Opinions please? GQ auto to manual- or sell and replace?

[no eye deer]

Hey fellas,
I've got an EFI 92 GQ auto- love the car, but wondering whether it would be more sensible to- A: go from an (on the way out) auto, to a manual.
OR B: spend 2 K on another GQ with a manual?
I guess my GQ is worth 5k thereabouts. What I'd be interested in, would I be better to spend 7k on another GQ (maybe a diesel with a manual)- or spend 2k on a conversion? I dont really want to spend more than 3k on a changeover. (Not looking for "For sales"- just opinions. :)

I've owned a GQ diesel and found it very slow-I like the EFI for the power and the way it leaves the dual cab "mitsutoyobt50colarado"'s in the dust :) Just tossing around some thoughts, and would like some thoughts/opinions.

PS- want to stick with GQ's. :)

Thnaks
Mark

[Patrol'n]

G'day Mark, IMHO I'd look at it from this perspective, what's the condition of your GQ, (disregard the gearbox).

If it's otherwise in good condition and you know and like your GQ, and if the conversion is within your scope of budget and ability, keep yours and do the conversion. If you don't buy a whole car then take careful note of all parts required to guard against cost blowouts. Having done gearbox conversions on other cars years ago, sometimes little things can be more of a pain than you expect...

If you change over to a new car, you don't necessarily know its history. It would be possible to end up with something that needs more spending on it, (the car may have annoying traits like electrical gremlins that are difficult to sort out for example). Most times with second hand vehicles you never absolutely know for sure what you are getting into. Then again, if you are in a position to look hard before selling yours, and find something even better then maybe that's the better choice.

Me personally I love my truck and would look to replace / upgrade parts before selling it, but that's just me, and I like working on cars anyway. In the end it'll be up to you what works best in your situation.

Either way, good luck mate.

[the evil twin]

If you like the performance of the EFI then reco the gearbox.
Add a manual lock up TC switch, nomad valve body and at the flick of switch you virtually have a manual anyway with a tough as auto so best of both worlds.

[Clunk]

^^^^^^^^ what ET said............ loved my auto, although its bog standard

[Lambroast]

Yup... This is the go... :) I have the same model and I love the auto :) Looking at about $3k for an auto and converter reco if you pull it out and refit it yourself. Good time to replace the rear main seal too :) Add the lock up switch and the valve body and you'll be well sorted ..

Simon.


If you like the performance of the EFI then reco the gearbox.
Add a manual lock up TC switch, nomad valve body and at the flick of switch you virtually have a manual anyway with a tough as auto so best of both worlds.

[no eye deer]

Yeah, good points Patrol'n. True that theres usually a reason people sell their car.
I do like the auto, myself, but its a lotta coin to recon one. The Nomad option is $4250! The cost is the only reason I'm looking at converting. I'll be towing my house around for a few years soon, and I'm not really sure I'd want an auto for that. Its hotter up north !

[Clunk]

Yeah, good points Patrol'n. True that theres usually a reason people sell their car.
I do like the auto, myself, but its a lotta coin to recon one. The Nomad option is $4250! The cost is the only reason I'm looking at converting. I'll be towing my house around for a few years soon, and I'm not really sure I'd want an auto for that. Its hotter up north !
So get a transmission cooler too. ............ and how do you know that the transmission you convert to is trouble free?

[Patrol'n]

Yeah, good points Patrol'n. True that theres usually a reason people sell their car.
I do like the auto, myself, but its a lotta coin to recon one. The Nomad option is $4250! The cost is the only reason I'm looking at converting. I'll be towing my house around for a few years soon, and I'm not really sure I'd want an auto for that. Its hotter up north !

Yep, autos can be big coin, $4250 seems way too much to me, but I haven't researched the prices so maybe that's fair.

If you really like the auto then maybe spending the extra on that is still worth it, and Clunk makes good points about transmission coolers and also about a second hand manual being an unknown too.

Me personally, I'm a manual fan, always have been (suspect I always will be), and I've owned plenty of both auto and manual vehicles in the past.

I don't enjoy driving my mates GU auto anywhere near as much as my manual GQ, and now having been in mine, he is talking about giving his to his missus and getting a manual for himself, but again, that's only a couple of opinions and I know plenty of people like autos. Sand driving also tends to be easier in an auto, but I don't have too much trouble in a manual, so I'll stick with that I reckon.

Maybe when I'm old and grey the auto will take my fancy. Although a couple of young'uns at work think I'm old, I ain't grey yet....

[nicksamaniac]

Imo you should way up the options of both types of transmission.
Towing a huge van with an auto would be far less tiresome to drive than a manual, assuming its built to do so, having a correct tune and cooler for towing,
Through traffic, hill starts and maneuverability/parking it would be sweet.

I think the manual would prevail on hwy driving and fuel economy, obviously!
At the end of the day its your truck, and your decision.

but I'd be leaning towards the auto for general touring and towing.

[no eye deer]

All good points! Thanks fellas.
Yeah- its a tricky one. The price I quoted is from Wholesale Automatics, for a Nomad valve body. AFAIK, they are about the best option for the auto. I would really like to keep the auto, but the price is nearly what the car cost Haha! So dont want to go that way. I have seen people quoting $2500 to $3500 for the rebuild, though. Just to standard specs I guess. I saw an older GQ with a manual, and 4.1's for $1700 the other day. That'd be an easy way to do it, (assuming everything was ok gearbox wise). Decisions-decisions!