Taller geared Euro manual transmissions available for £300

[MetroMPG]

(Transmission part number label from a UK spec Mirage)

For anyone imagining putting together a best-mpg manual gearbox, an EcoModder member recently let me know that used Euro spec Mirage gearboxes are available from UK wrecking yards for 300 GBP.

Refresher: These have a taller final drive, at 3.550 vs 4.055 for North American Mirages. That means lower cruising RPM and better fuel economy.

(This was a not-uncommon mod for 1.0L Geo/Chev Metro owners, installing the taller f.d. gearbox from the 1.3L 4-cyl car. I did it to my '98 Firefly.)

It gets better because we don't need the whole gearbox ... just the final drive gearset. The North American box has taller 4th and 5th gears than the Euro box, so the best case combination is an international mix 'n' match mongrel. Bonus: save on shipping costs too.

Hey itschad... good opportunity for a side business?!