Hi Guys, I'm sitting in a window in Bacharach, Germany today. The 50th Anniversary celebration was a FABULOUS event! I think the Germans now know that there are serious Pagoda lovers outside the Fatherland.
Re: The transmission. After PUB 2011, I took my car to Bud's where David and Brad put it on the lift. I showed them what I had done, and what I would do differently. I put a lot of effort into the project, but I knew that with a proper shop and manufacturing resources, a better kit could be built. I wanted to make a kit for all of those who wanted a reasonably priced conversion and couldn't access a ZF or the Getrag 265/5 which is pretty rare outside of Europe. The only thing I asked in return was to get the improved adapter and mounting plate for my car when they were ready.
Well, Brad and David went one better. Instead of using the T-5 with the aft shift position and Chevrolet shifter that I did, they spent a lot of development time figuring out how to make the transmission adapt to the Mercedes shifter. What they have done is clever and seems durable. They have already installed it in 3 customer cars and reports are that it works just fine. Bud's has built the transmission from two models to accomplish the task and warranties the transmission for a full year. After two years of trial and error, he'd like to recover his development costs. I can tell you that this price is pretty doggone close to what it would cost me to do it with his improvements. I made a steel adapter plate because it's what I and the shop I worked with could do. Bud's has made a precision cut aluminum plate. I had to cut the transmission mounting plate and invent an rubber mount. They have custom designed a plate and solved the shock mount issue. Their kit is a bolt in with no changes made to the car. If you want to reverse it to original, there is no harm and no foul. Unlike the Getrag conversion, you don't cut the Pagoda driveshaft and weld on the BMW flex disc, you get a new driveshaft.
The 5th gear is 0.76. At 3000 RPM through my original differential, I am doing 76 MPH. My Interstate highway fuel economy has improved nearly 25%. I confess that my city mpg has not improved because with the low differential and first gear I can not only leave a 25 foot stripe on the asphalt, I can chirp the tires in second gear. You can't do that with a 3.67 differential.
I believe I have accomplished my mission. I wanted to get the 5 gear driving experience without having to pay for a ZF. Reverse postion with the shifter is the same as the ZF, although I can't speak for the throw because I've never driven a ZF. With the Merc shifter and a 5-spd knob, no one would ever know the difference by looking. I also know that if anything ever goes wrong with my transmission, for decades to come, any competent shop in the world will be able to get parts and fix it.
This will never satisfy the purists. To me, this is no different than putting in progressive springs, or Pertronix ignition. It makes the car more useful and enjoyable in modern driving without adversely affecting the car itself.
I would like it if it was referred to as The Hays Conversion, but only because my Dad would be proud.
