Buying a 1999 3000gt VR-4, changing tranny to automatic...

After I get out of school I would like to buy my wife a 3000gt since she has always loved them but she doesnt want a base model since she loves the fact the vr-4 has twin turbos and awd. She refuses to drive a manual though so I would have to fit an auto into it. I figured it shouldn’t be too hard to change the tranny out. My question is what tranny would work for this situation? Would it have to be awd specific? I don’t know much about the inner workings of an automatic awd tranny. I thought using a 6 speed auto out of a corvette might be cool. Any thoughts?

wow! sounds like alot of work. y not just get a auto used vette? Be alot more fun, But if thats what she wants good luck!

Yeah she doesnt like corvettes and she def wants the AWD. Shes also thinking about getting a awd charger r/t. I think it would be unique to have an auto vr-4.

Why on earth would you try to mate a corvette tranny to a dsm motor?

They make AWD auto tranny’s for the 3000gt/stealth

search on ebay…there’s one up there now.

94-97 MITSUBISHI 3000GT AWD AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION-6G72

that motor still sits sideways. goodluck

um i think he was refering to just buying an automatic corvette.

ugh, I read it as…

I thought using a 6 speed auto out of a corvette might be cool.

:dunno:

ugh, just teach her how to drive a manual… will save you thousands of dollars.

Thats cool. If the auto mitsu tranny for awd will work easier than another tranny that would be fine. I thought more than 4 gears would work well though.

she knows how but doesn’t like it.

From what I understand, some other countries did get some Non turbo and AWD automatic 3000gt’s. The auto transmission was not ever mated to the Twin Turbo AWD platform from the factory. I dont think the auto AWD tranny would last very long on the TT engine as its not built to handle the torque.
The whole project just seems like a major hassle for not much reward.

I’d talk her into the AWD charger. Or maybe an automatic AWD audi.

If its anything like alltracs, usually what happens is people buy alltrac clips to swap into FWD celicas and left with a awd trans they can use… since theres so little of alltracs in N america that leaves a shit ton of awd transmissions from swapped cars… I meen I would guess people swap that motor in fwd cars Im just not sure… Im not even sure if vr4’s came in auto?

a mitsu tranny will always be easier to mate with a mistu motor, than trying to join the motor to a tranny from any other make… it really doesn’t even make sense to use anything besides a mitsu motor with a mitsu

the thought of an automatic vr4 makes me want to cry.

a proper sports car should be a stick IMO. if she wants an auto, i say find a car that comes as an auto already. if it’s going to be her DD, it will be much less of a hassle if anything breaks down the road. (transmission wise)

This thread makes me want to puke. Did you ever look under the hood of a vr4. wooooowwwww i can’t believe they fit everything in there. im not even sure they made auto’s for the vr4 so you might have to put in a non turbo fwd tranny from a lower trim level. vr4’s are horrible cars to own imo. think of a dsm but add a shit load of more parts to break, no room to work on any of it and they weigh 3600lbs. yuck. i’de own one if i never had to work on it and had 1231 other cars to drive and all the money to support this.

so basically you have to worry about breaking and or replacing these parts on these cars which would equal some serious cash.

2 dohc cylinder heads (timing belt failure ahh)
1 iron v6 block and internals
2 small ass mitsu turbos
1 front diff
1 center diff
1 rear diff
1 awd tranny( we all know how dsm’s hold up)
electronically adjustable suspension (im sure thats expensive)
all wheel steering
active areodynamics (movable wing and unerbody ect via electronics)

blah blah blah

you also have to take off the intake manifold just to change the back sparkplugs haha. ugh.

well, im sure it would be a hassle so I will tell her to get the charger if anything but if she wants to go ahead with it i will put in the strongest parts from the start and try to get rid of all the weak links in the car.

hmm I know of a tt awd auto vr4 for sale…

being a big 3/s guy I know what it needed to complete this swap. Sorry I won’t read this thread just can give you some help by looking on wiki and then www.3si.org/forum

wow after reading this thread LOL at the tools on this site HAHA. OMG this is some funny shit.

“oh the motor sits sideways” - so what?

“look on ebay” - yeah doesnt have all the parts

“3600lbs blah blah blah I made a worthless post” - yeah big deal u can change the rear plugs in under 15 mins. and dsm’s are less reliable then 3000gt’s.

I would know I’ve owned both dsms and 3/s’s.

But seriously dude if you want a auto awd vr4 just tell her no its not a simple task I know of maybe 5 in the world that were converted from stick to auto and kept the awd. Just tell her take the 6speed and convert it to RWD its alot easier IMO or just keep it awd for the traction :wink:

It would be hard to use a vette tranny with the motor sideways

lol at VR4’s!!!

well thinking a vette tranny would work you deserve to buy the tranny only to find out it doesn’t work then we can laugh and say owned