A manual transmission in your hot rod makes for a more immersive experience than any production automatic or DCT. You get more control and a more engaged driving experience—not to mention bragging rights in today’s “I can’t drive a stick” society.

Advancements in automatic transmission technology have put the manual gearbox at a disadvantage performance-wise, especially in the electronic transmission era, but this wasn’t always the case. For years, even the plebian three-speed stick was preferable to the automatics coming out of Detroit.

The Tremec T-5 five-speed originally debuted in the 1979 Ford Mustang and went on to be used in multiple GM vehicles. It was the first modern overdrive manual transmission used in a production vehicle. With internal shift rails, a lightweight compact aluminum case, and smooth shifting (for the time), it was a giant leap forward in manual transmission technology. It was used in the Ford Mustang until 2010 as the base V6 manual transmission option.

Then came the three-speed 727 TorqueFlite from Chrysler. It arrived in regular passenger cars in 1960, but it was in 1962 when the first specially-prepared 727 appeared. Immediately, it gave the 413 Ramcharger and Super Stock 413 Dodges and Plymouths an advantage over the 409 Chevys, 421 Pontiacs, and 427 Fords. For the first time, an automatic was the preferred transmission for a street or strip machine.

The end of the ‘60s saw a plethora of great bang-screech automatics from GM and Ford. They were so good that four-speed muscle cars were now the exception and not the rule as they came off the assembly line. Once the malaise era took over, only the big-inch Firebirds, 350 Camaro Z28s and Corvettes carried the stick into battle. When the silicone-injected Mustang II Cobra II came out in 1976, the V8 was an option and you couldn’t even do that with a clutch pedal at first.

As the malaise era ended, the stick made a comeback, thanks to Tremec (then known as Borg-Warner).

Birth of the five-speed

The five-speed overdrive Tremec T-5 put power back in the hands of muscle car mavens as horsepower started making a comeback. This was especially true of the 5-liter Mustang GT and LX models. It was the perfect gearbox for the lightweight Fox Mustangs. Third-gen Camaros and Firebirds got the T-5, too, but only if you ordered them with the 5-liter engine.

The T-5 was never offered with the torquier, more powerful 5.7L with Tuned Port Injection. It simply couldn’t handle all that torque. This gave the Mustang an advantage in the fun-to-drive department and made Ford’s pony car a favorite of gear-jammers that’s lasted till this day.

It wasn’t long before overdrive transmission swaps into early muscle cars started becoming popular.

The T-5 (and its brawnier brother the TKO) was a good fit, literally and figuratively. It was small and light and could fit just about anywhere. The T-56 six-speed from the fourth-gen Firebird and Camaro (among other factory performance machines) was more robust and soon hot rodders gravitated towards this box. Among its few disadvantages were cost and size. Squeezing a T-56/6060/Magnum, etc. with its two overdrives could be a bigger chore in certain applications, assuming you could afford to do it in the first place.

 Enter the Tremec TKX five-speed. Introduced in 2020, it was twice as strong as the T-5, yet still in a compact package. It was the perfect solution for most enthusiasts.

Where’s the Beef?

The TKX has more in common with the fabled T-56 than the T-5 and is the perfect compromise for most early-model swaps. The “pros” of the T-5 in muscle cars, classic cars, and street trucks were it offered an overdrive in a compact and lightweight (75 pounds dry) transmission. But as horsepower and torque levels climbed, the 300 lb-ft torque capacity was pushed to the limits. Many 1987-1993 Mustang owners were on a first-name basis with their dealership service writer after only a few well-executed powershifts. Aftermarket modifications soon made that little 5-liter engine and the T-5 mortal enemies. All that power and torque asked the little T-5 to do things far outside its job description.

The TKX comes in both Ford and GM versions with compatibility with factory bell housings and mechanical clutch systems (converting to hydraulic clutch is also an easy option). The TKX also has optional gear sets for maximum application range, mechanical speedometer output, and an optional forward shifter location for use with bench-seat cars and trucks.

Seeing the need for a new compact five-speed manual transmission that could handle greatly increased torque and horsepower, Tremec developed the TKX five-speed. Borrowing some internal features of the popular Magnum six-speed, such as double-cone synchronizers and hybrid synchronizer rings, the TKX offers smooth and positive shifting and can be shifted up to 7,500 rpm. This is a significant improvement over the older design T-5.

Where the current world-class T-5 only has a factory-rated 300 lb-ft torque capacity, the TKX boasts a 600 lb-ft torque rating, according to Tremec.

 The TKX features a streamlined case that fits inside many stock classic car and truck transmission tunnels without tunnel modifications.

Plus, it weighs only 99 lbs (dry) making it a lightweight amongst high-capacity modern five- and six-speed manual transmissions.

Check out the photos and chart courtesy of Tremec here to see the benefits of the TXK vs. the T-5. For a lot of street muscle enthusiasts, a T-5 might be a good alternative to an M21, Top Loader, or A833. Let’s be honest: A lot of folks baby their cars nowadays (or they are exclusively trailer/show pieces). In that instance, the T-5 will probably be just what you need.

Side-by-side you can see how the TKX compares to the T-5 dimensionally. While the TKX is only a couple of inches wider than the T-5, it’s a bit shorter than the T-5. Besides the closeness in physical size, the TKX is only 25 pounds heavier (dry) than the T-5 while having twice the torque capacity and two different shifter locations for maximum flexibility when installed in classic cars and trucks.

If you plan on getting in a little racing action or have a reputation as being “hard on the equipment,” the TKX could be a better choice.

Whatever you decide, you really can’t go wrong with “Saving The Stick!”