Auto To Manual Conversion

[Space Ninja]

Hey guys,

Just wondering, if anybody here had got this done on their car before? I'm looking at getting it done on my R33 GTS-T - it currently has the standard auto gearbox in it, with a shiftkit installed - its fun to drive at the moment, but I think I'd prefer to have a manual instead.

I've looked around for a bit but I can't find many reccomendations or places in QLD listed here who would be able to do one - does anybody have any ideas of who I could call up to get an idea of cost/time etc?

Cheers!

Phil

[[mez]]

Pretty much any import garage will do the conversion i think. Just ring around.

I'd assume the auto with shift kit would be faster than a manual (with the same mods).

I'd recommend driving a manual R33 like yours, just to make sure you prefer it over the auto - Before anything else.

Definately ring around and get quotes. You can save plenty of money just by shopping around.

Good luck!

[Col-GTSX]

I have done a auto manual conversion before and I swore to myself that I would never do it again...

I mean the hassel involved is huge... In many cases its easier to just buy a manual...

Is the car worth allot to you??? I mean is it any thing special in terms of paint or non-removable modifications???

[Col-GTSX]

Oh i do encourage anyone to modify their car and dont get me wrong, I would do it again if it made sence to do so...

Im just asking if its not too late to just buy a manual R33???

Dont forget going from auto to manual you need an LB3 modification plate from QLD transport dept and your insurance will be higher than a factory manual...

[Space Ninja]

  Quote

' date='29 Dec 2006, 07:33 PM' post='2781674']

Pretty much any import garage will do the conversion i think. Just ring around.

I'd assume the auto with shift kit would be faster than a manual (with the same mods).

I'd recommend driving a manual R33 like yours, just to make sure you prefer it over the auto - Before anything else.

Definately ring around and get quotes. You can save plenty of money just by shopping around.

Good luck!

Hey mate,

Ahh fair enough, I'll give a few a call in the next few days.

The shift kit really does add an extra element I guess - in a straight line (drags, whatever else) yeah I'll beat a lot of stuff, but put in on a circuit (like I want to do a lot more of next year) and its harder - little to no control over the gears, I can't really use engine braking much etc.

I've driven a friends R32 with 200rwkw and another mates R32 with around 160rwkw and I've found them both very enjoyable, and a lot quicker than my car.

  Quote

I have done a auto manual conversion before and I swore to myself that I would never do it again...

I mean the hassel involved is huge... In many cases its easier to just buy a manual...

Is the car worth allot to you??? I mean is it any thing special in terms of paint or non-removable modifications???

I realise there will probably be a fair bit of drama involved, and cost - but I figured I'd check it out first before making my mind up completely.

To be honest, I thought about selling the car and buying a new one, but the market seems to have fallen out of the r33's in recent (and no so recent) times. For me to be able to do this normally, I need around $13k for my current car, which I have had it advertised recently and recieved 0 phonecalls/enquiries about it, and I see a lot of similar R33's which are younger and have more features, for cheaper - eg $11k ish sort of price range.

I'm pretty happy with the R33 at the moment, its a fun car, clean and straight, so I figured I'd keep it as is. I didn't realise about the mod plate thing though, and insurance, I'll check that out as well before I procede with anything.

Thanks again guys - if anybody has any reccomendations for people I can call apart from the well known ones (Mercury, Allstar, etc, I'll call them as a given) please let me know!

Cheers

[Col-GTSX]

  Space Ninja said:

To be honest, I thought about selling the car and buying a new one, but the market seems to have fallen out of the r33's in recent (and no so recent) times.

Yeap totally with you... I was going to invest in another GTR...

But it would be a waste of money... With that money im spending it on the GTS-T instead...

I have got to a point where my car has cost me double what i coudl sell it for, so i may as well just run it into the ground... I mean I do 2500kms per annum and its pretty much all on the track...

[Spook's_Skyline]

hi phil

ive had a few mates get their cars converted from auto to manual and they werent overly happy with it (just small niggling problems, they also had other work done at the same time (engine swaps))

i guess u have to decide if your car is worth spending that extra cash on

u'll never ever see it again, and imo an auto converted to manual is worth even less than either an original auto or manual . .. . .

id probably stick with the auto

drive it for a few more years until you can afford to get rid of of it for whatever u can get for it and next time buy a manual

love spook

Edited December 29, 2006 by Spook's_Skyline

[gts25t4door]

I looked into it and priced up everything, I found it was going to cost about $4000 to $5000 depending on the clutch you wanted to get. So I decided to keep the auto.

You will need the following;

Gearbox

Gearbox crossmember

Tailshaft

pedal assembley

clutch master cylinder

clutch slave cylinder

clutch

flywheel

bell housing

center console

dash cluster

computer

some fluid lines

manual spigot bush

And there are a few things I am sure I have missed.

Really in the long run it would be best to keep it an Auto and maybe get the auto box rebuilt and it will be lots tougher.

just a thought.

Chris

[LBR33]

Im currently talking to a guy that does manual conversion using the Rb25det manual box for well under 4k. once its done i will let you know

[Einstein]

i did a little research back in the day when i was looking to buy a skyline and was faced with the possibility of having an auto

as far as i figured it wasn't THAT much of a hassle, though there could be a couple minor technical bits that i wouldn't know about anyway

but 5k ? surely thats a wee bit on the pessimistic side?

[gts25t4door]

When I looked into it I was looking $3000 for a gearbox with warranty, about $1000 for clutch and master and slave cylinders and then about $1000 for all the extra bits including labour. That was 18 months ago.

That was a fair price at the time.

[LBR33]

  gts25t4door said:

When I looked into it I was looking $3000 for a gearbox with warranty, about $1000 for clutch and master and slave cylinders and then about $1000 for all the extra bits including labour. That was 18 months ago.

That was a fair price at the time.

Im not sure who gave you those prices but they are WAYYYYYYYY too expensive

[Einstein]

tentative quotes from people who knew their stuff was around the 2-2.5k mark to convert a 34

bit cheaper if you hocked your old transmission

in the end? probably is a hassle, as is a fair bit of car tinkering, just pay someone else to do it

[blur]

Honest to god prices would say a r33 rb25det 5 speed is worth $1500 second hand any day of the week, with some sort of warranty. Allow at leat another 1.5k for stuff as mentioned like pedal box and lines, clutch and flywheel, new flywheel nuts, gear box crossmember, tail shaft (or modify exsisting, around $350 mark last time ive done it) manual shifter surround, gear knob, and then labour to fit, dont forget reverse and neutral switch wiring, and thats for the standard gear. if you want a decent clutch and flywheel, id say costs would be around $4500- 6000 depending on clutch and how complete the conversion kit you get is.

Ive always found cars converted from manual seem to be better cars, maybe because they have had a easier life and bought by a different type of owner from new. Both my S13 were autos converted, were at the time a lot tidier than others that i looked at.

[VR4hore]

I've always thought I feel like an auto trapped inside a manual's body. Maybe I should convert.

[predator]

  Quote

Ive always found cars converted from manual seem to be better cars, maybe because they have had a easier life and bought by a different type of owner from new

Why I imported an auto and then converted it..

I converted my r32 to manual.. and it isn't very hard once you have th parts.. in fact it's all very much plug and play as long as you know how your car is screwed together. You also have the opportunity to install new and/or performance bits rather than standard (new m/s cylinders, braided clutch line, lightened flywheel) so if you do it properly it should behave as well as any factory manual, and then some. Unfortunately the hardest part is just getting a decent box.

[exnizmech]

Sorry to be pedantic Col but the correct mod plate code is LB1.

Edited January 3, 2007 by exnizmech

[Col-GTSX]

LB1 was it... Arhh its been so long...