After getting back from Santa Pod, I started thinking more and more about getting hold of a five-speed gearbox – mainly due to a combination of economy and more relaxed motorway driving. Loads of helpful folks told me I wasn’t being daft and that it made perfect sense 
The general consensus seems to be that if you put it on the back of a big power engine and do donuts all weekend, it might not last very long and “stronger” alternatives might be better, but if you’re putting it on a mild car that will just be driven on the Queen’s highways, it should be fine. 
Co-incidentally, that evening I saw a box come up for sale locally.
A pleasant drive out on a sunny Sunday for us to pick up the box – reportedly taken out of a 30,000 mile Mk3 2.0S Capri years ago, to make way for a V8, then just put into storage. 
Surface rust and a bit of moss and cobwebs from being stored, but the shaft turns freely and all gears seem to select fine.
The clutch release bearing (the bit on the end of the shaft that the arm passes through) is shot with rust from having been damp for so long, but it’s a service part when doing a clutch anyway, according to the Haynes.
Opening up the cover plate on the top of the box revealed that pretty much all of the oil had leaked out through the rear seal whilst it sat – but it must be sticky stuff as all the cogs still had a good healthy coating with no sign of rust or nesting animals
Turning the shaft and working through the gears, I checked as many of the cogs as I could see for obvious damage or wear – and the only sign of anything was a small flake chipped off a cog on the input gear. It’s not deep or anything, just got some old oil in it in the photo.
My mental shopping list for changing the boxes over is currently;
- clutch kit – might as well change the clutch at the same time ???
- clutch release bearing
- gasket and oil seal kit for the gearbox (don’t worry – I’ve no intention of taking anything out of the gearbox just to prevent leaks with normal service items)
- 5-speed gearbox crossmember – apparently it sits further back
- 5-speed propshaft -apparently it’s shorter, what with the gearbox being longer
If anyone can think of any extra bits and bobs I’d need, just let me know and I’ll add them to the list. 
Rest assured that the outside of the box will, however, be getting cleaned up in the usual style.
