Should this car be built?

[Rumbarger]

Alright. I just bought my first DSM. It's a '93 Laser RS Turbo FWD Auto. It had 59,915 on it when I took ownership. The car has seen only light duty for about five years(roughly 3 mi. a day), and has literally sat in a back yard for the last two years, and really ran like crap when I got it. A new battery, NGK plugs, wires, a bottle of Lucas fuel treatment, and 60 miles or so of light driving got the old 4g63 purring nicely. The steering squeaks a little, and power occasionally "cuts" from it at idle speeds, in very small increments. All of the rotors are pitted and a little warped, and I suspect that my lines are nearing the end of their lives as well. The body looks wretched, all of the blue paint is rough on all top sides of the car, as it has been baked off by the sun. The sun also caused the the passenger side dash cover to peel back and warp, but the rest of the interior is nearly perfect. It runs very strong from what I can tell, and the turbo spools beautifully. I'm wondering how much potential this auto really has, does anybody build fast auto's or is this a waste of time? What does a manual conversion really require/cost? I came from a background in neons, a 1g SOHC coupe, and a 1g SOHC ACR sedan, in which a turbo 4g63 was always the "wish-list swap". Now I have that very motor in nice condition, but I just don't know if I'm up to rebuilding the car that sits around it. The seasons sitting in high grass have obviously taken their toll on everything that is the bottom of this car. The car sits now on pavement, at 60,035 miles, and I wonder how much of a job this really is. F.Y.I., I picked up this DSM for $450. Tell me what you think!

 

[Eclipse98_RS]

For $450 thats a steal! It all depends on what your goals are for the car. Honestly i never think auto to manual swaps are worth it. An auto is just as good as a manual. Id fix the dash, faded areas on the car and get a paintjob for it. Change all the rotors and break lines to be sure. Then start modding it. I know what im about to say here is contradictory, but you need to upgrade the tranny when you mod it, so maybe that would be a good time to swap to manual? The 4G63 is a strong engine. The skys the limit man, as long as you have the money to do the stuff you want. You could leave the paint faded and have a real sleeper too.

 

[DSMVW]

I say do it if you have the money to do it right. I agree with Eclipse98, leave the paint alone. Good luck!

 

[Rumbarger]

Thanks for the support. Yeah, paint is the last thing I'm worried about at this point, although I'm hoping to self teach a little body work. My goal with the car initially is to bring it's appearance back to clean stock, and get it running as well as possible without major mods. I've always been a manual transmission kind of guy, and I guess i was just just looking for a nod of approval for building an auto, although it certainly isn't required. I guess the "sky is the limit" with the 4g63, just read about a 9.70" 1/4mi. auto, but I'll never be at that level with car. I don't intend to build a race car.

 

[asexton6969]

My GST is a daily driver automatic. I'm not looking for it to be an all out race car but god do I love it when people look at my car and say "o that sucks, its auto." I always ask them, why does it suck? Every person always believes that because it is auto, that automatically means ANY car can beat it. It's nice when you go out and just whoop on them. I have had so many people, including older gentleman tell me, "that car can really move!" I haven't put too much money into it and I have plenty of modifications I can do still. Leave it auto, see what you can do with it. If sometime down the road the tranny goes. If you want to, swap in a manual, but for now you have an original 60K auto tranny. I highly doubt your gonna have any problems with it. Just go ahead and change the tranny fluid, filter and hell while you are in there. Try putting in a shift kit.

Things to do:

Spark Plugs
Wires
Air Filter
Oil change
Transmission Flush w/ filter
check front end for tightness (balljoints, tie rods, wheel bearings)
Brakes (a good everyday brand is Wagner Thermoquiets, sold at O'reillys)
Tires?? (weather cracked, flat spots, bald?)

just a few things off the top of my head. Just remember to do things once and do it right. There is nothing more annoying than having to redo something because you just wanted to be able to drive it, etc. Congrats on the find!!!

 

[TheMadCheshire]

I had an auto in my 91 and just recently switched for a manual. I got a steal on my parts and the swap ended up costing me about 500 with a new stock clutch, new master, new slave, used tranny, and used cables, bolts etc.
The auto was good and I could beat a lot of other cars, however, it shifted hard and the previous owner did not take care of it. When the O.D. went, I decided to swap. After looking at rebuild prices and such, I decided a manual conversion would be better for me. I'm also a manual tranny kind of guy and I felt lost without it.

As far as the car, it seems like a steal and whether you keep it auto or make it a manual, with the little maintenance you've done so far and how good it runs now, I'd say its worth building. If you do need help with the swap(if you decide to go that route) let me know and I'll provide as much help as I can.

 

[Rumbarger]

I know what you guys mean. I feel lost without my shifter and clutch. I find myself holding the auto shifter while driving. Sometimes I buzz around town in 2 in order to hear the driveline stay "live" while I slow down, or I'll turn the O/D off and country cruise real 3rd and 4th gears, but all my efforts combined, it is no manual. But the very next thought is, I found this fifteen-year old 60k gem (in my eyes), and its the quickest car I've ever owned, and its auto. I don't doubt at all that it is capable of being a very fast car. People who believe in one statement, that autos are slow, are morons in my book. Sure you can get a faster launch, and generally manipulate engine speed(power) to the wheels via clutch, in ways that the auto wouldn't dream. I learned to drive fast in a 96 neon sohc that made 132bhp, and purportedly 115bhp at the wheels. I could get most of that to the wheels, most of the time, thanks to the manual. And it was a blast. So yeah. I'm sure that the autos could be dusted by manuals with the same power. But I'm hoping to make enough power that an aggressive launch won't be necessary in the everyday application. I'm a little off track here, but thanks for your guy's input.

 

[Gs Dewd]

Mine is a auto and I have all the parts to do the 5sp swap with but just can't bring myself to do it. In auto trim the car can be very competitive with the 5spd cars. JUst get the tranny serviced then get a translab shift kit. A high stall converter would be nice when you can afford it then don't look back. The engine could use some upgrades too Like a 14b or bigger turbo, larger injectors and at least the manual cams. I'm running a pretty healty motor on spray with my auto and it's been great. I also have a built tranny so I turn some heads when I shift from first to second and the tires bark like crazy.

 

[staticbrainwash]

I disagree with auto getting destroyed by manuals. You need to learn how to drive an auto right.

Brake boost, stay out of OD and stay in power. Then, once you get some more power, go for a TC, shift kit, cooler, and end clutches. Then the RMT mod. Which will allow you to manual shift the auto (not for use on a stock trans though).

I love my a/t and i wouldn't trade it for a manual. I might buy a manual dsm, but i'm happy.

Never loose boost, brake boosting, faster shifts than a human. . . Can't beat that.