Curt, The 5-speed conversion can be done for under $500 if you buy the
cheapest Rivergate kit, source the tranny from Pick-n-Pull, and make your
own yoke. I would assume this could also be done with the Morriservice
parts. Either full kit will cost around $600 and the most expensive Datsun
5-speed I've seen is from Rivergate for $600 plus shipping. That would put
the range between $500 and $1200 to convert to the 5-speed.
As far as time goes the difference between a conversion and just
installing a ribcase would be about 1 or 2 hours extra in the case of the
full kits.
There is no advantage to putting in a ribcase instead of a 5-speed for
show neither is the proper transmission for a bug-i. With the 5-speed you
get overdrive and usable 1st gear.
I own two bug-i's, one with the 5-speed and one with a smoothcase.
Crash
ps before the 5-speed my yellow car went through two $600 ribcases in one
year.
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