Covered this before in various threads but decided to pull it all together in one. 92 GMC Safari (Jean Clyde Damn Van) with SBC 350 2wd. Burned up the 700r4 from a poorly set TV cable. Threw in a CL find replacement that has questionable longevity. Quotes to rebuild the original range from $2000-$2500. That's what the the van is worth. A friend will be pulling his 4 speed manual from his Ambro track car. But finding parts for a manual swap will be tough as not many were made. Some folks put in a T5 from a Camaro/Firebird using pedal cluster from older Astro. Trying to get a hold of local circle tracker who rebuilds out of his garage. Friend had good luck with a TH 350 he rebuilt. Thoughts?
As long as your axle ratio is OK for a direct drive top gear, a 4-speed manual in a 350 powered Astro should work well. A 3rd generation F-body pedal setup should work due to parts commonality.
I highly recommend the 3-lever Speedway Motors stock car shifter. https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Speedway-4-Speed-Stock-Car-Racing-Shifter,2670.html It has vastly superior shift feel to a single lever.
Honestly you should be able to get a bench job on a 700r4 for $1400 tops. Some people will do it for substantially less.
I have a rebuilt 700r4 I got in a trade from justjim I will part with for $500. That’s what I have in it as trade anyway. As I understand it it has the corvette servo. Justjim can probably tell you more that I forgot. Happy to work with the GRM railroad for shipping if desired. I was holding for possible use in my fbody if the LS swap failed but I’m confident enough to let it go at this point.
Vigo (Forum Supporter) said:
Honestly you should be able to get a bench job on a 700r4 for $1400 tops. Some people will do it for substantially less.
I had a TH400 bench-built for $600 with a custom converter and a 3 year warranty. In Los Angeles, at a top rated shop.
Y'all need to shop better 
If you're paying more than $1000 for a bench build, something isn't right.
Manual swaps are awesome, but really do the math on ratios. The 700r4 is the widest ratio production automatic ever made for a light duty vehicle. Paired with the right converter, it covers a lot of sins. It was developed in the age of desperation for squeezing the last MPG out of a vehicle. Switching to a manual just needs careful ratio selection.
itsarebuild said:
I have a rebuilt 700r4 I got in a trade from justjim I will part with for $500. That’s what I have in it as trade anyway. As I understand it it has the corvette servo. Justjim can probably tell you more that I forgot. Happy to work with the GRM railroad for shipping if desired. I was holding for possible use in my fbody if the LS swap failed but I’m confident enough to let it go at this point.
Any idea how many miles are on it? I went a threw a Craigslist trans in there but it's acting up already. This is far from a fun r n r on jackstands! Where are you located? I'm in Vermont.
According to justjim it has never been run since the rebuild. It doesn’t even have fluid in it yet.
I see your in Vermont. Probably to far to get to me easily. Just my luck.
This is far from a fun r n r on jackstands!
Wait until you take the trans out of something that's NOT a body-on-frame van! 
In reply to vwcorvette (Forum Supporter) :
Who is in Vermont? Did I miss a post?
Vigo (Forum Supporter) said:
This is far from a fun r n r on jackstands!
Wait until you take the trans out of something that's NOT a body-on-frame van!
I was thinkin' the same! Astro/Safari is one of the easiest trans swap I've dealt with. Although I am getting to old for doing in gravel. Technically, Astro's are unibody, but the front sub frame is stout and long enough, ya might as well consider it full frame.
I looked; he's in VT... if he doesn't get it, what year is the trans from? I might have a use for it.
In reply to 03Panther :
Is this a question for me? If so I am not certain what it was from.... just not a corvette since the corvette servo added in the rebuild was an upgrade.
I tried to find the old posts that led to the trade but came up short..... but.... looking at other threads it appears it might have been from a b-body wagon justjim75 was working on starting in 2018? And it may have a shift kit in it procured from Patrick?
Honestly maybe best best to reach out to justjim75 directly if you are interested.
Sorry, I'm in Vermont. I saw that your are Atlanta. Guess I look closer to home. Thanks though.
In reply to vwcorvette (Forum Supporter) :
I understand that! :)
Technically, Astro's are unibody, but the front sub frame is stout and long enough, ya might as well consider it full frame.
Technically my B250 Dodge is unibody too. It has things that look exactly like frame rails all the way from front to back. The only thing it's missing is the wasted space between the frame and the cab that would normally hold the body mount bushings on a 'real' body-on-frame vehicle.
In reply to Vigo (Forum Supporter) :
Interesting! Not sure why dodge did it that way. Astro’s have six (I think) body mounts on the front sub frame... that goes half way back the van. Pull those bolts, and tool the engine / trans out from under!
Dodge built them that way to save space and weight like everyone else that went unibody.
So a few 3/4 inch pucks add a bunch of weight? Prolly a bit more to it.
Found this. Thoughts?
https://shiftritetransmissions.com/cart/
What about box and ship from Atlanta? ?$300?
So the trans built by justjim and sold to me by itsarebuild is in. I used TCI run-in atf and it's doing fine. Next up. Get the speedo to read correctly.
Cool! Glad to hear it, and I hope it does well for ya. I'm down to only one astro waiting for me to do something with. The 98 AWD is still at my place till the guy pays for it and gets it running. 'Course at his speed, I might end up with it back, yet!
