I need some advice, buying auto or waiting for manual Options

[obi1kinob]

I found a celica with a decent price, its about a 5-6 hour drive from where I live but its automatic. I'm going to do the 3sgte swap but I want it to be manual. I've searched and read other people's auto to manual conversions and some wish that they had started out as manual instead. Others who did the swap and convert at the same time, really didn't even mention anything about it.

I had a hard time finding any figures for the cost of the conversion, if done with the swap at the same time. Although most who have done the conversion alone have said around 700-1100 if I remember correctly. One person said 1000 for tranny 1000 for labor. I hope it wouldn't cost me that much.

I'll eventually be putting in a short shifter and some fancy pedals anyway. I had an order in my thingstodo list, interior mods came after engine. But I guess if I have to get pedals and a shifter and stuff I might as well do it now. What would you all suggest I do? Get this or wait?

[fastgt]

just wait for a 5spd

[Magic]

You should wait for the manual....

[Coomer]

I agree with everyone. You should hold out for a five-speed, or you will probably regret it later.

[lagos]

manual

[vangSTa_celica]

manual...totally..

[Akimbo]

If you want some real advice take mine. I bought an auto. WAIT for the 5 speed. I cry myself to sleep every night.

[sinner96ST]

auto isn't all that bad.. i mean, i wouldn't recommend this, but you can shift gears in an auto, or downshift to be able to get speed up if you're going around a corner.

it's not exactly the best thing to do, but toyota even states in the owners manual that if you need to, you can shift in to L(1st) or 2nd if you "need to engine brake".

yeah, i'm trying to make the best out of the worst situation. every 5 speed 6th gen i've seen has over 100k miles, and i won't buy a car if it's like that.

[obi1kinob]

Thanks guys, anyone wanna help me find a manual convertible for 7k or maybe test drive one in Georgia for me

Sinner, I dont mind the automatic itself its just that its going to be manual one way or the other. Also, my brother's roommate had a automatic mazda 626, he used to downshift to race and he messed up his tranny.

[Akimbo]

why did you choose a vert over other models

[shid]

cus verts = sexy

[orvillescelica]

If you want a vert, you might not have a choice to wait for a manual. Out of all the verts on this site, i think only about 2 or 3 are factory manual?

Verts are sexy, fun! fun! fun!, and often times very very useful in hauling big stuff (other vert owners can attest to this i am sure), but sometimes i think finding a 6gc vert in a 5-speed are rarer than finding a gt-4. I myself did the auto to manual swap.

My advice if you want a vert, look for one... good price, good condition (make sur eyou check the seals between the top and the windows, esp the back window.) Then suffer with an auto for awhile until you can save mroe moeny to do the swap, if you are going 3s, then save a bit more money and do both at the same time. Then youll save on labor if you are having a shop do it.

[sinner96ST]

verts are also heavier, i believe.

they have to reinforce the body because of the lack of roof support, adding weight to the car..

i suppose when you're powered by 130hp engine, every little bit counts

[exxtractor]

If you are looking for a manual convertible, good luck. It will be a tough one to find, I think most people who buy a topless car, aren't looking to shift gears. So have to ask yourself what it more important a 5 spd or if its a convertible. Could try and do a search on kbb or edmunds to see if any are for sale.

[orvillescelica]

[Coomer]

[obi1kinob]

I picked convertible because women have an automatic attraction to cars with a top that can go down. The celica is sexy enough itself but I don't like settling with my dreams and this is my dream car.

And now I hear that manual converts are as rare as gt4s. Damn. Exxtractor thanks, I've only looked on autotrader recently, I'll try kbb and edmunds.

I don't mind the weight. I don't really intend on racing, I just want the 3sgte for the torque. I dont even want the turbo, I would have gone with the 3sge. But the torque difference between the 5sfe and 3sge is barely there. Sinner I plan on reinforcing it even more, similar to what Jgreening is doing to his vert.

[o8poa8o]

JDM engine sites (atleast one that im condsidering buyin an engine from) include new transmition (5 speed manual), so i'd say just do the manual swap with the engine swap...

[shid]

Convertible also handles really fun when the top is top- all that weight goes in the back on top of the back axle. WOO WOO!

[vangSTa_celica]

Appleton, Wisconsin...Kolosso Toyota...There's been a manual '95 GT Convertible sittin' outside in the lot for awhile now...$9,995...i think..maybe 70,000 miles...if not a bit higher...but she's PRETTY...

[Jdog1385]

just convert auto to manual. going to cost a little more but its worth it. its not that hard to convert a 6gen

[Tressa95]

[jgreening]

I have to disagree about the availability of manual transmissions in the convertible. When I was looking for my car in January, I wanted a black convertible, manual, with leather, and a 98 or 99. Over the course of about 6 weeks of looking, I found several (7-8) that were available in the nation. I didn't care too much about the miles on the car because I knew I was doing the swap so my main concerns were exterior and interior condition. I bought the first one that I looked at which was about 3 hours away because it was nearly perfect except for some small touch up markes on the front of the hood and some leather wear on the front seats.

To answer your question obi, I would wait to buy a manual. Why would you want to incur the expense and trouble of doing a auto to manual conversion? Patience grasshopper I did a quick search on autotrader and found 17 98-99 convertibles with manuals and 46 for the whole generation with manuals. Here is the link for the 98-99's:
98 and 99 Convertibles with manual transmissions on Autotrader

Also, I read that they used a different mechanism for the top starting in 98 due to some problems with previous models. Perhaps some guys that have the earlier models can weigh in on this.

As for the reinforcements, I am using a strut tower bar and side tower bars. I originally planned to use some custom subframe connectors along the sides of the car to connect the front of the car to the back to reduce any cowl flex which occurred as a result of increased power. However, after having the car in the air, the subframes are completely connected - unlike mustangs or camaros. As such, subframe connectors might not be all that helpful. I think you might need a roll cage to get any real benefit in reducing flex and I would never do that with a convertible - even if you could make one that didn't have support members over your head. I am "only" planning on about 220 whp so I am hopeful that the flex problems will not be significant. I am betting on it. There are at least two people with 3sgte's in 5th gen convertibles that I am aware of who did no reinforcements and I have not seen them report any problems. I do have diagrams of the modifications that were done to the car when it was chopped by the company (American Sunroof) that did the coupe to convertible conversion. I tried to scan them to post but the files were just too big. I will work on that some more if anyone is interested.

- Jay

This post has been edited by jgreening: Jun 16, 2004 - 4:43 PM