I've heard from several different people that you can match a chevy 350 to the tranny in a 79 firebird esprit with 301, is that true? Do I need to change tranny if I go with a chevy or can I keep the original tranny out of the car? My son toasted the crank and rods in his bird and we need a replacement powerplant. It needs to be cost effective due to his limited cash resources, namely me!