So I just acquired a new project 122s with an automatic tranny in it. It's my first automatic. It seems to run pretty smooth, and when I just drive around city streets I don't notice any lurch or change of gears at all. I'm just wondering what the "word on the street" is about these old auto-trannys? Has anybody had nightmare stories with them? Anybody have positive experiences with them? I figured at the very least I could convert it to a manual with one of my spare trannys in the shed, but if it seems to be working good I'd rather not fiddle with it.

Talk amoungst yourselves....

- V

When I got my current driver '70 145, it had a fairly low mileage (113k), but worn engine, and an automatic that worked fine. Planning to a complete drivetrain conversion, I didn't care much about preserving what was in there, and I drove the s*** out of it for a month. Thats about how long the engine and transmission lasted... by the time I was done, it was missing shifts, slipping...etc.

I did feel though that driven like a mad man might do, it got me around fine, and rarely did anyone catch me on the mountain roads to my house.. inlcuding a neighbor who tried to catch me in is 4spd/OD '74 142. But that was redline shifts about every time, and usually manually shifting it.

And it only lasted a month.

If you don't mind how it drives, and you take it a bit more easy than I did, keep it in there. Especially since a conversion to manual is more difficult in a 122 than in a 140. But you'll likely like hte car more with a stick.

-Matt
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-Matt '70 145s, '65 1800s, '66 122s wagon, others inc. '53 XK120 FHC

I have another which is a a manual... so I get the satisfaction of both worlds at present...

I've bought and driven 2 auto BW35 trannied Volvos before - a '72 1800E and a '73 145E. Both were *OK* driving around, definately slower than a stick shift but not unbearable. If you aren't in a hhyurry you won't mnd much. But in my case both trannies gave out after 3 - 6 months of my use - nothing terribly abusive, just lots of full throttle starts. Instead of spending $illy amounts of money to fix the BW35 lump I swapped M41/M40's (respectively) into both cars, and the enjoyment factor went up about 33% in both cases.

Right, I see your points. What I'm toying with doing is keeping the first manual that I have as my classic/vintage model, with nearly no alterations and a classic "look", and using the auto as a radical conversion toy. The auto is in worse shape overall, so I could toy around with souping it up, adding wider wheels, lowering it, what have you. Another thing I was thinking was I could try using the wider auto-tunnel to try to fit in a T-5 transmission conversion, coupled to a B20 or something.

In any case, it'll be nice to have the option of being able to start a big project on one and not need it as my daily-driver for a while at a time.

My 1800 had an automatic and I think yours is the same--a Borg-Warner 35. I was just running back and forth to work and it was OK, but they are certainly not peppy. The "word on the street" is that they are so slow they can't get out of their own way. That was fine with me, but the tranny went south on me so I pulled the car off the road for a major overhaul, including a swap to 4 speed plus OD. If you aren't worried about speed I would drive it until it quits or you have some spare time, then switch to manual. The good news, I believe, is that the 122 with automatic can swap to an overdrive manual with no tunnel modifications.

Yeah, that's about what I've noticed so far with the auto. It is really mushy off the start line, but then once if finally gets going it winds up and does fine. It seems to be in pretty good shape though for a 37-year old tranny, in any case.

I haven't ever heard of any definitive account of whether an M41/OD will fit in an auto tunnel without mods, but I'd sure love to. Attempting such will probably be in its future, or maybe even trying a T5 tranny conversion in there.

Thanks for your thoughts.

- V

The support member for the tranny mount is different, and in a different location. The manual support will not bolt up to a car that originally had auto. You have to fabricate something there.

I don't know one way or the other whether a T5 will fit, sorry.

Phil,

Right, I did know that a new support mount has to be devised and fabricated, but as far as fitting into the tunnel without metal-work do you know what the deal is for converting to M41/OD?

There's lots of room in the tunnel for a M41. Obviously, you have to make a hole for the shift lever. The drive shaft may or may not end up being the same length as with the auto in there -- M41s seem to come in several different lengths.

I am not sure that you will need to cut a hole for the shift lever, my 67.5 122 Auto has a hole that looks to be the same and in a similar location as my 67 M40 parts car. I haven't actually tried fitting the trans in yet, but you might want to look at it. You will need the ducting for the rear floor heater from a manual trans 122, as it has a hole for the shifter.
The auto tunnel is a couple inches wider than the manual in my cars. But the parts car is so rusty I'm not sure where the edges are...
I've been casually looking into a manual trans swap for my car, but haven't really made up my mind yet. Mostly because I'm thinking about a 6speed just for giggles.
Good luck, and let us know how it works out.
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1981 242 GLTi 1967.5 122S
Seattle, WA

I've also seeen long tail and short tail BW35's (the tailshaft housing - short and rounded on most, but I saw a longer cone-shaped one once).

I swapped an M41 into my old 1963 122s in place of the M4, and it fit into thae smaller tunnel with no problem. And when I put an M41 into my current PV544 I sued a 122 manual tunnel.
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I'm JohnMc, and I approved this message.