Thinking Automatic for 1970

2 questions for the group.

My 1970 has been converted to 3 on the floor. I think someday I would like to go with an automatic on the floor.
I am just now starting my interior. Is there any advantage to which order I do it? Interior then tranny vs tranny then interior?

Also I dont know much about trannies , Ive read the 1970 tunnel is small, but a C4 will fit? Is it a plug and play, unbolt and bolt up C4? Or is this something I should maybe have a shop do?

Thanks

 

C4 will fit the tunnel and should be a bolt in deal, you should even be able to reuse your current drive shft. You will need a transmission cooler, either in the radiator, standalone or both. If it was me, I would do the transmission before the carpet, depending on the shifter you use you may have a hole for the three speed shift you will have to deal with.

 

thanks. Looks like I need to do some reading on trans and see if I can find a decent used C4. Maybe even a howto ...

 

I agree with this 100%, but as always it’s your car do as you wish.

 

Thanks. Yeah looks like thats the way to go

 

Three on the Tree as in Manual Steering Column, and four on the floor as in Manual Transmission. Just saying .

 

Not following you here, what is this in reference to? Both three and four speeds are manual transmissions, just shifted by different mechanisms.

 

It was 3 on tree, but previous owner put 3 on the floor. I deleted the shifter column nub at least

 

If you use a floor shifter trust me..... Bolt the main body of the shifter in before you put the trans in. I almost wasnt able to get 2 nuts started on my shifter from underneath and almost had to drop the trans down to do it. Bad part was i had headers and all already in place.

 

Smegnl.....I am very familiar with YOUR story on this car from all your years here on the mmb.

This is what I suggest YOU do based on what I know about your history with this car and getting things done to it: Just drive the car and enjoy it exactly the way it is.

Switching from a manual trans to an automatic will require a lot of parts and modifications that will require searching out, and then more than likely you paying somebody to do the work....which will be difficult to find somebody willing to do this work for you.

 

You make a very good point. I am not a car guy. I wanna be, but currently I am not.
However this is something that I think will make my enjoyment of the car even better. So it will be well worth the headache and learning curve.
I also have a bum left leg that aint getting any better with age. The car and I both are getting older every year.