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why is it so hard to find an early t5?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Rons36, Jun 12, 2013.

  1. Rons36
    Joined: Oct 31, 2012
    Posts: 35

    Rons36
    Member
    from San Diego

    I think they are getting scooped up everywhere. I can't find one for sale anywhere around so cal. I figured they would be easy to find. I got my motor and rear end ready but I am having a hard time finding a mechanical speedo s-10 t5. Anyone know of a source for one?
    Thanks!!
    Ron..

    Soon to be a 261/t5 1936 chevy truck!!!! maybe!! hahaha!!!
     
  2. Barsteel
    Joined: Oct 15, 2008
    Posts: 732

    Barsteel
    Member
    from Monroe, CT

    Ron - simple answer...supply and demand. I'm looking for the same gearbox, and have not had any luck, or people want stupid money for them. They're great trannys for old hot rods, and most of them were used in the 80s, so the supply is drying up.
    Keep looking, you will find one, it just might take some time.

    Chris
     
  3. 37slantback
    Joined: May 31, 2010
    Posts: 480

    37slantback
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    For the first time I wandered through a Pickn'Pull lot and I was surprised how many T5s were still in the S10s. Take a stroll through one of those lots and see whats there.
     
  4. In the north east the s10's rotted out and fell victim to the ever vigilant scrappers
     

  5. B Ramsey
    Joined: Mar 29, 2009
    Posts: 646

    B Ramsey
    Member

    i have one in the garage, not sure about speedo thing ill check tonight.
     
  6. Same here. I think its just "panic mode" because he needs one. Be patient, there were countless ones made. You have an ad in the wanted section?
     
  7. I'd bet that "cash for clunkers" claimed MANY of them.
     
  8. Mr48chev
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 33,861

    Mr48chev
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Around here it seems that they sold 3 4x4 trucks for every 2x4 truck so that limits supply a bit but I did pick one up off Craigslist for 100 from some kid who bought it and then decided not to use it.
    I haven't checked with the wrecking yards to see what the asking prices are but several of the local yards only seem to handle late model stuff anymore.
     
  9. 49ratfink
    Joined: Feb 8, 2004
    Posts: 18,828

    49ratfink
    Member
    from California

    when did they last use the mechanical speedo? my 1993 GMC Sonoma has electronic. probably can't find them because they are 20 years old, and there are far fewer stickshift S-10 / Sonoma's than automatic.
     
  10. InPrimer
    Joined: Mar 10, 2003
    Posts: 778

    InPrimer
    Member

    Might not be "old school" but to circumvent the elect speedo I plan on putting in aTomTom that gives me speed without going thru all that shit, plus it gives DIRECTIONS which any man will tell you" I don't need any"
     
  11. Snarl
    Joined: Feb 16, 2007
    Posts: 1,639

    Snarl
    Member

    Cable X makes an adapter to turn the electric signal into cable drive for around $350.

    If the farther back stick location can be made to work for you, it would be alot easier to find an 83-87 V6 Camaro box with cable drive. Better first gear ratio (3:50 instead of 4:03 or 3:76) in alot of the Camaro boxes as well.
     
  12. Rons36
    Joined: Oct 31, 2012
    Posts: 35

    Rons36
    Member
    from San Diego

    Ya I do find a few later electronic ones but no mechanical ones. I have had a want add on here for a while too. Only reply was from some wanting western union payment only. Not happening. I was just venting a little. I had 2 leads for 85 s-10 trucks but they both had electronic ones in them not the original. I finally got a 261 motor and a rear end that fits just missing the trans. My original 207 has a cracked block and always seems to need something to keep it running. Thanks for any leads you guys can help with. Just so ready to get this put together and drive it!!!
    Ron..
     
  13. el Scotto
    Joined: Mar 3, 2004
    Posts: 4,698

    el Scotto
    Member
    from Tracy, CA

    Because I keep exploding them and turning them in as cores!! :eek: :cool:
     
  14. Cowtown Speed Shop
    Joined: Sep 26, 2010
    Posts: 1,192

    Cowtown Speed Shop
    Member
    from KC

    They are not hard to find, unless you are trying to get one for next to nothing. there is 2 on epay right now for $350.00 buy it now. what are you looking to spend on one? as just the tail housing and tops have been bringing $200.00-$225.00 for the last 3 years or so. hell pick n pull is getting $100.00 plus $50.00 core charge and you have to lay under it and pull it out with hand tools. $350.00 already out sounds fair to me, Just saying!
     
  15. Hemi Joel
    Joined: May 4, 2007
    Posts: 1,528

    Hemi Joel
    Member
    from Minnesota

    Does anyone have a copy of the article or know what issue it was in?
    I need to convert a '93 electronic to a cable drive. I figured it could be done with a little machine work, it would sure be nice to see how they did it. I'm not willing to spend $350 for an adapter, but I don't mind doing the machine work.
     
  16. I've got 4 ,2 mechanical and 2 electronic speedo . So I guess I'm partly to blame
     
  17. PackardV8
    Joined: Jun 7, 2007
    Posts: 1,170

    PackardV8
    Member

    Because the little POS in which they were OEM didn't put out enough power to wear themselves out, they ran forever and when they finally died, even the U-Pik yard didn't want them and the went straight to the crusher, there wasn't anything left.

    P.S. - don't get hung up on the S-10. The same or better T5 came in dozens of different cars and trucks. Consult the Hollander and some experts. There are lots of them out there.

    jack vines
     
  18. Kirk Hanning
    Joined: Feb 27, 2005
    Posts: 1,605

    Kirk Hanning
    Member

    I took an electric speedo t5 and took out the sensor on the output shaft and replaced it with a mechanical gear along with the tail shaft. I don't even think that the tail shaft had to be swapped but I did it anyway as my other had a crack in it. No machine work required.
     
  19. badsix
    Joined: Sep 26, 2010
    Posts: 131

    badsix
    Member
    from oregon

    i'm putting a 270 GMC in a 31 chevy pickup and just scored an early Camaro W/C close ratio t5 for 200.00. For the speedo i'm not screwing with it i'll just get a GPS their cheep
     
  20. One reason I can think of is 86-89 had a T4 as an option also. I ripped one out of a truck not knowing this and lo and behold... 4 speeds. it even had the bump on the tail housing, but the number wouldn't come up anywhere.

    On the bright side, I did sell it at a swap for $200, no problems. And the guy knew what he was getting.

    Wierd truck, too. Factory air and a T4 trans.


    The problem now is most of your 1983-1990 cars are flat worn out and long since have hit the junkyard. The last T5 I saw in an S10 in a junkyard was an electronic one, I should have picked it and didn't.
     
  21. IWB
    Joined: Mar 17, 2007
    Posts: 95

    IWB
    Member

    You can use a camaro trans you just need a s-10 tail shaft so your shifter isnt in the middle of your seat.plus the camaro ones are usually a better trans.
     
  22. Texas trans parts in Adkins Texas has lots of T-5 parts and whole transmissions for GM & Ford they have set me up several times as I did a early Mustang WC and put the S 10 tail set up to get my shift stick off the seat on a 60 F 100 they sell on ebay real nice prices too.
     
  23. evintho
    Joined: May 28, 2007
    Posts: 2,363

    evintho
    Member

    Wow! I had 3 of 'em out of '87-'88 Turbo Coupes. Just recently sold 2 for $125 each. I guess I underpriced 'em! The 3rd one I swapped on an S10 tailshaft and shifter cover to use in the roadster. I got the tailshaft and shifter cover off an S10 @ Pick-N-Pull for like $28. The motor was gone and the tranny was just hanging there by the driveshaft and tranny mount! At last look there were 3 S10's with T5's in the yard. Keep looking, they're out there!
     
  24. yruhot
    Joined: Dec 17, 2009
    Posts: 564

    yruhot
    Member

    I've bought two of them from Las Vegas Truck Salvage located here in Las Vegas at Lakemead ave and Commerce ave. One went into a model a and one went into my 57 chev pickup. I believed they had like 3 shelving units of them. I had a hard time which one I wanted. most were out of a s-10's. Give them a buzz. I think I paid like $300-350 like 2 years ago. Was told if it turned out to be shit bring it on back for another type warranty. I thought that was pretty good. I got the cable drive type. YRUHOT..........Doug
     
  25. I just snagged one for my project this week. $150 at a PNP about 1.5 miles from my front door. They are tricky to find out here in the Antelope Valley, so you snag them when you find them, no matter what the vehicle. I really wanted a 'Stang t-5, but I'll see how the S-10 box does. Right now I have a 3.73 diff, but may have the option for a 3.00 one to try if I don't like it. Hell I may be able to trade the box (may be tougher than I think) for a friend's 'Stang box and either gear set. Hmm...
     
  26. gimpyshotrods
    Joined: May 20, 2009
    Posts: 23,264

    gimpyshotrods
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Yes, and no. The S10 input shaft is unique to the S10, in its length.

    That extra length makes adaptability to many applications possible. Others just won't work.
     
  27. gimpyshotrods
    Joined: May 20, 2009
    Posts: 23,264

    gimpyshotrods
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    And yeah, if you find one, grab it, even if you don't need it. Otherwise it might make the scrapper, which means NOBODY gets it. One of us will buy it from you, at a reasonable price, of course.
     
  28. bobscogin
    Joined: Feb 8, 2007
    Posts: 1,771

    bobscogin
    Member

    The tailshafts which used the VSS have the sensor hole radial/on center to the tailshaft. The mechanical speedo drive requires the drive to be below center and tangent to the tailshaft. Not an easy fix.

    Bob
     
  29. HEATHEN
    Joined: Nov 22, 2005
    Posts: 8,558

    HEATHEN
    Member
    from SIDNEY, NY

    From what I've seen, '88 was the last year for mechanical speedometer hookups on the Chevy T-5s. The holy grail is one from an '88 V8 Camaro...first year Chevy used a WC T-5 and last year of mechanical speedo. Also, be careful when buying S-10 transmissions; some of them only had a 14 percent overdrive.
     
  30. PackardV8
    Joined: Jun 7, 2007
    Posts: 1,170

    PackardV8
    Member

    Very true gimpy, but not everyone needs the short tailshaft. Just last week I had a guy who'd been frantically calling every yard and shop in the area. "Gotta be from an S10." Finally, I asked the right question, "Why?" His answer, "Because H,A.M.B. said so!" His application, a pickup with plenty of room for any length tailshaft.

    As you know, shifter location is another story. The T5 from some cars put the shifter under a bench seat.

    jack vines
     

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