Anyone on here buy the ex-Rowan Atkinson car from PH?

[Nollywood]

Originally Posted by Architex_mA8tey

lol so does what does your head and heart say about converting to a manual with all the costs and hassle factor!

A very different scenario, as I got my parts for buttons. As for hassle - I don't see it as such. I'm a semi-retired Audi tech, and have built manual trannies from component stage to fully working. And have also converted several VAG models to manual, including 2 V8's - an '88 3,6 and a '91 4,2. Both RHD, I used the 5-speed 01A for them, as 01E's were big bucks back then, but the principle remains the same. There are ZF failures documented as early as 70,000 miles A rebuild will be around the £2,500 mark, perhaps with a 2-year warranty.

Great if you have a second car, and don't do that many mile. I will rack up 70,000 miles in 2 years, so if I intend to keep my S8 for say 5 years, I'm kinda out on a limb. For me, that's about 175,000 miles. Back to high-risk.

My car's worth what? Roughly £4,000 at present. So far, all my manual parts, including 2 x 01E, front axles, shift mechanism, propshaft adaptor (+4,5") custom pedal cluster for RHD, flywheel, clutch kit, flywheel bolts x 8 cost me £704.

One of my 01E's from a 2001 S4 I paid £70 for. The previous owner undid the reverse lock-out, thinking it was the oil filler bung. Of course, the reverse interlock dropped into the tranny, and the shift locked up. I knew what it was when his garage condemned it, and it cost me just the price of 3 new gaskets and oil (I stripped it down and replaced reverse interlock). I've now sold it to a guy that's converting his B5 2,8 30V from 01A to 01E for £325.

Yet to be sold is my current TCU with sport mode, I'll assume £60 will be a fair price.

So right now, my outlay is £379. If my only option to get my S8 back on the road was £2,500 with a 2-year warranty, I'm afraid she'd have to go, I do too many miles to take the risk. But awesome dedication for you guys that pay big bucks to keep these beasts on the road.