356 five speed trans

[David Jones]

For only $9K you can have an extra gear to play with. Somehow I cannot justify the time, effort and money to install one but I will be happy to test drive one for anyone else and give my opinion. It would look great on my coffee table as a conversation piece if only my wife would let put it there.

http://356-5-speed.com

[Bill Sargent]

Hmm - If I read their web site correctly $9K gets you a kit which appears to consist of a case, nose cone and other parts. You still need to source a 901 donor transmission for the internals and have someone assemble it. I am guessing $11 to $13K ready to install.

Nice, but enough horsepower and a tall 4th gear work pretty well.

[Jacques Lefriant]

Hi Bill
even better a 8/31 CWP and a Torque biasing diff.
j

[Bill Sargent]

Agree Jacques - but then you need to add another $2,500 and you are up to $15K.

[Edwin Ek]

Anyone have experience with this?

[Jacques Lefriant]

Hi Bill
That is an option for the 4sp that I offer. if you have a stock gearbox with a bad CWP and diff the whole rebuild would be less than 7K(synchros, bearings, 8-31, heavy duty diff bearings, and torque biasing) no R+R FOB National City. and it would stay nos matching

[Greg Bryan]

While very expensive, when all is said and done, it is a very elegant package and nicely executed. Not for everyone, obviously, but will go nicely with your Polo or Willhoit motor. $35-$45K in the drivetrain!
But a sweet ride, and you can't put a price on a good time ...

[Ron LaDow]

Pretty sure I met these guys when Alan was working on a collaborative project with them some years back. The signal/noise ratio was heavy 'signal', light 'noise'
I stuck that 901 'box in the Speedster (how many) years ago and got the semi-trailing arm geometry, but got the added rear and unsprung weight at the same time.
Greg, I'd imagine it really does better with a 616 - 1720 engine, selecting the ratios; Dean's or John's engines don't need close ratios.
If I were still 'cruising' in the C, you can bet I'd be checking ways to get this in the C coupe at minimal cost.

[George Hussey]

It is a really good looking gearbox and a great idea, but one would think that for 9 grand one would get a ready to bolt in box.
However in addition, now few actually drive their 356s enough to justify changing to a five speed. Wish they had a five speed bolt in gear box back in the late 80s when I was driving my 356 virtually every day, and taking trips in it.

[Jacques Lefriant]

Hi I agree the 901 box is a stronger and more versatile gearbox but for my money you might as well convert to 911/IRS suspension if you want to use the 901 box. it is way better and maybe less money for a better result. Rod Emory has perfected the conversion to a high standard and others have done less elegant ones.. I propose that a clever vendor could facilitate the conversion by fabricating trailing arms that utilize the 356 spring plates and the upright from the axle tube. thereby maintain the existing brakes and shocks and requiring only the addition of brackets to the tube. It would also possibly incorporate a dual mount nose cone similar/identical to the Windrush one.
j

[C J Murray]

I know we all have certain interests that are considered silly by others but this one takes the cake for me. My second choice is paying somebody $45k to build you a big pushrod engine.

Here are some reasons I don't like the 5 speed.

The Porsche 901 in stock form has the same rpm/mph in 5th that a 356 has in 4th. The ratios are closer together which is not a complaint I hear about the 356 4-speed. While that would be great for racing and very aggressive driving, it is not legal in racing and nobody drives their 356 aggressively enough to have that matter.

Since I have owned a 1967 911 for a really long time I can say that the shift pattern is annoying for general use.

Converting to 911 rear suspension makes a 356 into a mutt that is not as good as a 911 and not as valuable as either, for good reason.

There are 741 R&P ratios and gear ratios that can adjust your 356 driving experience. For my 2133cc 616 63 coupe I did the Cadrobbi conversion and a 10% taller R&P with stock BBBD gear ratios. That is working fine on cross country trips and back road driving. There are other combinations too but I was fine with totally stock ratios in other cars. I have stayed away from the 4G because I spoke to some who have tried it and removed it.

you can't put a price on a good time ...

I can. I do. If you are willing to spend $45k(grossly overcharged) on an engine and $20k on a trans, why don't you get a better car for a lower net cost(resale value vs money spent) and buy a 911?

[David Jones]

For once I am with CJ on this but I would buy a boxster not a 911 as I can buy an excellent boxster or three for the price of that transmission, but that transmission still looks like a work of art and should not be sullied by filling it with smelly transmission oil.

[Wes Bender]

I've had the experience of going from a 356C with the four-speed, to a 912 with a five-speed and then to another 356C with the four-speed. Was the five-speed nice? Yes, very much so. Is it worth the expense of chopping things up or spending the big bucks just to get one more gear between bottom and top? In my opinion, no. So I'm with CJ too.

[Geoff Fleming]

For those who are new to Porsche or are not familiar with the early five speed gearbox, it should be noted that the shift pattern is quite different than' normal'.

First gear is engaged by moving the gear lever backward, while second is forward, etc. After five years of using a 912, it took a bit of 're-learning' to shift the 356, which has the standard pattern.

[Edwin Ek]

Does the gear box used right before the 915 still have the dogleg shift pattern? I know the first 901's do.