[hajisParticipant]

hajis

Hi everyone,

I recently picked up an iconic classic pickup truck that has been sitting in a barn for over twenty years. My original plan was to keep everything completely period-correct, but the transmission slips horribly whenever I shift into high gear.

A local restorer suggested sending it out for a complete gearbox repair, while my brother keeps insisting that dropping in a modern automatic setup would be much cheaper and easier to drive.

I am really torn between preserving the original matching-numbers drivetrain or making daily driving more practical. Has anyone restored a classic using a full gearbox repair?

Thanks in advance.

[lanolot744Participant]

lanolot744

I faced this exact same dilemma when restoring my grandfather’s old farm truck three years ago. Purists always advocate keeping original parts, but finding obsolete vintage gears can turn into an absolute nightmare during a rebuild.

However, going through with a certified gearbox repair ended up preserving the authentic driving feel and maintained the truck’s overall collector value significantly better than a modern swap ever could.

If keeping the vehicle original matters to you, paying the extra cost to rebuild the factory drivetrain is definitely worth it. I highly recommend sticking with a original gearbox repair.