sounds good man. Definitely a good buy considering 83 k kms and leather interior!
I got some advice:
1. Don't do the manual conversion until after the HSC. Come to think of it, don't drive the car much at all until after the HSC, silvia turbos are addictive.
2. If your Dad is offering to buy you a GTR when you are 20, take the offer. The GTR is a Porsche killer and potential Ferrari killer. It's in a whole new league above the silvia. Make sure you buy stuff for your Silvia which could be transferred onto a GTR.
Dunno about the manual stuffing the resale value though....it would improve it if done by a professional. But don't tell your dad that, keep the auto and keep his deal.
3. Be careful in your first auto turbo car. Don't try drifting in it until you are fully used to the transmission. The auto (like all autos)can sometimes shift mid-drift.
4. Don't worry about insurance. I was quoted $3500 p.a. It's not worth it, especially when panels are in ready supply and they aren't too hard to fix.
But meh, if you are trying to get into med you should be concentrating on HSC and not dreaming up mods for your car
The front end swap was not that hard. Me and my mate had no mechanical experience and we did it in two days. Panels literally bolt straight into place. Needed a professional to get the popup motors going. Yeah I agree, sileighty looks better but onevia looks better than silvia. If you are really keen, bolt on the S15 front.