im just trying to get a ballpark idea how much it would cost to swap from an a4 transmission to an m6 in a 98 trans am.

 

Look around, lots of guys selling complete packages in the ~$1500 - 2000 range, used obviously. Then it's just a matter of some time and tinkering around to get it all swapped . If you decide to replace/upgrade things like clutch, flywheel, shifter, etc., right off the bat, then you could be into ~$2500 - 3000.

I just completed the swap myself about ~3 weeks ago, and it cost me around ~$3000 CDN, and that included buying a setup from a guy in Florida, paying the (sit down for this one ) $700 shipping (CDN$) and as well, I had to buy a new clutch and a couple odds and ends.

So far though? Very happy with my decision . But, for me it was a matter of spend ~$2000 - 2500 to re-build my automatic PROPERLY, including buying a new stall converter, or spend a few bucks more and get a 6-speed?

As well, I've been toying around with some road racing (just lapping for now, nothing really competitive) but that's what finally cooked my 4L60E in the first place.

The conversion was surprisingly easy ... I did pretty much all the work myself, and only had a friend lend a hand for the lifting pretty much.

Do some searching ... you'll find lots of info from guys who have already done this and posted about it. And not to step on any toes here, but over on LS1Tech.com, in their "Manual Transmission" section, there's a ~14 page discussion on the A4 --> M6 swap! (it includes how-to's, pics, diagrams, and all the info needed to do the job ).