Longer 5th gear, or (really hoping) a 6 speed box?

[fatjogger]

Sorry if this is an old topic, just thought I'd ask, just in case.

Wife & I love our (her) V plate 206 GTi. But if ever we go away anywhere distant, we always use my old 2.0L Cavalier. Let's face it, horses for courses: if you wanna play, you take the Pug, if you wanna sit on motorways at 90 (not that we would, obviously, we'd do 70), and travel quietly and fuel efficiently, you take my Cav.

The GTi does, if I remember, about 4000 rpm at about 80. It's loud, but fun, and greedy. But with a 2 Litre engine in there, surely a longer 5th gear (or a 6 speed box?) is possible, and it would really help.

Any suggestions?

If there are any options, I'd need to "get a man in", by the way. Me and spanners don't get on, so any ideas about cash would have to include labour...

Or am I dreaming? Would a change of car be cheaper?

Cheers.

Regards,
FJ

[BigOL]

I can't see why you want to lenghen fifth, but each to their own. What you are asking to do, is actually change the ratio as a different gearbox is not going to be any different to what you got. This is major work, needing to be done by sports car specalists like Longmans. What you will have to ask him is to build a customised gearbox, and that ain't gonna be cheap.

Alternativley you can fit with a squeeze a 306-GTi-6 gearbox which is 6 speed, but this again ain't gonna come cheap, and it will also prevent you from being able to use full left lock, you only get about 3/4