Manual shifting in an automatic...

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Why be ashamed? My 88 GT had a 5spd with a pretty stiff clutch. I went to the locaL oval track one Friday night. About 3 miles from the track I hit stop and go traffic for almost an hour. My left leg was so weak from constant use on the clutch, by the time I got there I had spasms in both legs for the rest of the night.

No sir, nothing wrong with autos, Ive had lots of both and like them both.
 
Ok here is what happened to me. I have and AODE w/B&M hammer shifter that was custom built. My tranny lasted about 2 years after I installed the shifter and started shifting manaully when i raced some times.

But Like a moron I left the stock Torque converter in the car. If you go with a good torque converter you should never have to shift it like a manual.

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Take it from me get a good torque converter and some rear gears and it will do everything you want it too..
 
All my previous sports cars have been manuals... but this time I went with an automatic and don't regret it one bit... especially now since I'm taking the car to the drag strip (I never took any of my previous cars)...

Couple of things.. The tranny is fly by wire like the throttle... so manual shifting shouldn't be an issue... But here's what I did.. I bough an SCT X-Cal2... In my opinion this is a MUST HAVE for the automatic. I then tweaked the transmission shift schedule using the free software from SCT. This let you change it so the car isn't so upshift happy! Stock your car will be in 3rd gear at 16MPH under light throttle... Mine doesn't even come out of first until almost 20MPH! It keeps the RPMs up more in the power band... so when you do decide to romp on it you tend to be in the right gear and avoid a lot of downshift... It took me a while to tweak it to get it just like I wanted it... but man it's cool now... LOL!
 
Please explain a few things. Why would you be embarrassed of haveing an auto? What exactly is wrong with an auto?

I have had some extremly fast cars with auto's. 72 chevelle LS1 350 th 350 with a shift kit, car was never beat in a street race against many sticks.

Please explain why a lot of drag racers use power glides?

This whole it's not a sports car if it doesn't have a stick is a bunch of BS and a lot of ignorance on the part of the people that say it!

If you think so bad of an auto why did you buy it? Just because it was all you could find? Well then the stick reallly didn't mean that much if you couldn't wait for it!

As a number of people have said there is a lot that can be done with this tranny so don't knock it till you try it! :damnit:
 
:stupid: Very true statements.. The 2 speed powerglide has always been a track fav. If you visit the track enough you will see why auto win most races. the pressing of the clutch and changing the gears lose you a fraction of a sec..

I got my auto, for almost the same reason you did, and at the time I wanted something that my wife could also drive..

Just remember, you need to change that torque converter..
 
Wow, i didn't mean to start an anti-automatic thread... I've been taking a lot of heat for buying an auto. I've been taking a lot of heat for not buying a v8.

People are ignorant, yes. However, i didnt mean for you to get upset. Sorry and relax. The whole point is i thought i could get more power shifting manualy rather letting it do it itself. I have mac exhaust and intake. I also have diablo predator, maybe i dont need to shift manualy.
 
LOL i know how you feel. i posted pics of my car and instead of help i got "your car is Fugly" and a host of other negative things..

although you car is Fly by Wire, i wouldn't advise you to power shift it alot. Tune it and get the rear gears and torque convertor and have fun
 
Kuruption said:
Wow, i didn't mean to start an anti-automatic thread... I've been taking a lot of heat for buying an auto. I've been taking a lot of heat for not buying a v8.

People are ignorant, yes. However, i didnt mean for you to get upset. Sorry and relax. The whole point is i thought i could get more power shifting manualy rather letting it do it itself. I have mac exhaust and intake. I also have diablo predator, maybe i dont need to shift manualy.

Heat??? LOL! The car show season is done here in Michigan.... but I was entering an average of 6 car shows a months since spring... A V6 automatic... talk about heat... so between "You should have got a GT" and "Oh, it's an automatic...." Well, you just develop a thick skin... LOL!

Here's a little blurb I put together... It's sits on the front of the car along with my other flyer for the list of mods...

ok... it's in the following thread... LOL

http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=576367