hodgeee

Since when I first bought my vette, I thought that I couldn't afford another vehicle for many many years, but luckily at work I am making a lot more now and bought a second vehicle for back to work and whatnot. Now I only drive my vette on the weekends, and wish I had a stickshift. I got the auto cuase of daily traffic driving, but now since it is a weekender only, I gravely miss a stick. I thought about trading in, but I bought a loaded car for $60000, 1.5 years ago, it's an A4, 05 year. And still owe $45,000. I am not concerned with the payment since I can afford it no problem, but the trade in value is only $34,000. The window sticker was $58,885, and after tax, they had to discount the car $3600 to get me to buy it. But only after 1.5 years since driven off the lot, and the damn thing looses $25,000 in trade in value. And with a payment of $1150 a month, I can't trade up to a stick for another 1.5 years, before I MIGHT break even!

It has got to be considerably cheaper to swap out the auto for a stick?!?!?!? I already got $8500 in mods, with new rims and tires in the damn thing! I got Vararam, long tubes, borlas, tune, break upgrades, suspension upgrades, and rims and non-runflats! So not only would I loose the value of my vehicle, but all the stuff I put into it also, to try to trade.

Can someone help on how to do this, and how much it would cost!?!?!? I wanta stick bad!

p.s. I might consider an A6 swap if possible, if the stick is not!

goatts

Anything's possible if you throw enough money at it. I'd ask the dealer for a quote. They may tell you to go to a vette performance shop. Sounds like you have a nice car. I have a manual and I would not want an auto. BUT the manual is not THAT much better. Why don't you put your money into some high flow heads and a mild cam and enjoy what you have. PM me when you decide what to do, I'd like to know.

timd38

Trading the car would be easier and cheaper, I think.

In the "old days" before computer controls, stuff like this was much easier.

VET4LES

mlongo99

I think you would need to find someone who's done it before, or someone willing to really put in the effort to make it work. My friend has done swaps like that in his garage with other cars, but with so many computers on the C6, I would imagine they would cause the biggest headache.

TEXASRANGER

I don't think you could do it for under 10K, I convert the C3's and its pretty easy, but it ends up costing about 5K to 6K with a tremec 5 speed. You would have to find a wrecked one to get all the necessary parts off of other wise it would cost you 20K. With the price discount of 6 to 7K on new ones you would better off selling yours outright or look for a better trade in and then buy a new one.

If you did the conversion your value would be way way down.

quickride

Personally, I wouldn't consider doing a swap like this. My guess is that the headaches you would encounter would be crazy and in the end, you'd be much better off taking the financial loss. I also guess that the same money you'd have to spend if you found someone to do this swap would equal or exceed what you'd have to spend to buy another car with a 6 speed.

Think about it! Where would you buy the 6 speed tranny, clutch parts, pedals, and everything else you'd need which might include a different computer because of the tranny change. If the parts have to come from a dealer, you know the price will be very high. Would you really consider buying these parts on the used market, I wouldn't! Then, you have to get all these pieces to work in harmony and that could really be a gamble.

You could spend thousands of dollars for the swap and end with a car that is cursed with problems.

That's my 2 cents, you asked.

dreamcarc6

You will minimize the cost this way.

timd38

You maybe able to do this and breakeven!

Good call!

Zip Corvettes

It can be done for less the 10K. Call me on Monday we can get it done for you. I would still recommend trading it but we can talk all your options through. We could convert the car back stock for you so you do not lose your mods. I think this would be by far the easiest step but it would be up to you.
Justin
Zip Products

UNKNOWN

plus you dont screw up 2 cars and their vin code accuracy

anyone in the know won't buy a neutered car.

a2zpcwiz

DON'T DO IT!!!

I have been through this before with another sports car and it was never right. I would never do it again. Unless you do it on a car like a 69 camaro with no computer and electronics.

goatts

Good point. So many things tied together electronically. I talked to a guy from Tremec at the dragstrip today and he says Tremec bolts right in and you can buy and bolt on all the parts. But, I wouldn't do it unless I could find a shop that's done it and talk to someone who has had it done to their car. You're messing with a $60k car that's working fine.

jsk96z28

Not cost effective, and plain stupid. Enjoy what ya got, and get what ya want later.....

NORTY

Sell your car with the mods and get a Z06! (Vararam has something coming for the Z06.)

opus1111

Definitely don't do it dude. If the resale value of your car is shockingly low now, wait until you hack up the driveline!

If you sell it, someone will get a sweet ride. Nice job w/ the mods.

fright88

I agree it could be done but at a cost. You could always trade in for a used 6 spd. Would be less of a loss.

hodgeee

Well, I would be $20,000 in the hole to just trade for a new one, and I see what you guys mean about changing things and messing up the vin accuracy and what not.

I am now in line to find a used 05, or 06, for as cheap as I can, and my local tuner shop said that they would swap all the parts for a trade, I just need the dealer to let me have both cars for 2 days, which I don't think would be a big deal. My local shop said that they would charge me $2000 to swap out the parts between both cars, and only $200 more to retune the new setup!

I just like to have the control that a stick shift gives you. The auto, being fine, except it doesn't know what I am thinking, and always wants to upshift at the wrong time, and shifting your auto by yourself all the time is just not the same, or even that fun! If the whole thing cost me more than $10,000 to do, I will just keep my car, and slap a supercharger on it, and make it scary fast(as if it don't scare the crap out of me now!)!

vetracn98

I'm sure if you looked around you could find someone with a manual that wishes he had an auto. I wouldn't swap just trade it. Less headache

JD's C5

Well I hate to disagree with many of the others but I had my C5 switched from an auto to a manual. RPM transmissions did this and with the trade of my parts the entire project cost me $2500.
Rodney and company at RPM do a fantastic job. I would suggest you give him a call-he is a supporting vendor. I am extremely happy and like you did not want to get rid of my car. I like it much better and the plus is an rpm transmission is fantastic.