Save the manuals.....and Build more of them!

Because so many modern cars have slushboxes, ( even sports cars ) Car and Driver magazine has started a campaign called "Save the Manuals" encouraging people to buy manual transmission cars. I wrote in an earlier post how sad it was that many musclecars that were originally manuals had been converted to automatics. Anyone whose driven a musclecar with a big V8 and a stick can tell you how much fun they are to drive. In addition to the "mainstream" musclecars-i.e.-GTO,Road Runner,SS Chevelle, etc, I have even seen 400 or 428 / 4-speed Pontiac Gran Prixs, and a few 4-speed Monte Carlos. I've seen a few 4-speed Mercury Cougars as well. If you can't find one to buy, it might be worth it to convert an automatic car. Year one, Ames performance, Mustangs unlimited, Branda Shelby, Mancini racing, and others I may have missed offer the pedal assemblys, linkage and small parts to convert most GM, Ford, or Mopar applications to stick-shift. Think about it-there are way more automatic Mustangs, Cougars, Camaros, Chevelles, Challengers, etc than there are manuals. Thus the manuals usually bring a much higher price. You could convert a nice automatic car, for way less than you could buy a same-model stick in the same condition. In addition to the aftermarket sources, if your on a really tight budget, junkyards can still be a good source if you know what to look for. As I said earlier any parts that fit a Chevelle will fit a Monte Carlo or Gran Prix, LeMans or Olds Cutlass from 1964-77. Six-cylinder Novas and Camaros and Firebirds have all the parts that would work on V8 models. Six-cylinder Dusters and Darts have a lot of parts that could help you convert a Challenger or Cuda or Satellite. Ditto for six-cylinder Mustangs. Their stuff would work on Mustangs and Cougars from 1965-73. Most people think all 78-88 GM "G" bodies are automatics. Not true. From 1978-81 3 and 4-speed manuals were offered in Malibus and El Caminos. This clutch linkage, pedal setup, and even V6 bellhousing would work on any "G" body-( Cutlass, Monte Carlo, Regal etc) that you wanted to run a Chevy engine in. Or you could adapt 1982-92 Camaro/Firebird stuff pretty easy. 1978-81 Pontiac LeMans, Grand Am, and Gran Prix models were available with a 301 Pontiac V8 and a 4-speed. You could swap in a 400 real easy, or just get the parts to use in another "G" body car that you wanted 400 or 455 Pontiac power in. The 301 bellhousing will bolt up to 350/400/455 Pontiac engines, as well Buick and Olds motors. How about a lightweight, '80's Cutlass with a 350/403/455 Olds motor and a 4-speed?  Or a Regal ( Grand National Bodystyle ) with a 455 Buick and a 4-speed? How about using Fox-bodied Mustang parts to make a 302 or 351W, 5-speed '80's Thunderbird, Cougar or Lincoln MKVII LSC?  Want a stick-shift full-size GM or Ford car? A lot of Chevy/GMC and Ford van / truck parts will work. Buy a Hollander interchange manual. This is the "Bible" that junkyards use. It will tell you unequivocally what parts of one car that will fit on another. Let's join Car and Driver and save the manuals!!  Mastermind