Can Buying CERTAIN Supercars SAVE You Money?

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Paddle-shifted transmissions have come a long way since their clunky and slow beginnings. But as stick shift cars become rarer and more expensive, is it worth swapping out the transmission? In this video, we follow the owner of a 2008 Audi R8 as they explore the costs, time, and difficulty of swapping out their transmission. Whether you own a classic BMW, Supra, 240SX, Mustang, or an exotic like a Ferrari, Lamborghini, or Audi, these lessons apply. Learn if a transmission swap is worth it for your car.
Watch the details of the swap here: / @ftwgarage
*How much a manual swap costs, and how long it will take, depend on the car.
#cars #audi #r8
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[@AWSAM335]

Taking community college classes to be able to manual swap your R8 is incredible dedication. Major props to this guy, a true car enthusiast

[@navyrotc2012]

But like, I’m sure selling it and getting taxed again was equal or more than the sales tax lmao

[@transhawk1612]

@@navyrotc2012but then you cant say you manual swapped a r8.

[@peterj5751]

That is dedication to manual gearboxes. Hats off.

[@sk4klsiww]

Thanks for reviewing Zack and team. I had a blast sharing this story with everyone. Big shout out to @trinitt for originating this swap method.

[@nicholasevennett8231]

What a great episode. Thanks for sharing from New Zealand. Surely you could make an entire KZbin channel about manual converting the "lost era" of cars with those awful robotised single clutch transmissions?

[@alexpan8615]

Incredible job. You or someone else with a black r8 passed me on the way to ACH this past weekend - sounded amazing!

[@sk4klsiww]

@@nicholasevennett8231 Oh wow yes that would be a fun time. If I had all the resources, I would look into the Gallardos and Murci's and then move onto platforms that never had a manual option like the Aston Martin Vanquish.

[@samsung5]

@@sk4klsiwwAston Martin will convert your Vanquish, but it’s about 50K

[@sk4klsiww]

@@samsung5 ahh, now the challenge will be if you can do it for less than they charge. 😁

[@stephensfriends]

Can't believe this car was introduced in 2006, it's aged so well. Big props to the owner for documenting the conversion process for everyone else to benefit from!

[@MiGujack3]

Because it's *THE* R8, not one of the edgy and dull looking replacements we got after. This one feels like a true milestone for VW and not a generic super car like the newer ones.

[@Skrenja]

@@MiGujack3 Agreed. The OG R8 looks so much better than the later models.

[@moealyasini2784]

They also swapped the grill and did some paint correction so it looks fresh

[@kehrin]

I love that the people "in-the-know" of R8 swaps pass the knowledge on. It's like a personal milestone. Maybe one day humanity will have converted all the single-clutch R8's. Great owner and great video 👍

[@mixwellusa]

Let's hope all SMG-type cars get manual swapped in the future!

[@danielgladston1785]

Super impressive that he learned all of this and did the work himself. Then there's the fact that it came out so well. Big respect.

[@BCNeil]

That's my problem. I can't do this myself. Even specialist shops around me won't try.

[@danielgladston1785]

@@BCNeil Most of us can't. It takes more than KZbin videos and a few automotive classes to learn how to do a job like that. This guy is obviously very talented.

[@crossphaded]

Love that R8 gated manual swaps are starting to gain traction! Props to Mark on taking upon himself to do the swap on an V8! I've only seen the V10's being done lately. I was "lazy" and bought a gated V10 back in 2020 before values shot thru the roof. Its my dream car and brings me much joy every time I drive it!

[@mogulme6190]

@@bigpotato7804 assassin

[@bigpotato7804]

@@mogulme6190 nah i just know someone with it would have made the world a lil smaller lmao

[@AlexBeras]

Major props for doing this yourself. Enrolled in an automotive class with a willingness and determination to learn something new. A major win in anyones book!

[@mcheddadi]

This is why I'm still holding on to my 2012 6mt r8 . Such a blast to use. I don't think i'll ever grow tired of using that shifter. Telsas can smoke em any day but the raw sound and feel of the 4.2L V8 with my nice aftermarket valved xpipe exhaust and the crisp mechanical shifting, it's really something else.

[@ianhines4997]

On top of how much work he did on the manual swap, can we all appreciate how incredible the hood reflection is for 15 year old black paint? Looks like he put some serious work into the detailing!

[@rblbatb]

Impressive DIY project. Well done sir.

[@farnsworth3000]

Eggscelent spelling.

[@rblbatb]

@@farnsworth3000 thank you. Corrected. :)

[@WillSatchwell]

Manual swap 4.2L with a supercharger is a dreamy mix. Friend of mine owns one here in the UK. 600bhp and sound amazing.

[@sdlausen1]

At the time, Audi basically built what the next generation NSX should have been. The R8 is semi-reliable, practical, great visibility, you can daily drive it, it's comfortable just like the first gen NSX.

[@marck2087]

In my garage is a 2008 R8 with gated manual. And yes, it makes all the difference. The tactile and auditory pleasure of the snick-snick sound and spring weighted feel of the shifter is unlike anything else. And the car is more comfortable than almost anything else in its class. I've loved my 911s but the R8 is more unique and more rare. Only challenge is scrapping the front splitter on driveway transitions which interferes with daily driver capabilities. The suspension can be soft enough for freeway intercity trips but firms up nicely with a button push on the console. Absent a financial crisis, I will never part with my R8!

[@er98ah]

Real gs drive 911 manuals

[@kyzer97320]

@@er98ah Never understood why people love manuals so much, and I drive a manual Audi TT. DCT are so much better.

[@Das_Ginger]

Gotta love the original R8 styling. It looks sleeker, smaller, smoother. The quad pipes and big side blades just work for me. I remember chasing one in person, they look so good in the metal.

[@Tortelli-NL]

My dad owned an manual R8 v8 for over 10 years. Roadtripped it around Europe (Stelvio etc). Sold is last year with (almost) 70.000km on the clock (about 42.000 miles). Great performing car with no real service issues. Discs and brakepads and new oil. Drysump oil lines were replaced by warranty and a little paint issue under the side blades (warranty) and a new battery.

[@mugencity]

Wow what a champion. Going to community classes for prep is some galaxy brain stuff.

[@WarriorsPhoto]

That R8's v8 was epic sounding. I always wondered what one would sound like opened up. Now to hear the v10 opened up. (:

[@mikenice1204]

I love my 08 gated R8. Ive owned it for almost 2 yrs now. One of the best mods i did was convert it to RWD. definitely a better driving experience along with shaving off some weight as well. The previous owner swapped on oem bilstein coilovers and carbon ceramic brakes from a crashed r8 GT. such a fun time!

[@stefan2meter]

The two things you don’t get when buying a manual (or having it done), is the bond with the car you develop when doing the work yourself and the sense of achievement when succesfully completing the project. So is it worth all the work and time to save a little money? Imo, yes.

[@GlennsCarCollection]

Great video. Congrats to the owner for doing the swap. I bought a gated V10 manual back in 2021. The premium for a gated manual V10 vs an R-tronic V10 was close to $50k for similar mileage. The V8 gated manual is great as well. Different sound but still great.

[@thejoshbtv]

"Almost went into the reverse hole". Thats the thing I tell my wife all the time and act like its and accident.

[@Poorschedriver]

Such a great video. Big respect to Mark for undertaking such an intimidating project and succeeding. In his case I think it made a lot of sense to spend $10K to swap it because like he said seliing the car and buying another you have to deal with tax and reg (not to mention possibly losing any mods or difference in spec between cars). Also it sounds like he just wasn't at the right financial position to buy a manual at the onset. Honestly I respect that a lot and I'm glad to see the V8 getting respect since people only talk about the V10.

[@qx4n9e1xp]

Wow, I had no idea the R8s were at $70k! My dream of owning an 06 Ford GT have been crushed, but I've always had a soft spot for pre-facelift R8s. They just might be more doable for me!

[@michal.laskowski.]

1st gen R8 is stunning... So much better than 2nd gen

[@joshuaholman7760]

I agree. It's a timeless design

[@MRxESKIMOx]

2x agree

[@coreykononchuk]

It’s not as fast or flashy, but you’re welcome to drive my manual-swapped D2 Audi S8 if/when you’re back in Colorado!

[@oc0dyc]

I have an SQ5 but man those S8 are highway missiles! Awesome job manual swapping it.

[@AlisterTate]

I have nothing noteworthy to add with regards to the technical aspect of this project, all’s I know is that original R8 design is *_SO_* sexy. So much nicer than the facelift with the hard angles. Nice Kenny jacket, Zack!

[@Dwaynefreeman]

The first gen r8’s looks so damn good. The silver,black and grey suits it perfectly 👌

[@tedjohnson64]

Extremely impressed that he did it himself, with his prior car mechanic experience not being any more technical than swapping shocks!

[@mcomet]

Nice video. Great car. Nothing like a gated shifter. As mentioned something about good sounding not too fast early 2000s gated shifter exotics. It’s a great blend of visceral fun driving with usability and reliability. My v10 gated 06 Gallardo is a blast even tho lots of newer faster cars, they all just get too digital. Yes it’s blocky but still an iconic wedge and has amazing street presence. Plus the high pitch v10 wail is epic. There are less than 700 known gated manual Gallardos in the USA.

[@Eggsplanepls]

first gen R8 will forever be a head turner

[@AnythingEvil78]

I manual swapped my MR-2 Spyder, best thing/mod I have ever done in my automotive journeys over 25 years

[@andrews2623]

How'd that go? Currently have the 6-speed SMT and considering the conversion. Did you get the kit from monkeywrench or junkyard/ebay parts?

[@AnythingEvil78]

@@andrews2623 a friend of mine who had done it before got the parts sent from the UK to Aus

[@travisflowers]

Definitely need a "Just The Noise" video on this, and a VF supercharger on this beauty would be 👌🏿👌🏿 *chef's kiss

[@Suileron]

I've been wanting to enroll in auto courses just to build more knowledge (also have a day job), glad to know it pays off!! I'm definitely going to try and sign up for some soon! Awesome swap and car!

[@VikasShankarathota]

I saw humble mechanic video on a Audi S4 trans swap and can only imagine how much harder this would be. Great work and beautiful car

[@nuttyDesignAndFab]

you can also do a RWD conversion pretty easy. makes it lighter and the steering feels better. remember to put bolts in the front hubs to preload the bearings!

[@lilflip1820]

Every time I see a first gen R8 it surprises me how small they are.

[@cvandenhaute]

Perfect summary of what I want: not too fast, great sound and a good manual

[@gregmayled]

very well presented by the both of you, humble, educated and entertaining.

[@andysprague]

Great video. I wish the One Take concept with more private owner cars would come back.

[@neuideals588]

I’ve said it a million times, but a v8 powered R8 is one of coolest cars ever

[@AGregariousPOS]

This R8 looks MINT!! Such a beautiful car. Ages amazingly. Props to the owner.

[@JaredR1996]

I love everything about this project. Need to see more cars like this

[@lunyx6]

The main benefit when it comes to the V8s is finding the right spec in my opinion. They were lower production to begin with, and is the cheaper spec even afterwards, so people tend to not option them well with all the carbon and such. Gaining the ability to be flexible in which one you get increases the color options and everything that you can look at. I had the V10 in manual and it's a fantastic car. Zack also brings up a great point regarding DCTs and how a good DCT is fun, but still a different experience. I was a manual-only guy for a while, then recently tried an amazing DCT and I finally saw why people enjoy those cars a lot as well. If you're considering between a non-GTS or GT 911 and the R8, I'd say go for the R8 unless you need the rear seats. It's a much more exciting car and you can't go wrong with the gated shifter.

[@Neophobic]

Really impressed by this owners determination

[@bdez1259]

What a chill dude and a cool build story

[@James-eg3nf]

Great video, and the R8 gated shifter is one of my all-time favorites, but the number and placement of the ads is maddening.

[@mikhailgregovszki7478]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing this was a fascinating video. Auto to manual swaps are are a big deal and there are a lot more non-mechanical things you often have to do as well on the newer cars. I almost did one with my 350Z and then just decided to sell it and get a manual - then two months later had to put a new clutch in it haha. So in the end I had almost wished I had just done the swap, but I'm lazy.

[@jonasirw1]

Hats for tackling this project. Most of us would have just started over and bought a new car in/ manual

[@Stuka87]

This was a great episode. Love hearing from people that just dive into it and learn along the way.

[@byronprock393]

Mark has some serious grey matter, what an impressive accomplishment. 😮

[@eyezblazing3798]

The dedication to learning how to do it right is admirable...

[@sarahdell4042]

I love this guys approach!

[@Mr.SlipperyX]

mentioning rob measuring pixels, super like.

[@Trendyflute]

The R8 V10 is cool but there's something about the V8 that tugs my heart strings really hard. They're wonderful engines, but I also like the look and format of a supercar with performance that you might actually be able to extract on a public road without being totally irresponsible.

[@Mrcoreysgotgirth]

Gated FTW!!!! Zack if you or Matt are in tristate and want a go in a V10 let me know.

[@krisc6379]

So much respect for doing it yourself. Awesome job!

[@fullsendsimracing]

Peak automotive experience and arguably the most timeless looking sportscar of all time

[@ianhamilton639]

@full send sun racing ..tons of cars seem "timless" from that era. because they aren't that old lol. Every bmw in 2006 looks modern.. If you had a 2006 lotus elise you could convince most people it's a 2022 model..

[@krassimirpetrov7131]

Props to that guy wow , I’m sure he has a whole new respect for the car now

[@MatryBigwave]

🔥🔥I have to agree that a good manual transmission makes any powerful vehicle more enjoyable to drive. Though during the eighties i decided to have one of my vehicles installed with a newly built LT1 350 power plant and drive train. I also chose a Mr-Gasket ratchet shifter so that I could choose the Revs for changing gears. Then behind that i chose an electronic Doug-Nash Overdrive enabling the Turbo-405 automatic transmission to have longer legs. Of-course i wanted it to be quicker than any snappy transmission on the streets, simply by having a SHIFT-KIT installed into the Turbo-405. It definitely needed careful adjustment to make sure it wasn't too severe on the drive-shaft Universal Joints, but I'll tell what, there is No Way any manual transmission could ever shift as quickly, and I mean with full torque thrust and no backing off. ⚡️🌪 Maybe you'll hear about extreme stories on the professional dragstrip, but on the street, I rest my case.

[@kazmeyers]

Man, thanks for sharing! So much fun to watch. Living the dream!

[@AccentShmaccent]

Good idea and great work dude. It looks and sounds amazing!

[@mildmanneredthinkingman9323]

Zach it's always a joy to watch your videos. So, relaxing. It's almost like car ASMR. lol

[@tyvekhomewrap9164]

The Audi 4.2 is an amazing motor, it develops so much power for its size and sounds godlike.

[@thielepr]

Thanks for the video. Now I’m looking for manuals R8’s

[@williamwade7059]

Hats off, this guy put his new car up on t lifts to make improvements.

[@jonathank4416]

Great video. But the price difference between buying a manual vs swapping isn't worth it IMHO. Plus, even a trained mechanic would have a tough time matching factory build quality, not to mention a home garage by a total newbie. Great that he's able to share his knowledge with others though. R8 is such a timeless design. Very underrated in the car community.

[@EntrepreneursInCars]

Makes me miss my gated R8 V10...

[@biznatcho7]

I think that Zack is underestimating the impact of those extra 15-20k miles on the price of cars that typically don’t get driven a whole lot (though obviously an R8 could and should). Seems like that sort of mileage difference could easily add another $10-15k to the price, so all else being equal, the gated manual surcharge is more like in the $25k range.

[@Dolby109]

This guy doing the lords work!

[@ThePedalDance]

Good for him! Sweet car. Awesome work. Well done:)

[@EddieRicks-i8v]

It’s worth it because they don’t make manuals anymore 😢

[@antoniomaass6396]

I love this video this guy rules and did a killer job on a modern classic

[@JacesOwnWorld]

All you kids think that manual swapping is just dumb because it makes the car slower. There is some truth to that, BUT you really think those who manual swap cars are doing it to be faster? If you want to brag about being fast, go buy a Tesla. Until then, I would advise you to start learning why those who drive manual actually have funner in their cars, despite them being faster…

[@2fast2nick]

That's awesome, nice swap!

[@ducbox572]

Great advice at the end. Brb, heading to autotempest.

[@socalnsx]

props to Mark, but he is a maniac....that is a lot on money and can't imagine the time it took to do that job DIY style. Would have been so much better economically to just hunt down a good deal on a gated version, not too mention the hit it will take on the resale value....I know I wouldn't want to buy a car that was converted, but that is just me

[@kreamo225]

I've never clicked on a video so quickly after seeing the title

[@RealRaynedance]

Every time I see one of these old V8 R8s, I think of the people that say one of Audi's twin-turbo V8s would kill the spirit of the car because "RAUAHGRWSAFD V10 oNLY". As if it didn't start _only_ as a V8 and as if the LMP race car it takes its name from didn't have a turbo V8 in it.

[@illsuspect]

Great now I need to buy an R8 to swap it to a manual!

[@smarais100]

Oh well... guess I will now sub to @ftwgarage and binge watch the process.

[@johnmitchell2269]

For me, the perfect R8 would be the original R8 V10 GT, gated manual and converted to RWD. Imagine driving that.

[@eichler721]

Great review and the car sounds and looks amazing

[@alf2633]

This is incredibly impressive and equally inspiring. Awesome project!

[@eddiericks6554]

Our mk1 v8 gated r8 is in hibernation this winter 🥶 come on spring time 😂

[@Jotomoz]

Yes if you want to be more engaged in driving. Unless it is so quick manuals are out of the question.

[@tonybennett638]

You are super keen to pull something like this on brother..

[@x310gtsx]

awesome story, cool project Mark!

[@oscardriver]

it's a RESCUE!!!! This is AMAZING!!!

[@vbimmerr]

Awesome car, and great owner! Enjoyed this one a lot 👍🏼

[@lagerace227]

Early Christmas present for Zack🙂

[@stephenwayant2790]

Best driving experience you've had in a year? Zach what car were you in a year ago?

[@augustortiz]

The R-Tronic boxes were an abomination especially when you consider the same year E9X M3 had the DCT. A 2 door supercar like this should have had a manual only and a good dct at the very least. Swap all the R-tronics!

[@thegrimmer]

Hey could you guys put a large arrow on the thumbnail so we know where to look? Thanks.

[@rpitneyjr]

Man, that sound!

[@not_super_street]

This owner told a story about renting tracks for him and his friends for his bachelor party that turned into his business on VINwiki, right…

[@200mphBrian]

Of course the Gated shifter is better but I've never had a seconds problem driving the e-gear yes you have to learn how to drive with it but it's never been much of a problem for me

[@MrWhitePerson]

why no mention of the trim level or spec or the car either on the title or the beggining of the video like always? did i miss it? first mention of specs is way past the middle of the video

[@johnwethekylow]

Yeah, car community forums are awesome about willing to help people new to this sort of thing. I've been convinced out of projects by being told to search the forums when the same guy who took that time could link me to a GOOD post on the forum and I don't have to trial by error all the dumb approaches that have gone by over the years. Car forum gatekeepers are the f'in worst.

[@pole-star2118]

Waiting for Matt's Deman 4.5L video! hopefully he gives us a price break down and how he ordered it. Great video as always Zack!

[@cobaltlukather9045]

when you hear "four two" and think of the Smart ForTwo instead of the 4.2 in the car they're actually talking about...