Auto box swap??

[keithg]

Hi people,
it's been a long time since I've been on this brilliant forum , been a bit ill recently. Anyway now out of hospital I find I need an automatic, so this is my post about my ultra reliable 1999 hdi that I've had for about 4 years, and wondered if anyone could advise if my 5 speed manual could be converted to automatic, at reasonable cost. I look forward to any advice.
Regards Keithg

[Bailes1992]

If you desperately want to keep your car then you would have to find a donor and swap over the entire interior and engine loom just as a starter! Then you have the box, transmission cooler etc etc. You would even have to change the instrument cluster.

It would be a massive job. Essentially a rebuild of the car.

[steve_earwig]

Not sure about the interior or if you can survive with out the gear indicator on the instrument panel (the yoyo doesn't have one) but everything else yes, engine ecu and wiring loom. I don't know if yours is a D8 or 9 but the only difference will be changing the BSI while you're at it.

Find a good auto, it'll be a lot less bother, particularly if you have issues doing stuff and would have to pay someone to do it all. It'll be a shame yes, but it's just a car.

[Welly]

I've seen on another Forum someone swap a Manual Ford Focus for an Auto and one of the major stumbling blocks was the Pedal Box and gear selector mechanism as this is something that is fitted very early in the build at the factory and everything else goes around it.

Essentially the difference between an Auto an Manual model is fundamental to the rest of the build so in that sense would be very difficult to reverse (excuse the pun).

Glad to see you back on the forum Keith I hope your health troubles are behind you. I think the general advice here would be to buy an Auto car and luckily these tend to have low mileage so you could end up with something rather nice; especially as the prices of 406's is so low now.

[keithg]

Thanks for all the information, I did suspect it may be very difficult if not impossible. Also my car is also awkward as a D8 shell with a 1.9 hdi engine. Anyway I do currently have it for sale, because the reason for needing an auto is I will then need to have it converted to left foot throttle. Having looked for a 406 estate auto there like rocking horse sh1t so I may have to look for a saloon. Shame! Keithg

[Welly]

If you don't do high mileage then a 2.0 petrol is fine, and we've proved before they are actually less trouble than the diesels in many ways (i.e not tearing through engine mounts etc).

[keithg]

Yes I agree, I don't mind a petrol or a saloon then if I do repair and go back to work I will just buy another estate. What ever I buy I will still watch this forum. Thanks for the good wishes.
Regards Keith.