Steve,

Welcome to the 'Fest. Your question will get much better response in the Z subforum.

Best of luck.

 

Ok. Thanks Kat

 

$10K? $15K? In any event, probably more than the car is worth, unless you have the ability to DIY. At this point, I guess asking why you did not buy a 6-speed to begin with is moot. The car you purchased may indeed be pristine, but once you swap a manual for the auto in will no longer be original.

 

To Zedfor: Therein lies the dilemma: customize the car with MODS for my own unique drive, or keep it all original to preserve its future value. Being the purist that I am, I lean towards the latter. I'd like to acquire an '06 - '08 e85 or e86 coupe as well, so I'll opt for the 6-speed in the coupe. Makes better sense all around.

 

Sounds like you have a plan.

 

Funny you mention this. I just watched a new Wheeler Dealers episode and they purchased an old 240Z. It was an automatic and they are worth far less than the manuals. They found a 280Z 5-sp and swapped it out. Nissan did a great job in that car of using a lot of common parts so it was a relatively easy swap. They sold the car for far more than they would have if it had been left an automatic.

 

I've been hanging around the Z4 forums for about 2 years now, and I haven't seen a single post where someone has done this swap. That indicates to me you're in virgin territory which translates to lots of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ IF you can find someone willing to take on the job. Due to the interconnection/interaction of the various computers in the car, it's not just a mechanical exercise. The engine computer would need to be reprogrammed from operating with an auto tranny to a manual tranny and that's where the stumbling block on doing this swap is going to turn up. You'd need to find an indy shop that has actually done this and has access to the various files that need to be uploaded to the DME and then the knowledge in how to do the initial setups for the manual tranny operation.
Even though the car is pristine, I don't think you'd ever come close to recovering your investment in this swap. Be better off to sell the pristine car, find a manual tranny car in good condition and spend some $$ to refurbish it.

 

It would be feasible if you had Ed China doing the swap free of charge. The 240Z is born of a different time where electronic integration of the transmission was a Sci-Fi concept. Most practical way to swap the transmission on a Z4 is to swap the whole car with it.

 

I agree that most likely it makes more sense to sell the car and buy a manually-equipped one. The low mileage is great, but long-term it's unlikely that an early non-M car is going to be worth any kind of substantial premium. Drive and enjoy, mileage be damned.

If you want to explore the feasibility of the swap, my indy mechanic has done a ton of engine swaps, and I'd think would be a good source to ask for input. His name is Bo @ Bo's Motor Works in Tempe, AZ. Give him a shout, he's personable and I'm sure would be happy to offer his input. Good luck!

 

Thanks to everyone who replied to this thread. Good input all around. I've concluded it 's best to leave well enough alone and preserve the original integrity of the car. I'm definitely going with a 6-speed in the coupe I'm looking for presently.