Ok after some searching i found a 1982 280z non turbo 5 speed tranny in the local bone yard. The tranny has 160k miles on it =( and they are asking $300. Is this worth it? and will i most likely have to rebuild the tranny? Ohh yah and most importanly this will fit in my 1976 280z right?

At the u-pick type junkyards in California, a tranny is about $100 no matter what kind. It will fit your 280. You could take a chance and just install it hoping to get lucky but to be sure I would have it rebuilt.

300 is alot to take a chance with... ill talk to the people in person and find out the deal with it. It could have already been rebuilt i honestly dont know, i just found it through there parts listings. Maybe i can talk em down some =P. I went there a little while back and pulled up a bunch of parts and it only cost me 10 bucks ( i got shifter boots, lights, air cleaner box, bulbs, and uhh... ohh yah a gas cap.) Ill do some moree searchin before i just jump on this one. Anyways do i need any other parts to do this swap? will it fit nicely like my 4 speed? not have to get a new shift lever or anything... I dont really know to much about these trannys and how close they really are to eachother.

Hi zman.

I had an '81 5 speed rebuilt and installed in my '75 280z and my Z specialty mechanic (who sold me the tranny and rebuilt it) had to modify the shift lever (bend it) so it would be in the same position as the old 4 speed. I had replaced the driveshaft prior to this swap due to the fact that the original u-joints couldn't be replaced, but I had no problems with it fitting.

Hope this helps.

welll i had a very nice thing happen to me today. I had never really bothered to see if my 280 was a 5 speed so i was just twidlin the shift lever bein kinda bored thinkin of what i should do next to my Z and i go 1st gear, 2nd 3rd 4th and wait wats this.... 5th? no way! it turns out someone did a 5 speed tranny swap. At first i wasnt sure maybe it was just like loose linkage or something and it could just go into that position but i checked it all and it has a 5th gear. I even checked to see if my parts car 4 speed did the same thing but it didnt. So i guess i dont need to spend all this money on a tranny afterall. YAY! :classic:

I don't know whether to say "Merry Christmas" or "hurry up and go play the lotto"!

I would've liked to see the look on your face when you realized you had a 5 speed!! :eek:

76s came from the factory with a 5 speed as an option.

I just bought a 280Z engine. It had been sitting outside in the weather on the Oregon Coast. It had a tranny on it and I assumed it was a 4-speed. After buying both for $100 I went to pick them up and started to look over the numbers. Shazzam! It had a 5-speed bolted to it. Now I have a spare. I took the valve cover off and the cam has some surface rust on it but it will be OK as a builder. Interesting note: It has a E31 head on it. What kind of cr does this baby have?

If it's stock an E31 would only raise the cr to about 8.6 from the stock 8.29 (N47).

I am thinking it has flattop pistons and would be in the 10.2-3 range. I will see when I pull the head. It was supposed to have a trick clutch in it, also. It did not. Maybe it is a dished piston stocker. Oh well, it is still a good price for a builder.

welll i had a very nice thing happen to me today. I had never really bothered to see if my 280 was a 5 speed so i was just twidlin the shift lever bein kinda bored thinkin of what i should do next to my Z and i go 1st gear, 2nd 3rd 4th and wait wats this.... 5th? no way! it turns out someone did a 5 speed tranny swap. At first i wasnt sure maybe it was just like loose linkage or something and it could just go into that position but i checked it all and it has a 5th gear. I even checked to see if my parts car 4 speed did the same thing but it didnt. So i guess i dont need to spend all this money on a tranny afterall. YAY! :classic:

I suppose it goes without saying you don't have a stock shifter knob.

haha i had this solid silver colored shifter knob. The whole car was a bit modified before i purchased it ( rims, tires, paint, suspension, new EFI, new fenders.) so i figured they guy just changed the shifter knob... guess not! =) anyways i put a 240 shifter knob on it because the silver one just wasnt cutting it for me =P