Gents, What should I do? Get a 5-speed conversion or get a port and polish with profiled cam and keep the auto. My car has currently got a redline tray air-filter, 2/1/2inch mandrel bent exhaust with pacemaker headers and hi-flow cat. Cheers, JR. Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

Joel, excellent question I am in the EXACT same boat as you at the moment and have basically the same mods: K&N panel Filter Cold Air Intake Extractors - hi flow cat. Exhaust System w/ straight thru muffler I am also wondering wether to get a chip, cam and headwork or to get a 5spd from an r32 or a kitted auto or the like. I am very strongly leaning towards the gearbox as I believe with the mods I (we) have the engine makes over 130kw on optimax with adv ign timing and it just needs to get to the ground without too much power loss. I am going to save and get a good box, before i do any more engine mods and then do all the engine mods later because i think the car will be instantly quicker with a 5 spd.

I'd definatly say go the 5 speed. With my 5 speed, advanced timing, 2 1/2 cat back exhaust, i made 96rwkw.... If you do the math its over 135kw at the flywheel Now i've got a K&N panel filter, and doing a cold air intake in a few weeks, so that should give me atleast 100rwkw. Then I'll look at extractors You will notice a huge difference with the 5 speed conversion i know i did. I was amazed at the power it unleashes. Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

Not to mention the complete control you have over your vehicle if you use your stick right Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

hornet so, how big a job is the 5spd conversion, what does it cost? What kind of box did you use, standard or what? PS. definitely get extractors, they unleash the beast.

Hornet, The bloke at JHH engineering (Brisbane) said that with the modifications I already have I will be looking at 120rwkw with a port and cam. The cost comes out to $1300. Where as the manual fitted will cost me around $1100 thats without selling my auto. Thus, I will get bigger gains in rear wheel kilowatts if I go for the port and cam but will get a better drive if a go with the manual. Very had decision? Cheers, Joel.

Trust me here guys, I got a manual conversion and I'm absolutely stoked! A mate of mine did the work for me and swapped my auto for a manual he had in a wreck at his place. All up he only charged me $500 with a brand spankers clutch. Thing is, he's a bit of a vl genious and it took him all of about half an hour to swap the boxes! the rest of the conversion was the pain in the arse. You gotta love mates rates!

how can you do a 5spd conversion for $1100? I'm saving for a supra box and it's going to cost me around the 3K mark......

why would you need a supra box in an n/a?

cause i am goinng to be doing head work....don't NEED one, but I think that it could take a lot more punishment than a r31 box.... Please tell me if I'm wrong... causes it doess cost more for the supra.... Am i going over board in what I need?

Converting a geabox isn't cheap, so yeah i reckon overboard cos the Supra box can handle heaps of punishment. You should be able to just use an NA 5 spd. Failing that find a turbo 5 spd and you should be ok.

It cost me $450 in parts. Not really that hard if your technically minded. Took me and a mate a day. Ive out lined the process we took on my website.. http://www.red-line.tk its under Tech articles Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

how the hell did you get all the parts for 450?

Quote: Originally Posted by joel Hornet, The bloke at JHH engineering (Brisbane) said that with the modifications I already have I will be looking at 120rwkw with a port and cam. The cost comes out to $1300. Ok ok....what kind of cam, and is that RWKW quoted with a chip? Also are you planning on running a stally if you go with the port and cam and leave the auto box in? Are you going to take the head off and leave it with them for that price or are you going to drive in and drive out?

Quote: Originally Posted by tempest115 how the hell did you get all the parts for 450? I brought it off a friend who's vl was stolen and slammed into a cop car. He paid $900 for the conversion kit 2 months before hand. Good deal i thought Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

Choice Bro, This is the e-mail I received from John at JHH engineering. JOEL THE EMAIL SITUATION OVER CHRISTMAS HAS BEEN CHAOTIC IF I HAVE'NT REPLIED I AM SORRY . THE PRICE OF HEAD AND CAM FOR THE RB30 IS $660 HEAD AND $250 CAM EXCHANGE. CHANGE OVER IS APPOX $400. HORSEPOWER SHOULD BE APPOX 160 AT THE WHEELS JHH Cheers, Joel.

By VL has pretty much all of the mods listed apart from it having a 3 inch exhaust system and a standard manifold,it went 20 kms faster up on the top end with the 3 inch system and slipping auto than it did with a good auto and a 2 inch system,I estimate it would go even better if I fitted a cold air intake to it like my last VL had,also a K & air filter my brother tried in it from his VN made it perform better. the twin cam engine I am building I will be fitting either a modified V8 or turbo pressure plate for added grip,later an R33 box would be a possibility. I'd stick with the Nissan box on the VL as these Supra conversions can be a pain to install and cost far more,I recently did one on my brothers VN and it was a big pain as certain clearances weren't right causing clutch slip,etc,it is o.k. now but cost $3000,it is better than a BW box though and should never need replacing.

Quote: Originally Posted by russell booth By VL has pretty much all of the mods listed apart from it having a 3 inch exhaust system and a standard manifold,it went 20 kms faster up on the top end with the 3 inch system and slipping auto than it did with a good auto and a 2 inch system,I estimate it would go even better if I fitted a cold air intake to it like my last VL had,also a K & air filter my brother tried in it from his VN made it perform better. the twin cam engine I am building I will be fitting either a modified V8 or turbo pressure plate for added grip,later an R33 box would be a possibility. I'd stick with the Nissan box on the VL as these Supra conversions can be a pain to install and cost far more,I recently did one on my brothers VN and it was a big pain as certain clearances weren't right causing clutch slip,etc,it is o.k. now but cost $3000,it is better than a BW box though and should never need replacing. I'd honestly never been totally happy with even a slightly tweaked garden variety 3 litre VL as I have been in a HSV enhanced 3.8 litre VN Commodore which was very quick,also my brothers VN pulls as well in 3rd gear as the VL does in 2nd,but with around 187 kw I should be happy with it.

just got a quote for a sykline box...about $2000 for the kit and $440 to install. I'd like to think that I could do it myself, but from my experience it is better and a lot less hassle to pay someone else to do it.... and I've never installed a clutch before, I"ve ripped my auto out, but I don't think that I could put a 5spd in.. you reckon that those prices are about right?

I found something interesting for you bois! http://members.ozemail.com.au/~davidprowreck/parts.html $800 for manual conversion! Richie