Automatic?

I'm really wanting to know if it's possible to have a racing type car... with an automatic transmission. I bought an '05 pontiac sunfire, and it's automatic. I plan on really recreating this car, making it my own thing. I plan on swapping the engine too, but i'm really knew, and I have no idea what i could do to it.

What im' wanting to know is though, Is automatic good, and if it isn't, can i change it to a manual? I also would like engine recomendations...

Thanks, in advance.

automatic can be just as good as a manual... it all depends on the tune... but seriously in a sunfire... i don't think your gonna want a "true race car". you can get pretty quick (if i remember correctly the engine you have) but by all means if you are not good with the stick , stay away from the stick. I prefer auto's myself.

I'm going to go out on a limb and presume that you don't know much about cars. Heres a list of stuff you should do/think about before you begin on your project.

1. Swapping engines isn't for the mecanically disabled. It takes a good ammount of knowledge of your car.
2. As far as I've seen, the Sunfire does not have a very large aftermarket for it, so you're going to be on your own as far as forced induction, suspension, and other parts go.
3. Automatics can be as good as manuals, with an experienced driver and a good tune to back him up.


I'm not trying to rain on your parade, but for a good track car, I'd recommend a Miata. Cheap, RWD, light, and very limber.

Good luck.

Automatic can only be as good as or better than a manual in a straight line.

or if it's one of the newer advanced automatics like in BMWs and shit

ehh okay as for no aftermarket for the sunfire, just look for cavalier parts, almost every part is identical.

The automatic transmission they have in those is the GM 4t40e. Its not a bad transmission, but its not a performance trans either. It can hold its own when it comes to power, but not much of a track monster in straight line or twist. A major design flaw in the trans is its cooling abilites. This trans doesnt cool itself well, so an aftermarket trans cooler is high recomended. Dont buy an B&M shiftplus for autotrans interceptor for it, do it right and tune it with HPtuners.

Engine swaps are pretty much pointless with cavaliers. Ive seen a few 3400 and 3800s get swapped, but by people who really know there shit. IF i were you i would just stay with the ecotec motor that you have now. GM makes a supercharger kit for your car that should put you at around 200WHP, save up some money for that.

+1 supercharge it. (i didn't know if it was the ecotec motor or not on the 05's... so i kept quiet lol

It all depends on what kind of racing you want to do. If it is drag racing then you can be just as good as any manual. If it is road racing then the manual will ALWAYS be better.

It all depends on what kind of racing you want to do. If it is drag racing then you can be just as good as any manual. If it is road racing then the manual will ALWAYS be better.

and if it's autocrossing the auto will shift you out of your power band to help fuel consumption, unless you manually shift it but that puts strain on the auto.

sunfire as a race car? ok i guess if your totally recreating it. but when your done it better look something like this

http://wawawoum.images2.free.fr/images/uk/ariel/2003_atom-2_1.jpg

and if it's autocrossing the auto will shift you out of your power band to help fuel consumption, unless you manually shift it but that puts strain on the auto.

That's why you go with a manual valve body. That way you have to shift the gears yourself. That's what we do in drag racing. EVERYBODY with a real race car has some kind of automatic transmissions (powerglides are the most popular, but there's a few turbo 350s and 400s) and none of them will shift themselves from low to high, or 1st-2nd-3rd.

We do have C02/air/electric shifters though to shift them for us however.

But anyways, automatics are a 100 times better for drag racing then manuals. If you use an electric or air shifter, then you put whatever size chip you want in the RPM activator, and the car will always shift at that set rpm. You can't beat it.

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But anyways, automatics are a 100 times better for drag racing then manuals. If you use an electric or air shifter, then you put whatever size chip you want in the RPM activator, and the car will always shift at that set rpm. You can't beat it.

uh-huh. except for his case. hes gonna need a humungous turbo to make an automatic work. 4 cylinder engines just dont have the power and torque to make use of an automatic without suffering pretty big drivetrain loss.

uh-huh. except for his case. hes gonna need a humungous turbo to make an automatic work. 4 cylinder engines just dont have the power and torque to make use of an automatic without suffering pretty big drivetrain loss.

Depends on converter choice........

yeah and you can modify the internals and shit but who even makes this stuff for his car. it may be just me but he doesnt sound like he knows enough to start modifying that stuff. but hey if he plans on learning how in order to make that car fast, more power to him.

yeah and you can modify the internals and shit but who even makes this stuff for his car. it may be just me but he doesnt sound like he knows enough to start modifying that stuff.

True that!