R34 25Gt Auto To Manual Conversion.

[simonl]

Hey everyone,

I'm new to Skyline's and I own a semi-automatic R34 25GT. I've owned it for a little while now and after mucking around with the triptonic feature I am completely persuaded to look at a conversion. I was originally looking at manual but the deal with the car was solid so I settled for automatic.

I know that it's not a cheap thing but I do plan on keeping the car for years to come. (On my red P's at the moment)

Can someone please help me out with advice about doing this?

Thanks!

Edited February 24, 2014 by simonl

[Ben C34]

Search for info. There's heaps of info out there.

Be budgeting a reasonable amount if cash. Heaps mire if your not doing it yourself. Was there na manual r34s? If not you will have to spend about 1500 bucks on a manual box only and it is probably thrashed.

The reason manuals are cheaper is cos a nanual conversion costs heaps more than what people think.

Get a mv automatics shift kit and get the auto working nicley. Thats my advice.

[GTSBoy]

Yes, it would be a waste of money to do it to an NA car. You can very easily drop a couple of grand into such a conversion, and more depending on how things go. And with the real value of the car being not many times more than that, it is a dubious proposition. Much better value to sell the car and obtain a good manual (turbo) when it becomes legal to do so (assuming you're a P plater which is the only reason to buy an NA Skyline).

Now, on the question of value.....if you're an old bugger with some cash lying around, value is perhaps less important than a project. In which case, go right ahead. I dropped many thousands into an engine conversion/gearbox/rear subframe upgrade birthday for my car, which was probably equal to 50% of the value of the car at the time. But it is worth it to keep a nice car going for many more years. In your case, the money will be going into an NA car that would need about twice as much spent again, if not more, to make it a turbo. That will cost you more than double the difference in price between what you have now and what you want to have if you just sold and bought something else.

In terms of what you need.....You only need the small box (RB25DE or RB20DET rather than the big RB25DET box) but you will need a suitable tailshaft that you can modify ($$) and a clutch pedal and bracket, clutch master, different flywheel, clutch, gearbox crossmember, and ideally the wiring loom from a manual car (at least the part of the loom that plugs into the gearbox on the driver's side of the engine bay).

I would caution researching what effect it might have on your ABS and TCS systems (if present) because you may be messing with the speedo sensor stuff. This probably isn't a problem, but worth looking into. I'm not sure what's mounted on the diff and what's mounted on the gearbox with these later NA cars.

Edited February 24, 2014 by GTSBoy

[simonl]

Search for info. There's heaps of info out there.

Be budgeting a reasonable amount if cash. Heaps mire if your not doing it yourself. Was there na manual r34s? If not you will have to spend about 1500 bucks on a manual box only and it is probably thrashed.
The reason manuals are cheaper is cos a nanual conversion costs heaps more than what people think.
Get a mv automatics shift kit and get the auto working nicley. Thats my advice.

Yeah I'm aware the cost is going to be heeeeaps. There was a few but they were definitely thrashed and had over 150*** KM's. I picked mine up for 97***KM's. The triptonic works really well but it just makes me hungry for manual

Yes, it would be a waste of money to do it to an NA car. You can very easily drop a couple of grand into such a conversion, and more depending on how things go. And with the real value of the car being not many times more than that, it is a dubious proposition. Much better value to sell the car and obtain a good manual (turbo) when it becomes legal to do so (assuming you're a P plater which is the only reason to buy an NA Skyline).

Now, on the question of value.....if you're an old bugger with some cash lying around, value is perhaps less important than a project. In which case, go right ahead. I dropped many thousands into an engine conversion/gearbox/rear subframe upgrade birthday for my car, which was probably equal to 50% of the value of the car at the time. But it is worth it to keep a nice car going for many more years. In your case, the money will be going into an NA car that would need about twice as much spent again, if not more, to make it a turbo. That will cost you more than double the difference in price between what you have now and what you want to have if you just sold and bought something else.

In terms of what you need.....You only need the small box (RB25DE or RB20DET rather than the big RB25DET box) but you will need a suitable tailshaft that you can modify ($$) and a clutch pedal and bracket, clutch master, different flywheel, clutch, gearbox crossmember, and ideally the wiring loom from a manual car (at least the part of the loom that plugs into the gearbox on the driver's side of the engine bay).

I would caution researching what effect it might have on your ABS and TCS systems (if present) because you may be messing with the speedo sensor stuff. This probably isn't a problem, but worth looking into. I'm not sure what's mounted on the diff and what's mounted on the gearbox with these later NA cars.

Yeah I mean, I could just keep the maintenance high and try my best to keep the value of the car high and then sell it when I am on my full license. I am in Vic so that means no turbo thanks to our laws. I'm almost 20 however I am on apprenticeship wages so money is somewhat a problem. I'm still deciding if I will do it but as I said before, the triptonic just makes me so damn hungry for manual, I could just imagine the car being far more fun to drive!

I do plan on keeping my car until I a have my full license so roughly 4 years or so? If I get the conversion within the first year of owning the car, I wouldn't see it being a huge waste of time. However I am aware that the conversion would cost about 1/3 or maybe half of what I bought the car for, lol. ($9,700)

[Ben C34]

Im sure you will regret it down the track. Don't do it.

Oh, Stop using the tiptronic if thats whats making you want a manual! Problem fixed!

[simonl]

Im sure you will regret it down the track. Don't do it.

Oh, Stop using the tiptronic if thats whats making you want a manual! Problem fixed!

Yeah I might, because I'll probably want something else when I can drive turbo's, lol.

Hahaha impossible, I'm already hooked on it!

[starwarz]

Better off selling an buying a manual, and while your at it a different car all together .

I owned exactly what you have now a heavy, NA, automatic R34 and yes i thought about

manual conversion a lot. Im so happy i didn't put much into the car and kept it standard

as a daily. Either keep it stock as a rock and just drive it around as is, or if you cant do

that dare i say it your better off with a Honda.

Edited February 26, 2014 by starwarz

[Kinkstaah]

As above, do not do this.

I originally had a N/A Auto car, and f**k me what a nightmare I have had, by holding onto the same car and upgrading it.

Be honest. 100% of the things you can do to this car you can do to a turbo manual down the track. Only do these things, and transfer them to your newer car, if you don't do the smart thing and buy a GTR at the end.

You will regret it for about a day or so till the nostalgia wears off and you will one day realise the wisdom in the words of those who have walked this path before you.

[simonl]

Better off selling an buying a manual, and while your at it a different car all together .

I owned exactly what you have now a heavy, NA, automatic R34 and yes i thought about

manual conversion a lot. Im so happy i didn't put much into the car and kept it standard

as a daily. Either keep it stock as a rock and just drive it around as is, or if you cant do

that dare i say it your better off with a Honda.

Hmm yeah, after some thought I think I'll only do minor mods and keep it pretty much stock. Haha not a huge fan of Honda, I've been thinking about silvia's though...

As above, do not do this.

I originally had a N/A Auto car, and f**k me what a nightmare I have had, by holding onto the same car and upgrading it.

Be honest. 100% of the things you can do to this car you can do to a turbo manual down the track. Only do these things, and transfer them to your newer car, if you don't do the smart thing and buy a GTR at the end.

You will regret it for about a day or so till the nostalgia wears off and you will one day realise the wisdom in the words of those who have walked this path before you.

Yeah maybe the triptonic will have to do for now. i'll just save for a mad turbo manual when I have my full license and just do minor mods to the car and have fun.

Thanks everyone for the help.