convert or not to convert ?

[sinisterE36]

is it worth trying to convert my automatic to a 5 speed ? i've had the car about 2yrs but its only been driveable for 1yr . i havent had any real major issues with the car but i have spent some money thru trial and error figuring out what was wrong ( ie. i bought a new transfer pump only to find out it was my cam sensor that was bad ).
will doing this conversion hurt the resale value of the car if i decide to sell it , i'm really trying to find the pros and cons of this problem i have.
if i wanna have it rebuilt it will cost me $2k-2500 average,i've found a good shop that will do a conversion parts and labor included for about $1800 what should i do ?

 

[frolf]

if you can, sell the car. then buy a 5 speed of your choice..... hopefully minus the serious problems

 

[sinisterE36]

only problem i have is the transmission everything else is fine.
i tried to check it out this weekend, drained the fluid and it was black and burnt smelling.i was told the problem could only be the torque converter and not the whole trans.
i just dont wanna spend alot of money in a rebuilt trans only for it to fail again later down the road,when i can spend a little less and only worry about replacing a clutch.
if i sell the car as is i wont get much for it so one way or the other something is gonna have to be done.

 

[sinisterE36]

wow i didnt know it was such a touchy subject that i could only get one response , well thanks anyways i just wanted to see if i could get any good feedback on this subject?

 

[frolf]

well, i'm not sure i speak for everyone, but if it were me i wouldn't put more money into it. if you think about it, when you go to sell that car, there is no way you will get the money back tath you put into it by doing the swap. just my two cents

 

[jrt67ss350]

If the fluid is dark and burnt smelling, it isn't just the torque convertor - the clutches in the transmission are shot. Means the tranny needs a full rebuild.

I don't know - if you can get someone to do the full swap for you for less than the cost of rebuilding or putting in a rebuilt transmission, then I'd probably go for the swap. You have a 1994 325i - the car isn't worth that much anyways, so you aren't really going to decrease the value of the car by swapping in a manual.

 

[epj3]

I don't agree with dan or justin. If the car is otherwise good, has under 150-180k miles and you don't feel like buying a new car, fix it. Get a junkyard tranny from a low mileage car, or get it rebuilt cheap by an independent mechanic (doesn't have to be a euro-specific mechanic.) Why throw away an otherwise good car? The 5 speed swap will cost you about $250-$350 for a good transmission, $200-300 for a differential, and maybe $100 for a used driveshaft plus another $150 in misc parts. If you do it yourself you will save tons of money.

Old bmw's are horrible investments (and anyone who spends their own money on repairs knows this!!) If you already made that one horrible investment, then just do the 5 speed swap. You'll learn a lot about cars and will have a perfectly good one to drive. Depending on the mileage you could still sell it for $4k+

 

[shadymilkman]

It's generally a bad idea to swap an auto for manual transmission. It cost more money and causes more residual problems than you would find simply selling your car and buying a same one with the other tranny... However, as the previous post mentioned, old BMW's become a terrible money pit of death. I would personally avoid putting any more money into a '94 325, but if you really want to keep it around for awhile, then you might as well go for the swap. It'll cost a bit more than the auto tranny, but if its for your own use, than do it.

 

[epj3]

It's generally a bad idea to swap an auto for manual transmission. It cost more money and causes more residual problems than you would find simply selling your car and buying a same one with the other tranny... However, as the previous post mentioned, old BMW's become a terrible money pit of death. I would personally avoid putting any more money into a '94 325, but if you really want to keep it around for awhile, then you might as well go for the swap. It'll cost a bit more than the auto tranny, but if its for your own use, than do it.

What? Would a swap cause more problems? Everything is exactly the same except the pedals and the absense of clutch hydraulics. Easy stuff to swap with the 'auto' parts. An auto tranny will cost over $2500 to replace. Doing a swap will be around $800 - $1k.

 

[nadroj]

but we all love old bmw's thats for sure, if i saw a good shape e30 i would have to buy it you know what i mean tehy are jsut so beautiful!1

 

[sinisterE36]

im going ahead and doing the swap anyways 195,000mi,everything still works,car is still in good shape i really dont see anything wrong with putting $1800 in it for a 5spd.
im just tryin to stay happy with it,if i had to sell it and buy something else it wouldnt be another german car this is gonna be my final try if it doesnt work.
i had a e30 318 that was fun having...... RIP
87 16v gti 4dr golf 87 8v gli jetta both at the same time
so right now im that the [bmwdance] gods have mercy on me and let me make a come back so i can [bmwkick] some of these import racers here in fla.
funny thing was even when my trans was slipping i was still able to put a serious hurt on some of these guys and not the fake ones either

 

[nadroj]

haha nice i think you made a good choice sometimes its not about the money its about how much you love the car

 

[dblE]

convert or not to convert?

im going ahead and doing the swap anyways 195,000mi,everything still works,car is still in good shape i really dont see anything wrong with putting $1800 in it for a 5spd.
im just tryin to stay happy with it,if i had to sell it and buy something else it wouldnt be another german car this is gonna be my final try if it doesnt work.
i had a e30 318 that was fun having...... RIP
87 16v gti 4dr golf 87 8v gli jetta both at the same time
so right now im that the [bmwdance] gods have mercy on me and let me make a come back so i can [bmwkick] some of these import racers here in fla.
funny thing was even when my trans was slipping i was still able to put a serious hurt on some of these guys and not the fake ones either

So did you ever complete the transfer. I didn't see this thread the first time. Well, if you get this. I am pondering the same thing. However, my tranny is doing pretty good.

 

[sinisterE36]

no havent done it as yet. im taking it to my job and gonna find out if its the torque converter and if so im gonna have them put on in.
working where i am right now will keep me from getting when i get my bill.
everyone knows how the dealships work

 

[dblE]

yep, i found two local shops that will do the conversion for me. you said you got someone to do it $1800. that is really good. i'll probably have to do some myself to get that low. like you, though, i don't have to rebuild a tranny.

 

[epj3]

I'm glad you decided to keep the car and do the swap.

 

[sinisterE36]

found my digi cam and when i wake my baby from her sleep i'll post some pics soon. i'll be taking her out for a bath before she goes to the doctor.

 

[dblE]

found my digi cam and when i wake my baby from her sleep i'll post some pics soon. i'll be taking her out for a bath before she goes to the doctor.

shhh!!! baby sleepin'...lookin' forward to the pics.

 

[chief]

Please post the total cost of transitioning from auto to a 5 speed. My trans is again giving me fits with going to safe mode after only 2 miles. I am certain it is an electrical problem, but would rather do the shifting myself than always questioning Check Engine light with a code of 1750. Which by the way means nothing.

Got a refund from Uncle Sam to pay for the transition.

 

[dblE]

The cars we have been talking about are 3 and 4 years older than yours, but for ours parts alone will cost about $1500. Labor depends...I've seen shops charge anywhere from $300- 500. You could escape under $2k, if you play your cards right and shop for the best deal, in every aspect...clutch, pedals, brackets, etc...good luck.