As the title suggest, I have the funds to put a 3rd pedal in my BA Mk 2 Fairmont. It was a big decision to make instead of upgrading to either a newer BA/BF/FG with manual already or go get something like a Fiesta ST or something.

However the Fairmont owes me nothing, is in impeccable condition in terms of body/paint/bushes, has enough electrics, I know what is right/wrong with it (which lets be honest I would have to start from scratch again if I bought a newer 2nd hand Falcon and diagnose the knocks and squeaks).

The auto tranny is on the way out, so I would rather invest the money in the 3rd pedal rather than rebuild a (in my opinion) sh!tty 4spd BTR. I will have the car for at least another 2-4 years.

There are heaps of threads in here about what to do, how to go about it which is fine. Have read most of those.

A couple of questions for the Perth boys who have done this or know people in the know. A lot of converters appear to have done the physical install themselves or not dropped a lot of info as to who to use in Perth.

Essentially I am looking for a manual conversion Mentor here in Perth to help me get a quality outcome without being taken for a financial ride or left with a dog.

1) Best places in Perth to buy either a good condition 2nd hand box and other components, or exchange rebuilt? Places like wreckers advertise conversions, 2nd hand components, fitting services, etc.

2) Best place in Perth to perform the actual work? I appreciate it's all bolt in/bolt out and time consuming but I do not have the time nor tools to do this myself. I want it done properly by someone who knows how to do it, including the electronic trickery.

3) My car is custom tuned by BPT currently with SCT X3, I will get Barry and the boys to retune it once installed. Ideally I would get one place to do everything, however I expect the BPT boys are very busy and would charge a premium to do the install and source the box. I am always budget conscious and would be willing to juggle the muck around to get the best value by bouncing between 2-3 businesses.

I have no preference for a 5 or 6 speed at this stage, either should be better than a tired BTR.

OK, looks like I have a good condition low km T56 on offer for $1k so it's getting serious. Who has the good mechanical workshops here in Perth that like tinkering on Fords and having a yarn? Help me prep this car for a tuning session at BPT's?