L251 Automatic to Manual Conversion

Questions and Answers
1

Hello everyone.

I am looking to purchase an L251 charade here in the UK, and have found the perfect candidate with sub 30k miles on the clock and 3 door, but it is an automatic. I am considering whether it is worth the hassle/cost to purchase and convert this to a manual, or to hold out for another low mileage manual 3 door (which don’t appear often).

Does anyone know if simply changing the gearbox and pedalbox would work, or will the original ECU throw up error codes if automatic specific electronics/plugs are removed? And then may need to purchase the key barrel and ECU from a manual car? Will also find out from an insurance perspective what the additional cost would be.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

2

Have not done an L251 before but I did a L601. which was change the box and pedal box and make a bigger hole in trans tunnel. I also had to leave the auto switch in so the ecu thought it was in neutral to start. (I then worked out how to just earth the neutral wire and get rid of the switch etc). The ecu and key etc may indeed be different and I dont have the knowledge to know what the L251 may need.
Hopefully someone in here may know more.

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3

Thanks for the info, and yes hoping someone else out there can enlighten me. Being a slightly newer model year it may not be as simple.

Happy new year all!

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