Manual Pedal Box and auto to manual adapter?

[81dmc]

Anybody know where I can find a manual pedal box or parts to convert my auto pedal box?

Also I'm looking for an adapter to mount the manual shifter in the auto frame. Does Martin still offer an adapter?

I just acquired a UN1 with tidbits, and I already have the shifter and linkage.

[82DMC12]

I worked with Martin a year ago to get a shift adapter cut from a CAD file he provided (for a small fee). Unfortunately the first adapter was not usable at all, it located the shifter far too aft in the auto shift tub. I notified him of this and he sent me a revised file but unfortunately that file did not work "as is" either. I ended up bringing the version 2 adapter to a metal shop with markings on it where I needed the front nose cut and how to slot it further back, after two trips to the shop we finally got something that works. I also had to cut some material out of the frame where the shift lever goes so that the gear shift action doesn't rub the frame.

The critical dimension is the manual shifter has to be mounted 2" higher than the auto shifter. You will also have to drill a hole for the crossgate cable and you'll have to slightly bend one of the ribs on the frame where the crossgate lever nearly makes contact once the manual trans is installed. Those are the only frame modifications required.

If I had to do this again, I would attach angle iron to the sides of the auto tub and just mount the manual shifter directly. You can contact Daniel Haney in Colorado, that is what he did.

You can follow my adventure of converting an auto frame to manual frame here:

https://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?19419-VIN-11596-Frame-Swap-a-rolling-frame-off-restoration

In the end, it is totally possible and it will work. I'm driving my car regularly and it shifts and drives just as well as my old manual frame did.

[82DMC12]

Here are a couple pictures of the FINAL version of the adapter plate. Basically the only good thing about the plate is it located the four threaded M6 holes for the manual shifter in the correct X-Y plane dimensions. I had to drill extra holes to mount it to the frame because at least one of them was totally unusable or else the shifter would contact the screw. As you can see, the adapter plate sits directly on the frame, then you would add M6 threaded rod into the four holes. Then you would add another 1.5" inches of spacers (the plate itself is 0.5" thick aluminum) to bring the total lift to 2 inches. Then the manual shifter sits on the four rods with spacers under it.

I have quite a few pictures of various measurements and adjustments if you need to see them at some point.

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Original Version 1 plate cut by Xometry.com based on the original Martin file.








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Modified Version 2 plate - main issue with V1 is the front of the plate located the shifter way too far backward. Had to cut sufficient material from the "nose" of the plate such that the two threaded M6 holes towards the front of the car are 15/16" from the front of the cavity (measured from the front of the cavity to the center of the M6 hole).








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Final installation with everything working and adjusted.

[Henrik]

I pretty much walked down the same path as you did, Andy, when I converted to manual eight years ago, i.e. I opted for the adapter plate (and ended up modifying it heavily to make it work) and in the end I wished I had done what Nicholas Roedl did which was to just weld a couple of 2 x 2" angle irons:
http://deloreanvr6conversion.blogspot.com/2015/07/car-prepping-shifter.html

[81dmc]

I pretty much walked down the same path as you did, Andy, when I converted to manual eight years ago, i.e. I opted for the adapter plate (and ended up modifying it heavily to make it work) and in the end I wished I had done what Nicholas Roedl did which was to just weld a couple of 2 x 2" angle irons:
http://deloreanvr6conversion.blogspot.com/2015/07/car-prepping-shifter.html

I've been watching your build for a long time now. I still have my VR6 build parts too, so I am beginning the process of designing my first adapter plate. Now that I'm going to a manual, the VR6 install will be way simpler.

PRV bell measurements. Not nearly done obviously, but it's a start.
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For me, angle irons are a no go as I'm not pulling the body up. So I decided on a stupidly simple way.

I just bought 2x1x8 pieces of aluminum on Amazon.

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I'll drill the 4 holes straight thru with a drill press. Then align and drill the holes in the frame. Next I?ll tap both side of the aluminum blocks and bolt the blocks to the frame. Then the shifter will simply bolt to the blocks.

Once blocks are in, I'll enlarge the shift hole as necessary.

[82DMC12]

For me, angle irons are a no go as I'm not pulling the body up. So I decided on a stupidly simple way.

I just bought 2x1x8 pieces of aluminum on Amazon.

69743


I'll drill the 4 holes straight thru with a drill press. Then align and drill the holes in the frame. Next I?ll tap both side of the aluminum blocks and bolt the blocks to the frame. Then the shifter will simply bolt to the blocks.

Once blocks are in, I'll enlarge the shift hole as necessary.

Looks like that should work just fine. The point of the "adapter plate" is to re-use the same holes in the frame, but my experience with the adapter plate is I had to drill two new holes anyway. Note that the original holes have welded nuts on the underside so you have something to thread into. For the holes I had to drill, I added large washers and nyloc nuts through the underside. You'll have to do the same, if you can fit your hand into the hole!

Those aluminum bars are solid? If so, no problem drilling and tapping some blind holes for the shifter to mount to.

Let's see some pics when you're done!