The Selespeed In the GTAs are actually more closely related to that used in the Maserati 4200/Ferrari 360. Whether that means the shifts can be sharpened up in the same manner as the 4200 to 360CS specs, I’m not sure.
The Twin Spark Selespeeds are different and though fun, best avoided.
While there are some RHD manuals in Japan, most are LHD for tax prestige reasons. You can convert a Selespeed RHD to manual - it’s the same gearbox, but with a rod actuated gearchange - but I don’t know how much this would cost. However, with low mileage UK market GTAs getting rare and expensive, the right Japanese Selespeed car in the right colour might be worth converting, particularly for the 147s.
While most 156s were bought by people who cared for them, older types - as evidenced by the fair few that have gone past 120k-150k miles and are in great nick, the 147 wasn’t so lucky.
For many years it was just a cheap hot hatchback and a lot have been thrashed, abused or neglected. Mine had nine owners and just the last owner kept his history after rescuing it and doing it up as a trade in. Turns out it had half a new gearbox, half a refurb one…
Someone once told me that whatever 147 GTA you buy, be prepared to spend £10,000 all in. Either go top of the market and buy a minter, or spend £6k and spend £4K sorting it out.
Prices for minters has risen by six grand - the blue one at Alfa Aid, having driven and seen the work first hand, is worth £16k if not more - so be prepared to spend £16k whether you buy a cheap one or not.
as for this vendor - these Japanese cars have been up for sale for a long time and need gentle coaxing back into life. Budget at least a cambelt and waterpump, which is a grand - just to be on the safe side.
Then it’s a case of checking if it’s had a Q2/Quaife diff - another essential, another grand or so. This is another essential, if you don’t want to have your gearbox explode or under steer into a hedge.
Then I’d put serious thought into an aftermarket suspension setup, as the standard one is not brilliant and goes light over mid-corner bumps.
The other issue is Japanese servicing - what’s it had done? - but to be fair any GTA you buy will likely need something in the first year, so this shouldn’t be a turn off as long as there’s no rot.
I hope this doesn’t put you off - they are deeply charismatic machines that with the Q2 + aftermarket suspension turns into a Sunday morning adrenaline hit like really nothing else. It’s not a track car, it’s a road car that will demand more of you than something like a RenaultSport Megane/Clio, or Golf, with purer handling. The GTA is deeply impure, in the best way…
Personally I’d spend as much as I could a minter, rather than bring one up to spec.