This really is an interesting question.... a non-synchro first gear and
overdrive or a fully synchro box without overdrive. It really comes down to
where are you going drive the car? Mainly in a city where easy down shifts
into first might be useful or on the highway, where good cruising speed would
be best. In some places there is no question.... if you live in San
Francisco, go with the fully synchro box! If you live in the Dakotas, go with
overdrive!
I would personally take the overdrive as you can learn to double clutch, but
there is no way to cut the revs on Interstate 80.
Jan Eyerman
(whose cars have neither synchro first nor overdrive!)
Jay_Laifman@countrywide.com wrote:
>Next, my Series 3 has original non-synchro-1st
>gearbox plus o/d. I have been offered an all-synchro
>'box from a later series. Will the o/d from
>the S3 fit to the all synchro 'box? If not, I
>assume I could just leave out the o/d and fit
>the all-sync box with its standard rear extension
>housing?
First, the Series 3 has a rare close ratio box. The later Series V box is
close, but not that close. So, it's a pretty rare box. Add to that, you
have an OD S3 box, it has to be even rarer. I'm not sure I'd rush to get
rid of it.
As to putting the OD you have on the later box, the main shafts are
different. They are much longer on the OD box. So, you would have to
pull the main shaft out of your S3 box, and swap it into the later box.
I'm not sure they are compatible. But, at a minimum, you would have to do
that.
Jay
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