I currently have a c4 auto transmission now. I am stumped on whant to do with it. The car is a weekend/sometimes daily driver in the summer. I have thought about the AOD swap but part of me wants the t5 swap. (big smile)

The suggestion of just having my c4 rebuild with a shift kit has come up serveral time as well.

In any case I am going to do gears and maybe a lock in the rear when this project is done.

Which to do? Which is easiest and cheapest? Also, I have been told that the AOD is tricky and best handled by a pro.

Speaking of PRO. I want to get the body done and painted. Never done any body work at all. Again, which direction to go?

No hurry on these projects. I just had some time to daydream a little and wanted to drop in and say eh.

thanks.

Richard.

I would proceed with rear end gears and a locking differential of some type as soon as possible, even before the trans work.

Body and paint can put you out of the driver's seat for more than a year unless you've got someone REALLY driven to get it done quicker. Of course that will also depend on the quality level you seek and the size of the budget. At my former shop almost every customer said they wanted a really good paint job but not 'show quality'.
Translation: "I want a SHOW QUALITY paint job that is more perfect than anything I've ever seen at a dealership and I only want to spend Maaco dollars on it". oh yeah, and "Can I have it back in 4 weeks or less?"

Nothing wrong with getting it done at Maaco, I used to manage one a long time ago, but they are geared towards production work and not individual details. The paint will be new and shiney but not crisp, and your wallet and calender will thank you for it.

I recently had my Cruise-O-Matic ( C4 ) refreshed. I went with a PA Stree/Strip valve body for a more popular shift pattern ( PRN321 ) and firmer shift points.

I am very happy with the end result. I was worried about performance and how it would react but it shifts real crisp and is still easy on daily driver stuff.