Mod my Dodge Shadow K-car
 

Hey guys,

I came across the term K-car on this forum a little while ago. It was explained to me that Chrystler had the "K" lineup while was a lot of cars, whose parts all fit each other.

My current daily driver is a 93 Dodge Shadow. It has a 2.2L engine and 3 speed automatic. I really wish it got better gas milage. I think a big part of it is the transmission.

If all these K-cars are built from the same bits, could I locate a cheap 5-speed manual transmission for this car?

Changing a transmission will be the biggest work I have ever done on a car so far, but I am willing to give it a shot.

Does anyone have any idea what difference in 5-speed manual vs 3-speed auto would make?

Does this sound like a reasonable idea, or am I way better off just finding a different car? I have put a fair amount of work into this car lately, so I guess, I would prefer to keep it a while. I am just crossing 200,000 miles with it right now.

All advice is welcome.

Thanks,

-Ben

The K car body was introduced around 1982, as I recall. In any case, they did make a 5 speed stick. The 2.2 liter, to the best of my recollection, was the larger size 4 cylinder made by Chrysler. I think they stopped making a manual transmission in the late 80s, like 87, or so. The 5 speed was geared pretty tall, but it allowed a guy I knew, to drive a early Caravan, and get 35 mpg. However, it used the 1.6L, I think was the size.

I suspect that you could adapt a 5 speed, but I don't have any idea of how much work it would be, or what would need to be changed.

You could probably adapt a later model 4 speed, torque lockup transmission, I suspect. Again, however, I am not positive that it would fit with no changes. I'd suggest a place for you to find out more, but I don't know of any.

Fueleconomy.gov shows about a 2 mpg hit city and 5 mpg hit highway a/t vs m/t, for otherwise identical 2.2 Dodge cars.

EARLY caravans used a Mitsubishi 2.6 along with the Mopar 2.2, their was never a 1.6, then a 2.5 came out in the mid 80's IIRC (basically a bigger 2.2, like 305 & 350 for chevy)

the 5speed was carried out 'till the end of the Kcar days...'93 for the shadow, '94 is when the Neon came out of the closet

poke around on Turbododge.com or allpar.com & start reading...BTW the Shadow is a "P-body" for your future reference

there were also turbo versions, along with a HO Shelby CSX variant of the Shadow, along with V6 powered ones by the 3.0 Mitsubishi motor with either 3speed or 4speed auto trans, or the 5-speed manual

:DThe 2.2 and 2.5 5spd are interchangeable and plentiful.
You will need a donor car for the other parts of the running gear. ie. clutch linkage, cable, shifter and related parts and some things that you just didn't think you would need. It is a very do-able project. Worthwhile. Just a little time consuming.
They are all still "K" cars to me. :D
S.