Hey everyone! Long time lurker, first time poster. One day I'll get to the reasons behind my long-time lurking, but for now I just wanted to ask a quick question. My father-in-law is looking at purchasing an auto trans 86.5 that is being sold very close to him. He also already has in his possession a fire damaged '87 S4 auto, which contains a transmission which was completely rebuilt a week before the car caught on fire (fuel line leak, as always). The fire was contained to the hood section of the car, so pretty much everything from the cabin back should be okay. My question--would the transmission from the '87 be able to fit without too much extra hassle into the '86.5 if the need ever arose? And would most of the parts on the S4 be interchangeable with the 86.5, for that matter? We are just hoping that if we were to buy the 86.5 that the parts car we already have would have lots of useful bits on it. I'm pretty sure that the answer to these questions is yes, but I just wanted to solicit your expert opinions so I could be absolutely sure. Thanks in advance for your input!

 

The bell housing on the 87 transmission is larger which causes clearance issues. Look up a thread here by Landseer, he managed to get one from an 89 into a S body car. It is possible, but not plug and play.

 

You know, it really did fit. 89 auto into 84 16V body.
Ted is right, not plug/play.
But it was close enough.
I wouldn't hesitate to do it again, either.


A little tight, because the S4 torque converter is about an inch wider.
No issues after 20,000 miles.

You should use the S4 transmission selector cable (slightly longer to accomodate the TC).

Your issue will be the Bowden cable / improvisation will be needed.
The S4 cable will fit the S4 box, but will be too short to reach the 86 mount point (on fan).
Just get a pro with cables to put the S4 transmission end onto the 86 long cable.

So, yes, the trans is usable.... and a large, large quantity of S4 parts will fit on the 86.5 (especially the 86.5 --- including front suspension, brakes, etc.)

You have a very good situation from a parts perspective.

 

Awesome, that's good to hear. I'm going to get this car inspected thoroughly and then make my final decision then. If the mechanics are sound, it just might be a keeper. Thanks for the input guys!