Does this look like a good candidate for tranny swap?

[BrooklynMW]

Found this lil' sucker on craigslist. Can't tell if it's 2 door or 4 door by the pics, but if it is indeed a 4 door, it is everything I want in an e30, and for the price, I'd be willing to ship it to a shop and put a manual tranny in it.

I'd love some expert advice. take a look:

http://hudsonvalley.craigslist.org/cto/1709822290.html

[325ix]

I say go for it. The parts on it are worth a good bit and ix's are great.

[Adrian_Visser]

The parts that he has recently put on alone are worth the asking price I would go for it.

Just make sure you know what you are getting into with an IX, you need an IX specific getrag 260 transmission that will allow the transfer case to fit. The transfer case itself is another thing to check because they are fairly hard to find and expensive.

2 door IX's are pretty rare are they not? I know we never got them in Canada and only a few were sent to the states.

[BrooklynMW]

Yeah, i might just do it. It's gonna be around 2k to do a full manual swap on an ix, but only 4-600 to put in a good working auto tranny.

Might just leave it as an automatic. Not bad for my first e30.

[325ix]

The parts that he has recently put on alone are worth the asking price I would go for it.

Just make sure you know what you are getting into with an IX, you need an IX specific getrag 260 transmission that will allow the transfer case to fit. The transfer case itself is another thing to check because they are fairly hard to find and expensive.

2 door IX's are pretty rare are they not? I know we never got them in Canada and only a few were sent to the states.

All good points. I'm not sure how rare 2doors are. I know that all 88's are.

[BrooklynMW]

Now I'm just waiting to hear back from the owner. Why do people post for sale ads, then never respond when you inquire?

[lennon]

I dont think 2 door IX's are rare. And i don't think that's a good candidate for your first e30. First, it's an IX- it has more to break and stuff is a lot harder to find, motor swaps are almost out of the question, etc. Second, it's an auto and you want a manual. An IX tranny swap is going to be a bit more complicated and require more work.

I say look for a decent 5spd e30. You really don't wanna start out with your first e30 doing a tranny swap. Definitely not on an IX.

[BrooklynMW]

My previous car, (which I just sold so I can afford an e30) was a Subaru Outback. So I guess I have a soft spot for AWD. The thought of switching to RWD is new and scary. Living in New York City is not excactly like living in the snowy hills of Vermont, but it was a nice feeling to be able to pull out of my parking spot with ease while all my neighbors struggled to get out.....sand, cardboard, chains and skidding. Subaru simply glides over the snow. I guess I'll join the rest of my neighbors. And I'll avoid an "ix" as my first e30. At least I'll have more fun then everyone else in the summer.

[bataangpinoy]

You really don't wanna start out with your first e30 doing a tranny swap.

nothing wrong with it though, i took my first e30 and did the auto to 5spd swap. it was the first time i ever worked on a car, and it wasnt so rough of a job. it does take alot of time though.