switching from auto to 5 spd. not a how to ?

[TEAMJACOB]

I'm just wondering if anyone regretted swapping their 5 spd set up for an auto because they felt it wasnt as fun on the street. I wanna go as fast as I can at the track get the most out of any setups I currently have and any I may switch to. So I understand my 7.5's can be 7.0's with an auto and that makes me want one. I'm just worried the cars wont be as fun on the street? Please share your thoughts.

[RuStYpNuS]

Have you not seen videos of people rowing gears? Sounds just like an auto car. YouTube powershifting.

[Kyle]

Consistency is key. With an auto you should never miss a shift unless the tranny fails some where along the line. Also with an auto you should stay in power longer based on stall speed. Another factor is the trans brake, if you have one. Sure dumping the clutch is basically the same thing, but there is a lot less movement when you only have to push a button. Again consistency is the key with an auto plus the added bonus of staying in your power band. With a standard, you generally get a lot more drop in RPMs vs an auto. This can be helped somewhat with gearing though. I guess in the end it just depends on what you are really trying to accomplish and how you want to drive the car. Standards are definitely more fun to drive!!!

Some guys can row gears like a mother fucker though! Plus you can get into the standard transmissions that have dog bones (or whatever they are called) where you don't need the clutch at all to shift and they live for a while. Draw back there is that they aren't great on the street and pretty noisey from what I understand!

I've always had autos in my stangs. If you want to go fast get an auto, but thats just my .02.

[ceyko]

I'm just wondering if anyone regretted swapping their 5 spd set up for an auto because they felt it wasnt as fun on the street. I wanna go as fast as I can at the track get the most out of any setups I currently have and any I may switch to. So I understand my 7.5's can be 7.0's with an auto and that makes me want one. I'm just worried the cars wont be as fun on the street? Please share your thoughts.

Your post is contradicting to me in a way.

"wanna go as fast as I can at the track" screams auto to me.

"felt it wasnt as fun on the street." screams that you want to be in a 5 speed.

I bought an auto Mustang several years ago thinking I wanted a drag car. Long story short, drag racing was the least I did with the car. Everything else - a 5 speed would've been a lot more fun.

If you want street fun, to do autox, road racing or anything else stay 5 speed. If drag racing is priority - auto. I would keep your 5 speed parts around for a year or two just in case you change your mind.

[Vertnut]

Your post is contradicting to me in a way.

"wanna go as fast as I can at the track" screams auto to me.

"felt it wasnt as fun on the street." screams that you want to be in a 5 speed.

I bought an auto Mustang several years ago thinking I wanted a drag car. Long story short, drag racing was the least I did with the car. Everything else - a 5 speed would've been a lot more fun.

If you want street fun, to do autox, road racing or anything else stay 5 speed. If drag racing is priority - auto. I would keep your 5 speed parts around for a year or two just in case you change your mind.

Yeah. Back when I had my '89 'vert, I did a 5 speed swap. It was never going to be fast, but the AOD made it even more of a turd on the street, and even less fun to drive. When the AOD cratered, I did the swap and threw in some 3.73's, too. It was a HUGE transformation. Consistant? No. Fast? No. Fun factor? Big time.

[Doug Hatton]

What year is your car? Autos have come a long way in the last few years as far as factory type transmissions are concerned. The advent of 5 and 6 speed autos make them much more responsive. If I end up buying an '11, it will be auto for this reason.

If you're talking about an older car, it's really up to you. The fastest foxes I've owned were autos, but I sure thought jammin' the gears in a 5-spd felt fast at the time! LOL! A well-built, correctly stalled auto will always outperform a manual at the dragstrip. For me, the faster I went, the less I wanted to worry about launch technique, shift points, physically shifting, etc. One less thing to worry about.

[Slowhand]

How much time do you honestly spend at the strip? If it's once or twice a month, do you really want to start making mods that make it quicker two times a month and unfathomably boring the other 28-29 days of the month?

[ceyko]

How much time do you honestly spend at the strip? If it's once or twice a month, do you really want to start making mods that make it quicker two times a month and unfathomably boring the other 28-29 days of the month?

Not to mention, to have a STRONG understanding of an auto is a real PITA. I mean people can explain things and tell you how they are, but without any technical/mechanical backing of why it is the way it is and so on. There are a million and one options and ways to skin a cat with some autos and to make decisions, you have to be somewhat informed.

Then, after awhile if you're trying to do anything but drag race - you have to watch your TFTs and understand what's going on there.

[clevelandkid]

Personally, I'd rather put the money from a trans swap into more power and / or suspension.

[BLK306]

Get you an auto with a manual valve body and you can kind of have the best of both worlds.

[VaderTT]

I didn't regret being faster and more consistant than I was with a tko, but I do miss the 5spd for a street car.

When I do my lsx swap it will stay manual, even after the turbo kit.

[TEAMJACOB]

Personally, I'd rather put the money from a trans swap into more power and / or suspension.

Agreed. However my car's t45 is about done. A t56 is not realistic right now. So a rebuilt t45 or auto is inevidable

[Txstang1]

I love my C4, its just as fun as an auto since I can melt the tires whenever I want up to 50 mph on the street, performs great at the track, dont have to worry about missing gears on the hose and maybe blowing it up. I'm on my 2nd c-4 in 10 years with 600 plus HP, went through seven 5 speeds with less than 380 hp before that

just sayin

[dumpycapri85]

So is the common oppinion here that a given car with the same motor , suspention and rear gear will be faster with an auto then a stick ? I always thought the auto sucked up more power then the stick and that would make the stick faster . I'm not talking about a 5.xx drag car but a 7.-8. street car with some track days . I have always thought you have to gear an auto pretty steep to get it moving and make up for the extra mass . We have a stick car with a 2-step and its very consistant .

[ceyko]

So is the common oppinion here that a given car with the same motor , suspention and rear gear will be faster with an auto then a stick ? I always thought the auto sucked up more power then the stick and that would make the stick faster . I'm not talking about a 5.xx drag car but a 7.-8. street car with some track days . I have always thought you have to gear an auto pretty steep to get it moving and make up for the extra mass . We have a stick car with a 2-step and its very consistant .

lol...too many variables. A stock auto vs a stock 5 speed both with same drivers the 5 speed will go faster (at least AFAIK in the 99-04 world).

Now modify the auto a bunch and the story changes a bit.

Edit: IMHO an auto has no place in the drag racing business w/o a stall converter.