Thanks for the info Dave. When trans failures are discussed, whether it be 01E first gear or 016 case fails, it's useful to determine what the box was doing at the point of failure. Then one can determine if that's type of use that they may realistically encounter. It's also useful as to what are first person accounts versus "I know of someone who" to truly understand failure frequency.
I had contacted German Transaxle (GTA) about an upgrade to my 016 for the simple reason I don't like the ratios. The box has proven reliable over years but 3,000 RPM @ 70 MPH got old after the dozen years I've had the car. I've been reasonably aggressive with it but not to the point I've taken it to a drag strip. Candidly, I wouldn't drag race, do donuts or burnouts with anything short of a Weddle, Albins or Mendeola box in the back.
The unknowns about the 01E (and Jim's experience) put me off. Which box has the flanges compatible with the 016, which boxes have the newer and bigger first gear, which ones have the old collar causing the 1st to second gear "shift problem" and need the repair kit on the market etc.? All that is in addition to the mysterious fitment requirements that seem to have the secrecy requirements of the first atomic bomb. Why all the mystery?? The only 01E information that was readily available are the ratios but those don't indicate the source car.
I discussed options with GTA who were happy to sell me any of their boxes. In discussion of the choices, I found out while a reliable box, the ratios for the Porsche Boxter trans were really no better then the 016 and it had the fitment unknowns of the 01E. The Porsche G50 was the best option but a freshly rebuilt box would require a complete change from the engine block rearward that would cost almost as much as the box itself. That was the way I was going to go.
The GTA solution however, was an 016 box they had that had been modified with Albins gears giving the ratios I desired and (surprisingly) NOT with the strengthening plate. The tech there indicated that the plate really is in the wrong place to do any good and as your friend's experience might indicate, actually can cause more problems than it solved. They recommended against it. They also indicated the 016 failures they've seen most frequently are the result of improper ring and pinion set up and differential failure. Like Cliff Beer, they solved the latter with a Porsche LSD. While their Albins 016 box was more expensive than their 01E, they indicated it was good to 450HP and backed it up with a four year warranty.
For me, the biggest selling point was I get to avoid the unknowns and associated risks with an 01E upgrade and I keep my preference for a five speed transmission.
They also warned of ANY trans from a high mileage car as they often find so called bargains that are acquired on EBAY etc. that when sent to them are unusable for rebuild. So caveat emptor.
As a result of all this, I was driving with the new Albins/016 box 48 hours after UPS delivered it and the ratios are perfect. My preference for five speeds, light weight and easy fitment were met. I can actually use all five gears and the car's manners from stop light to highway are amazing. As a pleasant side benefit, the A/C seemed to worked better. I was later told that the compressor was designed to optimally run at +/- 2,000 RPM and that buzzing it at the 3,000RPM highway speeds I typically run limited it's efficiency.
In hindsight, if I was to buy a new kit or roller, I would go with a G50. If the "01E experience" weren't such a mysterious hassle, I might have gone that way as I believe places like GTA and Advanced Automation produce a quality product. But their business is the transmission not the installation and so there seems to void as to where to go for the kit and assembly expertise necessary to make it work.
