I got the 07' MCS with auto transmission (made a mistake) and am wondering if it is possible to replace the auto with manual . I know it'll cost a lot of $$ but maybe still less than selling the car and getting the new one. This is the only thing I wish was different with my car. If my car was only manual I would be completely satisfied.
I know Aisin auto is a very good one but it's still not manual.
Opinions????

 

It would be cheaper to sell yours and buy a manual. How many miles on your car?

 

It's not less than selling the car. Just the transmission alone is going to run you ~$4000. Then to install it you'll need pedals, mods to the master cylinder, a clutch, flywheel, probably a new diff, a new ECU. Figure The average mechanic would charge between 3 and 5k to do something like this, because of how much of a PITA it is.

So you're up to about 8-10k in parts and labor, and that's not even including the hit you're going to take if you ever try to sell the car and they look up that it was originally an automatic.

Sell your car and buy a Manual, this stuff never works. Unless you're a backyard mechanic that knows how to do this yourself, and has access to CHEAP parts it's ALWAYS cheaper to just buy another car than try to convert the one you have.

 

It's worth a try to post around the forums looking to swap your auto for someone else's manual. If you get lucky both you and the other would save substantial money.

 

And still be out of pocket 4k to install it (If the parts were free?). Doing something like this is a nightmare, there are ALWAYS problems afterwards. You can't take a car that was designed with an auto and just slap a manual in it. There are TONS of parts you have to change...

 

The car has 6K miles on it. I tried swapping for a manual on this forum. Got a couple of interested people but they were not local and didn't want to go through it.
So I guess I will have to live with it and see may be in a year I'll sell it and get the manual.

 

+1 on the hassle of changing it over from AT to MT. Not to mention the hassle of worrying that it will be done right. Too much money to invest IMHO.


Sell it now! Buy a new one!

 

this isnt like swapping wheels man... there is WAAAAAY more involved to do this then you think.

Even in an older car it requires a lot but with these new fancy electronically controlled cars, it just gets more complicated.

I would say that its pretty much impossible to do without paying a ridiculous amount that would make more sense to just sell your current car and buy a new one.

 

don't wait any longer. The more miles the less you'll get for your car.

go to your local mini dealer and explain your situation. Order up a new one, keep yours until it arrives, and then trade in...

swapping to a manual isn't easy on these crammed engines.

I looked into doing it in my 90 accord, and parts were about 800 at the time, and labor would have been 2k. Not too bad, but it's a car with just about the same size engine, and twice the engine bay. Expect labor to be 4k and parts to be 4k.

 

definitely go back to the dealer & see what they can do.

the difficulty in swapping from an automatic to a manual or the other way around, isn't in the tightness of the engine bay. Unlike an older japanese car, these are way more electronically complicated, the engine & transmission control modules are all specific to the car & sit on a networked control bus. Even if you can make all the physical & wiring changes needed, it may be impossible to get someone at the Mini dealership to re-initialize & configure the control modules (since it's all automated & VIN controlled)...

 

I like the way I can keep the boost up between shifts. It runs a tenth faster than the clutch in the quarter mile. A lot of shift options to control shift points manually. I can drink, smoke and talk on the cell while driving too! Sorry but the auto was worth the $$$$.

 

you should be able to sell for close to sticker! Then just order up a new one!

Matt

 

Rent a stick for a week. Than you will appreciate the slap stick again.

 

Perhaps he wants a manual for SCCA events, do they allow slap shift automatics?