automatic to manual?

[gransport38]

to start off i love driving manual cars, it keeps me from getting bored while driving. the other day my dad told me about how when he was younger he had an automatic el camino that he turned into a manual when his tranny dropped since he could get a manual transmission cheaper. is this more common than i thought? or is it just because my dad may be slightly more redneck than the average person haha. i have a 91 buick regal gran sport with a 3800 v6 and i know they made a manual transmission for the 3100 i beleive so aside from the fact that it would be really cheasy (and if you saw my car right now you would know why i dont care to much about that, i made a brushguard for it in the metal shop haha) would it be mechanically possible?

[ARCANGEL]

if the transmission matches the engine I'm sure it could def be possible

[Smaart Aas Saabr]

I swapped my Saab Turbo convertible from an automatic to a 5-speed. The tranny was fine but the engine blew and I got an engine and stick for a good price...

The thing is, if you have a car that could come as a manual or automatic from the factory, it is easy, just add parts. The holes and mountings for the clutch pedal/master cyl or cable are there, engine mounts are no problem, etcetera.

On a Buick Regal this is not the case! I think there are a handful of Grand Prixes and Cutlass Supremes that had a clutch but that was it

Maybe there is the fittings on the firewall anyway! You would have to look

If you find a 3,1 tranny and then get a flywheel out of a 3800 F-body perhaps...

That said, 3,1 stickshifts are hard to find, except maybe in some Cavalier Z24's

Anything is possible with time and money of course. But on a '91 Regal is it worth your effort is a significant question to pose...

[ARCANGEL]

Originally Posted by Smaart Aas Saabr

I swapped my Saab Turbo convertible from an automatic to a 5-speed. The tranny was fine but the engine blew and I got an engine and stick for a good price...

The thing is, if you have a car that could come as a manual or automatic from the factory, it is easy, just add parts. The holes and mountings for the clutch pedal/master cyl or cable are there, engine mounts are no problem, etcetera.

On a Buick Regal this is not the case! I think there are a handful of Grand Prixes and Cutlass Supremes that had a clutch but that was it

Maybe there is the fittings on the firewall anyway! You would have to look

If you find a 3,1 tranny and then get a flywheel out of a 3800 F-body perhaps...

That said, 3,1 stickshifts are hard to find, except maybe in some Cavalier Z24's

Anything is possible with time and money of course. But on a '91 Regal is it worth your effort is a significant question to pose...

The search could be the undoing of this plot, Finding these parts= the proverbial needle in a haystack

[gransport38]

why would that cause the engine to blow? so basically on a poor mans budget its impossible to find a tranny out of an old junked car for cheap and get it to work regardless of the time it takes to put it in?

[ARCANGEL]

Originally Posted by gransport38

why would that cause the engine to blow? so basically on a poor mans budget its impossible to find a tranny out of an old junked car for cheap and get it to work regardless of the time it takes to put it in?

not impossible, just that transmission was already few and far between, now if you did a complete engine tranny swap of something that would fit then you would be ok

[Quixote88]

Switching from auto to manual used to be pretty common back in the day(60's & 70's). But as Smaart Aas Saabr pointed out, it's much easier to do on a car that is offered as both from the manufacturer. If you were really well versed on working with trannies and engines, it could be done. But it just would not be cost effective for you to attempt otherwise. You could end up ruining a decent car. Besides engine/tranny compatibility, you have to look at mounts and possible programming problems on modern (post 1990) cars.

[Smaart Aas Saabr]

Originally Posted by gransport38

why would that cause the engine to blow? so basically on a poor mans budget its impossible to find a tranny out of an old junked car for cheap and get it to work regardless of the time it takes to put it in?

If you are referring to my case, the original engine blew, and the new engine had a manual transmission already attached, so I didn't bother to touch anything, I just dropped it in

The amount of work to put in the clutch pedal and shifter was maybe a few minutes more than trying to dismount the two engines and switch the gearboxes... and I prefer stick anyway!

[dr.gizmo]

It is more than just the mechanical parts. The engine computer would still think it has an automatic transmission and there would be driveability issues. You would have to change the computer and wire in missing inputs/outputs and remove now unnecessary inputs/outputs to make the thing run right.

[gransport38]

these newer cars annoy me, everything is getting run by computers now. i miss the way these machines used to be built purely mechanical. now one seemingly irrelevant wire with an invisible break in it can make your car undriveable.

[Smaart Aas Saabr]

Originally Posted by gransport38

these newer cars annoy me, everything is getting run by computers now. i miss the way these machines used to be built purely mechanical. now one seemingly irrelevant wire with an invisible break in it can make your car undriveable.

Remember points ignition? LOL

But, when it died, you just went and scratched the points with a screwdriver, put it back and then were on your way again

[91 s-10baja]

I have a friend that swapped a Supra Manual into his early 90's Lexus SC300. Not sure if they came w/ manuals, but he did it himself. Looks horrible, but it was a neat project!

[retirednak]

as far the engine computer,it just needs to be reflashed. While your at it,have a performance tune done to the computer. I've heard these guys .do great work

[F14CRAZY]

I'd say you'd have to find another W body, Grand Prix or Cutlass, with the 2.8 or 3.1L (I'm pretty sure the later 3100 was not offered with a manual) to get the shifter and clutch pedal parts from. I'm certain the provisions for the pedal and all are already there on your Regal. 3800 RWD flywheel and a custom clutch setup. Check with the Fiero guys since they've bolted up plenty of 3800s to the Getrag's used in those.

ECM would have to be reburned, try Ryan at Gmtuners.com (or google for Sinister Performance in Fort Wayne)

[dr.gizmo]

91 ECM's in "W" body's were not reflashable, they had plug in PROMS.