ok guys, i'm thinking about dual tcases in my lwb efi vitara, and i've got a line on a wicked deal on a vitara/kick tcase that is on the back of a low mile 4sp ELECTRONIC auto.

now my vitara is a 5 speed manual, but i'd like to swap the auto in for crawling (and the gearing advantages), but i wont be getting the computer with the automatic, so i'm wondering if it is possible to swap the auto in and manualise it for the first 3 gears then have a simple independant switch to lock up the overdrive?

is this at all possible? does the computer talk to the gearbox at all in the manual vitaras/kicks, will it run fine if the auto is run independantly etc.? i dont really want to have to track down an automatic wiring loom and rewire it just to swap the auto in as its a DD....if thats the case, i'll stick with the manual.

any info would be appreciated guys, i found plenty about swapping in the old non-electronic 3 spd, but the 4sp is a bit more involved.

I don't know how involved the computer
is in the trannys shifting, it could be all
computer control, not to say that it will
not work without the computer, but it might
shift like crap and slam every gear after
it hits redline on the tach.  Not the best for
crawling I would say

Wild