Damn...I'm glad this forum has a noob question section! Here it goes...

I've got a standing offer to trade my Vdub Jetta for a 02 4Runner w/ 4wd! The only buzz kill is the 4runner is auto. I'd be down, for sure if the conversion would be, say bolt in. I've done auto to manual tranny swaps on cars in the past, and is usually quite, plug and play.

Of the generations of 4runners, what's cross compatible. I'm going off assumption that I need to exchange a bell housing, transmission and maybe a transfer case? Different driveshafts, front and rear? Is that all that differs, mechanically?

I know there were manual transfer cases in some cars...is there any merit to one of these over the electric diff?

 

You'd need to find a manual tranny, ECU, pedal assembly, and T-case minimum for the conversion. Donor vehicles would be V6 96-02 4Runners or maybe taco's 97-04 V6's.

My first question would be why do you want to get rid of the Auto?

 

I would take an '02 auto 4x4 4runner over a Jetta anyday! What's with all the auto haters latley? Have you even driven a 4runner w/ an auto? They're pretty darn nice. Also, for the price to convert an auto to a manual, you could quite literally buy an entire 2nd 4runner (maybe even a manual).