Its been awhile since I last drove a stick, let alone a stick in a musclecar. Just a couple of weeks ago, I made a trip to Carlsbad, California, in the Project '73 to visit Classic Motorsports Group. In a matter of two days, out went the factory Turbo 350 and in went a Tremec TKO 5 speed. While the original intention was to use the mechanical linkage, we ended up installing a hydraulic setup; this is where I learned the true variances of the system. Both are equally as good and it's really a matter of what works for you and your application. More on this later.
It wasn't until last weekend that I got to really push the new combination through its paces and what a rush. Being able to bang the gears brought back the spirited driving I've always enjoyed. I enjoy my automatics, but for the street I'm really digging the manual. Think of this as just a teaser and we'll have a full report in the October '08 issue, highlighting all the details of the install and showing how complete the CMG Elite package is. If you're looking to make the swap, then this is one story you don't want to miss.