way cool.
So follow along as we swap this bulletproof badboy into our Mustang and bang-shift with glee at the track. At the fraction of the cost of a Jerico, all it took was a Sawzall.
