Let me tell you where I'm at. This car has been in the family 25 years. It has almost 300,000 miles and the trans is beginning to act up. It slips in second and third, and reverse has to be revved before it catches (so violent I try to avoid reverse). It is cold in TN now and all this seems worse once the car is warm in the cold. Engine temp normal. No burnt fluid and no obvious metal particles or anything. I have flushed it, and have added a Lucas oil transmission additive... same story, not that I was suprised. I know that some think that paint thinner can help, but I do need this car to run, even if very poorly. So, I have decided that I want to convert it over spring break.

It is an 84' 244 all original with the auto trans. I know that I will need the front or whole drive shaft, clutch parts, pedal assembly and that the diff ratio might be wrong for the car. I'm nearly out of high school and I really want to do some work on this car that will make it "mine". The car is in amazing shape (other than trans :) and is definitely worth fixing. Plus I'm dedicated and mechanically minded. So, if you could please help me out with some questions I have I would GREATLY appreciate it:

1) Is this something too big for me to do? I will need to borrow a trans jack (right?), but is this a two person job? What MAJOR problems or highly technical tasks do you see me not being able to meet?

2)Other than the trans, front or whole drive shaft, clutch parts and pedal assembly, are there other parts I will need? Do I not need some of these?

3)Which of these parts should I buy new,used or rebuilt?

4)In terms of "customizing" what will not be plug and play on the conversion? I think I've heard of a neutral sensor that has to be wired...

5)How much should these parts run me, and does anyone have any suggestions where to get them?

8)Which of these parts might I find bolted to the trans or included from a junkyard (obviously not a problem if it's a pull off junkyard)? What might I need to find other than the actual body and clutch?

7)Is the M46 a bad transmission? Any lore or warnings would be greatly appreciated.

8)Are there any draw backs to this conversion?

Thank you for reading this long spewage of questions and info!!! Much appreciation to anyone who can help, and good luck to anyone doing the same. Brickboard has saved me before, I know it can this time...