Wow! I'm sure that would attract a lot of looks over there. there wouldn't be to many Xa falcons over there. Did it have a 302 or a 351 in it when you got it? i am much the same over here. I have a 72 galaxie LTD with a 400 that was converted as a new car by ford Australia into a RHD over here so it's not even classed as an import. Theres a few in Victoria, but not so in new south wales where I live. It has a C6 by the way

 

Down here the only transmission i can find is the c-6, c-4, fmx, t-5 and the low granny top loader. A Ford mechanic told me to go automatic with stock converter since the torque is at low rpm... don't need to kick at 3500rpm to make power. I gonna stay with stock converter for now i think.
I found on internet a bellhousing to fit on big block ford to fit a 6 speeds trans from viper that was desing for 460 hot rod because of missing manual trans from ford factory. But the price is there, believe me.

73XAFalcon, where can i bought the spacer plate to fit a t-5 ?
The car allready have the clutch pedal in place so it will be suck to put an automatic in place...

crsmiffy, when i got it , it had nothing in it .The black 1980 mustang came from the factory with a small 4cyl or v-6, i really dont know. It was replace with a 302 with a 4 speed, then is cousin broke is power from the red mustang and swap the 302 and trany from the black one into the red one. Then they try to fit a 351m with fmx but didn't work... here i come.... buy it cheap to fit the 351m with the trany they couldn't fit. After i fit, i found this site about the potential of the 351 to convert to 400 ....Then i bought 400 crank and piston. Now i have a 400 and fmx trans that i can wedge in the black one.( first i tought it was a 81mustang but found out to be a 80... second year of fox body...sorry truck guy it's the only place i can talk about the 400, mustang forum told me boat anchor but i want to prove them wrong!).

 

mustang81

I would not run a T5 behind a 400 BUT if you do, you will need a bellhousing for the Toploader to 429 and then you should be able to use a spacer from one of the many classic mustang companies. These are specifically for bolting a T5 to a smallblock toploader bellhousing but it MAY work on a big block...not sure as most folks won't try to run a T5 behind a big motor.

You could source a 3spd OD Toploader from a mid-70's Ford/Merc, like a Granada. Granadas and Monarchs were pretty popular in Canada so you should be able to find one. These Toploaders look identical to a standard 4spd Toploader BUT these offer you 3 forward gears PLUS an OD 4th gear. These are not nearly as strong as a regular Toploader BUT stronger than a T5 and it will give you a gear spread almost identical to an AOD. It's a good trade off when you are doing a low buck build. Here is a link to David Kee's site: http://www.4speedtoploaders.com/imposters.htm

 

Hey mate, did you get the e-mail I tried to send? We were highjacking mustang81's thread so I sent you some info.

 

Yes i did. Outstanding. That definitely would be a car for train spotters over in the US. The XA was the first aussie falcon that didn't look like or was based a whole lot on the US versions, so it wou7ld get a few heads scratching.

 

I have to agree a T-5 won't last long behind a 400. Heck they don't last all that long behind 302 if you mod them very much.

 

gonna try to find a top loader in junk yard or gonna be stuck with the fmx. Local junk yard press everything they have, so old parts are very hard to find, especialy in the 70's...

 

Definately go with a 4sp toploader. Keep an eye on ebay as well. For a bellhousing, one trip to the wreckers and you will have one. The 4 bolt pattern that holds the bellhousing to the tranny on thee toploader is the same as all ford truck 4bolt pattern transmissions up into the 90's on the borg warner T19. So find a f-whatever with a 351m, 400, or 460 (post 83' for that) 2 or 4wd and a 4sp (the old 3spd manuals from the 70's use the same bellhousings) and grab the bellhousing and you're set.