I'm in the process of buying a 1991 Q45 as a project car and have been researching a lot on the auto to manual swap. A lot of the info I'm finding on the forums or just online in general seems pretty old (though is most likely still accurate). So i'm more just confirming what i'm seeing/finding.

The original plan is to use the collin's adapter for the 350Z 6 speed. My main reasoning is as follows:

1. I can buy a new one still and not have to worry about sketchy or questionable internals
2. The adapter installation looks a bit more straightforward
3. Even a used CD009/6 speed is comparable price to most NA 300ZX or TT 300ZX 5 speeds i'm finding nowadays

For the flywheel, I saw some information relating to the flywheel lip needing to be machined down to prevent interference with the original flexplate. Does a company make the flywheel already machined down, or is it better/cheaper to just buy a standard flywheel and have a machine shop do it?

I did read on the forums that there was another adapter plate sold for the Z32 5 speed that required very little modification, but looks like it was sold by a forum member? If i could find more info on that adapter plate, or if its still available, then maybe i'd consider the 5 speed a bit more.

For the clutch pedal, I was thinking of going the route of using the xcessive pedal bracket and willwood cylinder, but i'm seeing mixed responses on it and having to modify more stuff than it lets on (or still not being able to keep the e-brake). Is it better to just grab a clutch pedal assembly from a Z or G35 and use it just to retain the same stock slave cylinder/reservoir and line fitment?

For the driveshaft, which i'm pretty sure I already know the answer for but figured i'd ask anyway just to confirm there hasn't been any changes since 2014 (the last info I could find). Are there any pre-made driveshafts available for the swap using the CD009/6 speed or Z32 5 speed? Or is it still just contacting a driveshaft shop to custom make one based on measurements?

From what I can see the 350Z and Q45 both use a R200V rear differential with the 4 bolt flange. Once you get the length setup, it should just bolt up to the existing rear differential pinion flange, correct?

Welcome to the forums!
Not to be a copy-cat but my '90 will be receiving the same treatment in the coming years, I have a co worker with nearly a decade of performance experience who is excited to assist with the swap + forced induction. Unfortunately you and I seem to be on different timelines, otherwise we could have swapped notes and built off of each others ideas....

Sorry I don't have anything to contribute at the moment but I'm curious to see what you come up with! BTW if you're ok with sharing some of the threads you've read, having the same source material available would allow others to get on the same page and possibly give a more informed opinion. Just a thought.

No1Dad wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 26, 2023 1:32 pm

BTW if you're ok with sharing some of the threads you've read, having the same source material available would allow others to get on the same page and possibly give a more informed opinion. Just a thought.

Thanks for the welcome.

I'll post links to what i've found so far from forum search and videos/info.

1994-q45-6speed-swap-t588760.html is the more "recent" (from 2014) thread, or at least the one that the forum search brought up for Q45 6 speed manual swap, there was a person in that thread named elwesso that mentioned they sold/made adapters for the 5 speed that doesn't require modification to the transmission, and that the 5 speed might be a better option due to pricing (but obviously pricing back in 2014 doesn't mean much in 2023, heh) and overall gearing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uU03M2b7Dk is the video I found where they talked about having to machine down the lip for the the flywheel (its around the 1:40 mark in the video). Now this appears to be on a Y33/VH41DE, so maybe there is a difference on the VH45 on the G50 and its flexplate, but I just can't find any info on the G50 year. This guy also mentions using a G35 clutch pedal/master but never made a video about it and it seems most of his content for the Q45 dies off after the second video (in the comments on a video he mentions he made the G pedal work but it was a pain)

Not to be a copy-cat but my '90 will be receiving the same treatment in the coming years, I have a co worker with nearly a decade of performance experience who is excited to assist with the swap + forced induction. Unfortunately you and I seem to be on different timelines, otherwise we could have swapped notes and built off of each others ideas....

I mean, at this point any more recent/modern information is a good thing. Our timelines are probably similar, i'm just breaking it up into more digestible pieces in terms of work.

1. Exhaust (removing pre-cats and welding in straight piping to make room for manual swap and then fabricating/welding my own out to the back)

2. Manual Transmission swap

3. Suspension, Brakes and wheels/tires (its not getting slammed or VIP'd, focusing on handling/performance)

4. Either turbocharger or supercharger (like a pro-charger, maybe M112 w/ the intake manifold from VHperformance but that is more $$$)

5. Stand alone set-up, thinking haltech but that is still a ways out

We are definitely taking a different approach to things... I don't even have a budget set for now.
Just to preface, I haven't looked into the logistics of my build. Truth be told most of what my co-worker and I came up with was just spit-balling during breaks so none of what I have may be feasible to begin with (this should give you an idea of the timeline as well). I can't say that what I have can even be considered planning. Maybe wish list is a better term LOL

Adapter plate:
A company called " advanced adapters" came highly recommended. He's worked with them in the past and assures me they're the way to go. Fine with me.

Clutch/flywheel:
Nothing

Transmission:
Tremec T-56. I can't seem to wrap my head around how this would work but its his #1 choice for a performance manual.

Driveshaft:
There's a shop nearby that's done work for me in the past. Simply "re-tubing" (shortening or lengthening) has cost somewhere around $150 - $220 previously. Theoretically once I get a yoke and flange I can't imagine it would be more than $500 to combine them into a regular steel shaft but that's obviously not the way to go if I plan to push bigger numbers.

Clutch pedal, slave cyl, etc:
Nothing.

I've recently had my trans rebuilt so I'm leaning towards engine upgrades first. I have my heart set on supercharging for now. Again I've got nothing as far as price/parts on that end. If I tackle the engine first, I would say about 2 years away sounds right. Optimistically a manual swap is somewhere ~5 years down the line for me.

I will be swapping my 2000 in the next year or two. I already bought the Colins adapter plate and will piece together parts as the months go by so i'm not much help but update this if you can. I found a guy on Instagram that did it in his Y33 but if you're interested he has some good info

Ludeaem wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 31, 2023 8:16 am

I will be swapping my 2000 in the next year or two. I already bought the Colins adapter plate and will piece together parts as the months go by so i'm not much help but update this if you can. I found a guy on Instagram that did it in his Y33 but if you're interested he has some good info

Yeah i'll be updating things as I go. The main info I found was on the VH41 and requiring the flywheel to be milled down, but I don't know if that applies the same to the VH45, but I assume it does.

Have you discovered Performance VH and Excessive Manufacturing yet?

https://www.performancevh.com/vh45de

https://www.xcessivemanufacturing.com/n ... _limit=all

Ryantzer wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 03, 2023 1:46 pm

Have you discovered Performance VH and Excessive Manufacturing yet?

https://www.performancevh.com/vh45de

https://www.xcessivemanufacturing.com/n ... _limit=all

I was aware but somehow overlooked xcessive's VG driveshaft. So it might be simpler to go with their VG adapter + driveshaft and then use a VG transmission instead of the 6 speed.

Ryantzer wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 03, 2023 1:46 pm

Have you discovered Performance VH and Excessive Manufacturing yet?

https://www.performancevh.com/vh45de

https://www.xcessivemanufacturing.com/n ... _limit=all

Just a word of caution, the last order I put in with performance VH was not great. It was missing items and getting this guy to reply at all was like pulling teeth. In the end it dragged out so long that I had to start a dispute with PayPal to get the remainder of my order, the deadline for filing a claim was only a day out. I eventually received what I paid for but a simple "bear with me"/status update or disclaimer would've gone a long way.

BTW I'm well aware some things on the website state " Custom made per order, please allow 6-8 weeks for completion" but none of what I bought had this notice. If you're OK with complete radio silence and don't mind extended wait times it should be a good resource. Don't mean to sound too salty as I'm planning to buy from him again.