by HardwareBoB » Mon Mar 16, 2015 11:14 am
An engineering certificate because the car is physically different MT to AT and you need to fab a crossmember AIUI. You would also need the rear diff because I think the autos are a different ratio (as well as being a different driveshaft length). I also wouldn't bother converting it to a 5 speed, because it's a lot of time and money when you could have a 6 speed - however the 6 speed will require more fitting, and even the 5 speed may not fit. You will also need new brakes.
You will possibly not NEED a new dash, but it will look weird having the auto stuff in the cluster when the car is a manual.
dr20t went a lot further down this road, and has a lot more invested in his car, and ultimately ended up not doing the 6 speed conversion because it was more hassle than it was worth.
I'm not sure anyone in australia has even done it at all, due to the difficulty involved, given you could just buy a car with an ez30/6speed already. If you were going to do something crazy or unique, say a 1uz with a RWD conversion, that would be worth the hassle, but at the end of months of hard work, sweat, tears, money. You will have a car that is best case, as good as one you could have bought already in that state, and cost you lots more.
Just back-of-the-envelope (good price) second hand numbers here:
EZ30 + bits : $2000 ?
6 speed + bits : $2500 ?
consumables: $ 400 ?
GT/3.0 brakes: $400 ?
You'll have spend more than the value of the car before you get anywhere, and it wont' be worth any more when you are done.