Transmission Upgrades: The McLeod Muscle Car 5 Manual Transmission

mc5transThere are literally thousands of upgrades available for classic musclecars to help them keep up with the pace of today’s vehicles, both in performance and handling. These upgrades have made driving a classic musclecar much more fun because now we can maneuver and stop as well as just about anything else on the road.

MC5-22

An alternative to cutting up your floor in your classic just to take advantage of an overdrive transmission: the Muscle Car 5 from McLeod Racing.

But now that we’re driving our classic cars more often, there’s one little thing we can’t seem to get away from: the gas station. Back when fuel was a little over a buck a gallon, we didn’t seem to care too much that an entire day of driving around cost us about $20. But those days are gone, and with the price of gas continually rising that $20 in gasoline won’t get us very far.

One solution to improve economy is to convert to a transmission with overdrive. Many classic transmissions were never available with overdrive, so that 1:1 ratio in fourth gear hurts the wallet and limits the fun of driving a classic. While there are a couple of solutions for converting to a modern overdrive transmission, the cost of that conversion is eclipsed by the decision to cut up our floor and transmission tunnel to make room for the bigger case on those modern transmissions. McLeod Racing has a solution that is not only affordable, it eliminates the need for extensive modifications to the floor.

8620 forged steel gears are fully synchronized for smooth, quiet operation.

Muscle Car 5 Transmission

McLeod’s new Muscle Car 5 Transmission is a brand new manual transmission designed to fit into those tight transmission tunnels in classic musclecars. The case was designed by McLeod, and is smaller like the Muncie 4-speed but it packs a bigger punch inside. The Muscle Car 5 includes one extra gear that will help you avoid extra visits to the gas station on longer cruises. The Muscle Car 5 was three years in the making, and is built in the USA with McLeod components.

MC5-04Their revolutionary new transmission has a 2.95 1st gear and a .63 5th gear, and is a bolt-in transmission without the expensive modifications to make it fit. The front cover is designed to bolt up to a factory bellhousing, giving enthusiasts all of the advantages of a modern transmission and the benefits of better fuel economy and lower RPMs at freeway speeds.

The transmission has a 32-spline output shaft and 8620 forged steel gears for added strength, and can handle up to 500 lb/ft of torque, making it a very stout transmission in a smaller package. To ensure smooth shifting and quiet operation, McLeod made sure the gears were fully synchronized, with an internal rail shifter that provides smooth, quick shifting.

Three years in the making, the Muscle Car 5 manual transmission is a McLeod casting with a .63 fifth gear.

The transmission ships in a bare casting, or it can be powdercoated just about any color with a call to McLeod Racing. With all of this great, new technology in a smaller package, you’ll probably be surprised at the price, coming in at just $2,795.00. Current applications exist for Chevrolet, with Ford and Mopar in the planning stages. Match up the Muscle Car 5 manual transmission with a McLeod clutch system for a complete transmission solution for your classic musclecar. To find out more about McLeod’s new 5-speed manual transmission and clutch kits, check out their website.

About the author

Michael Harding

Michael is a Power Automedia contributor and automotive enthusiast who doesn’t discriminate. Although Mopar is in his blood, he loves any car that looks great and drives even faster.
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