maybe a stupid move?
 

It's gonna sound stupid but I liked the look of 370z and just bought it.
I wasn't really into cars until I started driving 370z.
Now that I really got into speed and everything, I'm thinking about starting tuning my car.

But shoot it's an automatic.

Not saying it's a problem and I know very well about pros and cons about auto and mannual, but I really want a mannual 370z.

Also i'm not saying you can't tune the automatics at all, but there is a limit.

So I ended up thinking about selling my current Z and buy a mannual one.
My family and friends are think that I'm the biggest idiot but hell I wanna drive what I wanna drive right?

What do you guys think?

With a bit of planning from the start, you would have probably saved yourself a few thousands $$ - had you known that you absolutely wanted a manual. The auto can be tuned just as well as the manual, many on the forum did it; however, if you want a manual and have the funds, then go for it my friend, why not? :tiphat:

I would keep the auto. My friend w0ady has an auto G37 coupe and even tracks it and still enjoys it.

The z auto is actually pretty good. Probably not worth te hit you will take to trade for a manual.

Unless you are planning for 450+rwhp with a supercharger or twin turbo setup, the auto will take a lot of abuse. I recommend keeping it if you can stand driving it, it is a better decision financially without a doubt.

Keep the at. It's the best of both worlds. Shift like a manual or in stupid traffic keep it in auto. There are some on this forum with at and fi who swear by the durability of the at. I'm having a total blast with my at.:stirthepot:

Regardless of how good everyone says the AT is, there is NOTHING like driving a manual. I say get the manual, why buy a car you cant FULLY enjoy?

This reminds me of a guy at a GM dealership telling me that his friend has a new Camaro that runs 10's. It was "turned up all the way."

I think you need to go back to the drawing board.

If you want a manual because you think it's more fun, get one, but if your reason is solely because of mod-friendliness. Meh.

That quote sounds very Spinal Tap worthy.

OP it ultimately comes down to your finances. If you're going to lose any kind of significant amount of money, and feel it, stick with the AT. You're most likely going to have to go down a year and/or lose some options to come out even

:iagree:

Wait until they have a midcycle refresh on the car.

2008 370z 350z ;)
In a serious note, OP one option could be to see if you could do a trade with another forum member willing to swap. If you are to go through the dealership, they will likely have you trade the car in at a loss.

If its going to affect how much you enjoy driving your car, you should switch to the transmission you enjoy

I remember a couple cars ago I owned an Automatic Prelude. I loved it at first because I wanted a Prelude badly, but then started to hate it because it was auto. I went as far as to make a shift boot so it "looked" standard.

get what you really want

Most modders I know actually go for the auto over the manual. But I just can't stand to drive an auto, there is nothing like having a clutch and shifter. :) I even passed up on a 2010 auto that the dealer was virtually trying to give me, because I would not have been happy with my purchase.

Yes, stupid move. The first one - you know, the move where you bought an AT when you really wanted a manual.

Yes there is - the 7AT. :)

As an OG mentioned on another thread about someone trading in their 2009 for 2011, doing what you speak of is financially irresponsible. But if you got the funds, do what makes you happy. In this case, money might be able to buy happiness.

op- do you have canyons in your area? if so keep the auto. if i lived in areas where i had a lot of canyons or twisties, i would get the AT. :)

in my neck of the barns and cattle and horses, there's mostly straight roads so MT is the way i motor my sports car. :D

OP, rationalize it all you want. The AT can shift faster, better in traffic...etc. etc. etc.

At the end of the day, what you really want is the manual. So if you have the funds, its well worth the switch. You should test drive the manual before deciding though. I made the same decision buying an Auto in my previous car and regreted it. I enjoy driving a manual and would never want to go back. It's that extra feeling of control a tiptronic auto or even a DCT mimics but cannot replace.

:iagree:

I've disliked the paddle shifters in every car I've ever driven with them. They are semi-MT for the AT, while, the SRM is semi-AT for the MT. IMO, SRM is the perfect marry for those who prefer MT but like the ease of an AT, say in rush hour traffic (of course, SRM is really designed more for track - *edit* maybe not "designed". What I meant is maximum utilization of SRM is achieved at the track, not street).

I think that while costly, it is worth it. Every time I see an A/T I think of the car as near totaled.

I am restoring a classic car with an automatic - Yuck. I am seriously contemplating a $5000 4 speed conversion kit, plus installation. I just do not know how reliable this set up will be or if it includes the clutch.

http://www.the370z.com/attachment.ph...1&d=1306167047

Not mine but same color and model. Mine is 80% or more, of this.

Opposite rational for me. I am all canyons and twisties so I want the MT. I have only been in 6th gear a few times. Going to and from the dealership almost exclusively.

well i will get too bored when im going straight often in a AT but i like the paddles or sport-shift stick when im doing switchbacks while keeping the rev's high and torque converter nearly locked.

main problem for me is the torque converter. i hate the disconnected feel in most AT's and especially congestion. funny how people say AT's are great in traffic, i dont agree at all. MT is less tiring because no need to do any guessing in the throttle trimming of mush while car responds in a very general way. i hear the Z's AT has torque lock on 2-7. that's great.

Well........

If you can afford to take the hit then DO IT!

I did once.
Loooong story short.

Back in 2003 I bought a brand new 350Z AT. The Auto was not for me and I craved the MT.
2 weeks later I was driving a brand new MT Track Model and was very happy I made the Trade. I had no regrets at all.

I didn't lose too much, a payment or 2 if I remember. If you are going to be paying for the car for 5 years you better be happy. Is it financially a smart thing to do? Well no, but so what. lol

Good Luck

well if you want a different transmission, think about it for a little bit before you spend any more money on this car, and if you decide to switch at least you wont have wasted any more money on mods for this one.

:iagree:
+1 its so much easier to control your speed in MT. And with SRM its nearly effortless.

Oops, totally missed that he has an 09 already. I thought we were talking 11's

M4a - Is that your Stang in your avatar? NICE!!

The Auto is fine enough. It is not worth the money to trade it in. That said, I am glad I got my MT!

I've been in your exact same situation. DO IT. You will not regret going from auto -> manual. The fun factor is well worth the cost. (This is assuming you know how to drive stick and you can put up with rush hour traffic while driving stick)