Hey guys... i am going to buy a RX7 but the thing is i only have a small amout of money at the moment...

i can buy a yellow RX7, series II, 12A, mags, sports steering, sports exhaust for only $1500 aus... but it is an automatic, i love manuals and if i bought this car i would do a auto to manual conversion as soon as i could afford to...

the car is in good condition body is very straight.. and starts up clean and drives smoth..

the question is should i save my money and buy a manual RX7 or should i buy this one and stick out the automatic for awhile??

has anyone here done the auto to manual conversion before? is it costly?


thanks very much for your help

ps.. the car in the picture is not the car im buying but looks identical

 

On the good side, automatic cars tend to see less abuse than 5 speeds. You may end up with a stronger motor this way, assuming you can do the swap yourself.

 

you have a very good point... i should be able to do the conversion myself with the help of a mate.

do you have to get mod plates or anything if you do it?

 

At least here, the swap is pretty cheap as there are plentiful amounts of used manual transmissions around.

Basically you need:

- manual tranny
- pedal set from manual car
- clutch hydraulics
- flywheel, clutch, pilot bearing, throw out bearing
- manual driveshaft
- tranny mount?
- starter from a manual

That should about cover it. There are some threads on here telling the details. Basically everything is bolt in, so you do not have to modify anything. I know that the most difficult part for most people is putting the pedals in as that area is hard to work in (not much room).

The main thing is you have to consider how difficult (and cost) that these parts might be in Australia. If they tend to be expensive or hard to get, then it might make for sense to start with a manual car. Pehaps the best solution for doing this swap is to get a parts car that has been wrecked or has a blown engine and take the parts you need off it and sell the rest.

 

gsl-se addict is on the right track however there are a few other smaller items needed as well. i did a conversion last year. took little more than an evening: https://www.rx7club.com/1st-generation-specific-1979-1985-18/auto-trans-manual-trans-swap-part-ii-has-begun-783169/ but was tough finding all the parts as i was doing the swap.
buying a manual trans equipped RX-7 is the weay to go. so much better of a car.

 

These guys nailed it. There is also an electrical connection for the backup light to work with the manual. And the shift surround and boot.

 

Hey Mate,

I wouldn't even bother trying to convert the auto to manual over here in Aus....it's just gonna cost way too much once you buy all the parts you need (if you can find them). Plus you will need to take the car over the pits if you convert it, which is gonna cost you more $$$.

Either buy the auto, have fun with it, and when you save some money sell the auto and combine all your money to get a manual rx7....or....just keep saving and buy a manual rx7.

Keep an eye on www.ausrotary.com for a cheap manual rx7 as they are on their quite often.

Cam...

 

Definately go with a manual car, mate its a lot of work for very little gain to convert one from a sludgebox

 

Get a manual car from the get-go.

Because chances are things will come up and you won't have the will power nor the money to pull off a swap and then you'll be stuck with an auto.

 

thanks for all your help guys, but im now the owner of a 1982 rx7 automatic haha

 

Congrautlations! Happy Rotoring.

 

glad you got the car! what are your plans for it?

 

thanks guys...

hmmm good question...

First i think ill fix up the small bits of rust here and there... as you guys know these cars are prone to a bit of rust.

Then maybe put a bigger carby on her.

Might get a paint job.

wish i could do some engine upgrades etc but im on my P plates over here in austraila and im not allowed to drive anything with turbo or anything more powerful than a 12a...

what would you guys reconmend i do with this car? give me some cheap ideas

 

ohh and i almost forgot... ill chuck a dvd player with a fold out 7inch screen... a lightweight 10inch sub and some quality spits around the car.

 

what are P plates?

 

http://www.transport.qld.gov.au/Home...ce/P1_licence/

When driving on your P1 type licence, you must:

clearly display red P-plates on the front and rear of your car (rear only for motorbikes)
comply with peer passenger, additional mobile phone and high-powered and high performance vehicle restrictions until the age of 25 years
obey any conditions stated on your provisional licence
not accumulate four or more demerit points in one year
have a zero (0.00 per cent) blood or breath alcohol limit if you are under 25 years of age
not drive under the influence of illegal or prescription drugs.


not aloud anything faster than a 12a

 

wow, thats pretty srict over there in AUS!!!! i'ma cop in the states and our laws are nowhere near that brutal, lol. and you can have as fast or powerful of a car as you want.

 

haha in another 2 yrs i can what mods should i do?

 

Red plates on a Yellow car should look good. Maybe you should stick to the stereo / video up grades for now. More go in the pedal would just be tempting for trouble.

 

A carb and exhaust will liven her up nicely. Then of course, there's plenty to be done to the suspension to improve the handling.

Carb: www.sterlingmetalworks.com
Suspension: www.re-speed.com

 

Atleast you now have a 12a auto counterweight