Tranny Swap

[Dropitlikeitshot]

Hi all. My friend is about to inherit a 2003 3.0L A4. This is, of course, great news, exept for the fact that it's an automatic. See the two of us have just gotten into modifying cars, and being that it is an auto it limits our options a good deal. At least I assume it does, please feel free to correct me. I'd just like to know if you have any info, ideas, prices for doing a manual tranny swap into the car. He'll be selling his current car when he gets the A4, so assuming we have around 15k to spend what are our options. Thank you for any help on this.

PS. Please don't flame me, I know this is a really newbie question, and I did try searching, but didn't come up with anything. Any HELPFUL posts would be appreciated. Thanks.

[bhb399mm]

no worries....

first i'd like to say that a transmission swap is pretty much out of the question. I’d be way cheaper to sell the auto one and buy a manual one. If he needs to keep the auto one that’s not really that big of a deal. There are two computer systems in the tiptronic (auto) A4… one for the engine and one for the transmission. Just as there are engine chips there are also tiptronic chips which increase shift points, etc. for more power.

Second thing: of the two engine models in the A4, your friend has the least modable. The 3.0 is a great engine, but because the 1.8 is to tuneable very few companies make mods for it. You’ll be able to chip it….. exhaust … and that’s about it. The factory airbox is better than any aftermarket on.

So… if at all possible… sell the 3.0 tip and get a 1.8t manual. if not, we can work with what you got.

[Dropitlikeitshot]

Originally posted by bhb399mm@Jan 26 2005, 01:53 PM
no worries....

first i'd like to say that a transmission swap is pretty much out of the question. I’d be way cheaper to sell the auto one and buy a manual one. If he needs to keep the auto one that’s not really that big of a deal. There are two computer systems in the tiptronic (auto) A4… one for the engine and one for the transmission. Just as there are engine chips there are also tiptronic chips which increase shift points, etc. for more power.

Second thing: of the two engine models in the A4, your friend has the least modable. The 3.0 is a great engine, but because the 1.8 is to tuneable very few companies make mods for it. You’ll be able to chip it….. exhaust … and that’s about it. The factory airbox is better than any aftermarket on.

So… if at all possible… sell the 3.0 tip and get a 1.8t manual. if not, we can work with what you got.

Quoted post

Well that's not the answer I wanted to hear, but exactly the info I was looking for. Thanks a lot man, very helpful.

[bhb399mm]

no problem.. keep us posted