hey everybody! this will be my first post and i know everyone is welcoming here. i've been searching and browsing threads for the past month and decided to register today!

okay i've searching similar threads such as:
https://www.scionlife.com/forums/vie...anny&&start=25

i have a '06 TC Automatic nothing has been modded except 35% and 15% tint. it hit me that i have made the wrong decision similarly to the thread above. i regret purchasing the auto, now im craving a manual. The old car i used to drive was a manual, now im falling asleep in traffic just sitting pushing the gas and brakes (sarcasm). i know im retarded deciding to switch from manual to auto. blah!

.. i wanted to get peoples opinions of what i should do if i want a manual..keep in mind, i bought this '06 TC around june/july of 2005 with about 8200 miles on it, im not in a hurry to get a manual though...need some time to accumulate some cash.

(a) should i just convert my automatic tranny to a manual tranny later on in the future? what would be the estimate price on the conversion? ($3G's?) the dealership can do this right?
OR
(b) should i just trade in my TC at my nearest Scion dealerships? would i loose more money doing this?

if i can get some opinions or advice it would be much appreciated. thanks!

 

u will lose money either way
trade in tho u probably only lose 2k conversion...3-4k

 

thanks for the reply! yeah, im willing to spend money. its better than falling asleep on the road and losing everything. but do you think that my car would lose value if i were to trade it in now than later? or will the dealer appraise it for a high value later on??

 

i would try to sell it privately.. dealers won't give you much for a trade-in and will probably sell it for more than you bought it for. (used cars have no pure pricing rule and demand lets dealers get away with it.. as well as people dumb enough to pay)

you'll lose less money by selling it then doing a conversion. you actually might make some money... i dunno.. check the KBB.

 

tranny conversions are terrible. I have done two on FR platform cars, and they are no fun at all, plus, you will basically be on your own for wiring. I say sell the car, and get a manual car.

 

but shouldn't the setup be the same as the stock manual if i had the dealer to convert my auto tranny? they just needa swap the auto tranny with the manual tranny components (clutch, tranny, center console, ECM, hydraulics cables..etc.)?

By my observation in the footwell, i think theres a place where u can punch a hole to mount the clutch? it looks prefferated. is that the right hole for the clutch mount or is that something else? its covered with some sort of fabric.

 

Trade it in. There is a lot more to converting an auto to a manual then just swappin out the trans and adding a clutch pedal.

Besides being a nightmare, it just isn't the smart way of doing things. On older cars it's possible but not with newer stuff.

Sell it. Buy a new one.

 

i also have an 06' tc in automatic, and sometimes i regret having the manual, but you gotta consider ur area. in my case im in brooklyn new york where people have a habbit of not checking mirrors or signalling. in your case seeing that u have past experience driving manual then you should definately trade it in

 

I actually want to trade in my auto for an 5spd too. i wouldnt convert it, it seems too risky.. my dad got me an auto and i told him i wanted a 5spd! he thought the manual would be too dangerous or whatever... now he has to pay the price of not getting me what i really wanted the first time

hmm now i just gotta convince him to trade it in...or maybe i can total the car and get the money for a new one

 

Trade it in. Who knows what the computer & electrics end of a swap like that would require.

Installing a clutch pedal assembly after a modern car has been assembled would be tough. I'm sure it could be done. Anything can be done with the right amount of $$$.

It's not like the 60's when it was just a matter of mechanics.

 

If you do the conversion...say goodbye to 50% of your powertrain warranty. Not worth it. BTW, the price of just the ECM from Toyota is going to be around $800. Its just way too much of an expense on a vehicle that is too new.

 

the dealer will screw you more if you trade in a converted vehicle.

the vin number on your car says it came one way (auto), if you convert it (no matter how well done) it will be an altered vehicle and be less valuable to anyone else.

trade it in and buy what you want.

 

Sell it yourself. Get the Manual. Be Happy.

 

sell it your self and actualy profit in new england there trying to sell for 20k with alot of miles so if you low miles you could sell it out right and pay yours off and pick up another one with out loosing mutch if any thing

 

Convert it and you put an end to your warranty. Even if you had a warranty claim on the engine, the dealer could easily claim that the mods you did had an effect on the engine.

Convert it and you destroy your resale value. This isn't just a short term issue like trading in a 3 year old car. Think of what you would say if you went to buy a 7 year old Honda Civic and you found out that the transmission had been converted. Would you pay the same as if it had the original? I sure wouldn't. It would have to be pretty damn cheap for me to even consider it.

Don't trade the car in. Sell it yourself. I know its not as easy, but the difference is big. Dealers are overpaying for cars at auction right now and if they have a chance to buy a car cheap for their lot, they will. Hmmm... on second though, give them a try first. Maybe you'll catch them sleeping and looking at auction reports.

 

This shoulnt even be a question. It is retarded to do transmission conversion. Even withtout what cliffy said about resale, just think about it. It will cost 3k for the conversion right? Guess what... you can trade in for a brand new tC right now and lose around 3k out of your pocket.

So you can do conversion and have a manual car with 8k miles or

trade in and have a manul car with 0 miles... Both cost the same.

 

sell the car yourself, and buy a new one

 

And I doubt there's a dealer in the country that would do that conversion and if there was, they'd charge you shop time on top of all the parts.

Personally, I say learn to deal with it. You'll be ready for a new car in a few years and you can get a stick then if you gotta have it. Just make a list of 5 other things you could spend that money on and think about it. Heck, you could add the S/C for that price. Wouldn't that remove some of the boredom? Custom paint, ICE, home theater, Hot Tub... So many better uses for that $$$

 

hm.. good thinking... well yeah, the conversion is out of the question. your right about having a new car in a few years. maybe ill just have to deal with it. it was my stupid mistake on getting the automatic in the first place.

thanks everyone for the replies! it helped tremendously!

 

get a beater car for like 2k that has manual tranny. lol.