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Here is a possible scenario. I want more room; similar to my Town Car. In the decision-making process, the wife and I believe we still want the safety and space of a four-door sedan. That said, it must be at least a mid-sized car, and aerodynamic as much as possible.
A possible candidate is a late-model Lincoln LS with a bum motor. It can be had for a couple thousand, but comes with an automatic. Mechman600's post is helpful in this regard, along with Torque Converter Lockup in the wiki. And obviously, there is no inexpensive way to switch to manual. I have checked two-speed aftermarket trans with electric shifting; rare as hens teeth and I'm afraid to ask the price.
So far, the big issues are hydraulic pumping losses, heat and torque converter lockup mods. Once the clutches engage, it is direct connect, so I can't imagine any mileage loss to be significant at all.
Perhaps a very low-stall converter kit might do the trick, coupled with the lockup mod idea. Maybe an external hydralic pump with a small, presure-controled motor would work well. Just a couple thoughts.
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