M/T swap advice? - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

Coroll'n · 05-14-2007, 10:52 PM

Hey guys, So I got a 94 corolla for free from my grandma when I got my licence and its sweet and all but its auto and I want to convert. Here are some factors though. We just moved so money is kinda tight and I can not really buy a new car, and all I really want is somthing stick. I drove an E46 m3 a few weeks ago as my first stick car, LOVED IT. The thing is though, I need to still work on it. My thought is do a conversions and this will be a perfect first car to learn on. Don't you think so ?, I want you opinions on this. I want to buy a old used model like this one below and just convert parts, I will have the tranny, dash pieces, pedals and gauges, the auto version has no tach. What do you think of this all and also, if I do this, how much do you think a swap will be? I have to pay for this all myself and parents dont rly want to buy me a new car for awhile.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...wItem

AE92Gadd · 05-15-2007, 09:13 AM

you wouldbe better off to buy a car like that, then fix it up

vibebreaker · 05-15-2007, 10:20 AM

i say go for the M/T swap... that is what i might do too so i can practice for when i buy a wrx/evo or better.

Tavel · 05-15-2007, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coroll'n

Hey guys, So I got a 94 corolla for free from my grandma when I got my licence and its sweet and all but its auto and I want to convert. Here are some factors though. We just moved so money is kinda tight and I can not really buy a new car, and all I really want is somthing stick. I drove an E46 m3 a few weeks ago as my first stick car, LOVED IT. The thing is though, I need to still work on it. My thought is do a conversions and this will be a perfect first car to learn on. Don't you think so ?, I want you opinions on this. I want to buy a old used model like this one below and just convert parts, I will have the tranny, dash pieces, pedals and gauges, the auto version has no tach. What do you think of this all and also, if I do this, how much do you think a swap will be? I have to pay for this all myself and parents dont rly want to buy me a new car for awhile.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...wItem

I would also have to recomend against doing this. While you could do it, and it may be a lot of fun, it's very expensive and very time consuming. It's usually better (as in cheaper and easier) to buy a manual upfront.

manual swaps are usually reserved for people who have already invested in performance enhancements.

If you're looking for a manual car, buy a manual car. But if you're looking for a hobby project and some experience, you might consider this...but as AE92Gadd said, you could also buy the beater and fix THAT up as your hobby project. (that would probably be better as you'd gain more useful knowledge...seriously, how often do you need to drop the tranny? lol)

vibebreaker · 05-15-2007, 11:05 AM

yeah, if i hadn't done anything to my car yet i would have looked to trade an auto for a manual car

Electric Pi · 05-15-2007, 11:31 AM

I agree. if you want a beater to learn to drive stick on (a good idea), buy a beater to learn to drive stick on. don't invest a lot of time and money building a beater to learn to drive stick on.

JustinGB · 05-15-2007, 12:52 PM

why don't you buy the same year rolla except in stick, and either sell the one you have or use it to help fix each other up

PaulG · 05-15-2007, 01:07 PM

I could be wrong, but I think it might actually be MORE expensive to do a swap than to buy a new one (mid 90's in my area are like $2000 to $2500 depending on the trim). Unless you are talking about doing all the work by your lonesome. And even then...

But if you are wanting to do it for sentimental reasons, then yeah go for it!

Coroll'n · 05-15-2007, 07:06 PM

right now i dont rly want to buy a project car, its a daily driver but also my parents dont rly want to buy me a new car. I might just get the one on the site and learn on that.

***REN69*** · 05-15-2007, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coroll'n

my parents dont rly want to buy me a new car.

I'm assuming you're at least 16-17, word to the wise.. take the car as you got it, it was free. Forget about swaps and wrx's and evos and all that other shit and remember that you either gotta work hard or go to school and get a good job to get that far. In the meantime drive the Corolla till it dies (could take a while) do a few mods here and there and enjoy your free car.

EverAE · 05-15-2007, 10:21 PM

its definately easier to just buy a stick to begin with, but that being said im basically halfway (tranny/engine isn't in the car) through doing thing on my ae82 and it wasn't really hard or expensive (although i didn't buy the tranny/flywheel/clutch/etc. because i'm doing an engine swap so i just use the tranny mounted to the engine). i bought the pedals/cylinder/lever/linkage/etc. from the wreckers for under $50 altogether, it was all bolt in aside from drilling the firewall to mount the clutch m.cylinder. so basically if your doing it yourself it's pretty cheap, it was a good learning experience for me. if your having a shop do it, i wouldn't bother because your going to get shafted. my 0.02$.

ren's right though, i'm 18, my corolla was a impulse buy (a cheap one at that) and once in a while you have to step back and ask yourself what your really doing. its a good idea to just enjoy what youve got, theyll be plenty more cars along the road. work hard, get a good job and theyll be even more...

Gman94 · 05-16-2007, 12:25 PM

I just finished my manual swap in my 95 prizm/corolla about a month ago took 2 days wasnt that hard and didnt really cost me any money other than for the tranny fluid and stuff, but thats cause I already had the tranny/flywheel/clutch/manual radiator/linkage/shifter/pedals/etc.. but if you have any junkyards around you im sure you could find a manual in there that you could get the parts from.