auto or manual?

hey wut up....i was wondering which would be better: a manual transmission or a "manual automatic" transmission. please leave ur opinion..thanx..

personally, I'd go auto if you got auto you don't have to f*** with a clutch so you never miss a shift. plus you can build them up to handle just as much as hp as a manual if not more. :)

I cant belive your asking this question man. and Firebird, im discusted with your answer.

There is nothing better....and im telling you dude...NOTHING better, then the feeling of ripping off pavement in a manual. Its just something i cant explain. It saves gas, its fun, its easy, its looks good, its fun, girls love it, and its fun. Best of all, its fun.

"once you go manual, you never go back"

well I've never driven manual so maybe my advise was illeducated (oops.)


I just go by what I've heard and this is what i've heard personally I like autos maybe cause I'm lazy. I think it's all preferance(sp).

oh it is all preference, but man o man are you missing out. mainly because of the reasons i listed above, but also...because its fun..

Cool thing about manuals is that you control the engine. Not like in the automatics were you push the gas and if the car feels like it maybe it will start.

it depends on what you want to do.... a manual is the best for everyday driving- it's fun, good for casual racing etc... a modified automatic (higher stall torque converter, shift kit, etc..) is best for serious racing. granted they aren't as fun to drive, but they have quicker shifts, and are more consistant in how fast they get you down the track. it all depends on what you want to do with your car.

For a car, Manual. I don't care what anyone say, they are faster than automatics.
For a truck, Automatic. The torque converter makes for better pulling uphill.
For true racing, Sequential. Still a manual, just controlled by the computer, quick as you can get.

MANUAL biotch is the way to go :D

Hey faster, you think autos have quicker shifts??

hmm. Honestly, i think i can shift quicker in my car, than anyone in any auto. period. but then again, not everyone is that good at shifting. (sorry if it sounds like im bragging, im just saying...its hard to explain in words since i have no useage of body language).

manual all the way. ITS JUST FUN!!

Hey, I was wondering how I should launch my automatic. To do a manual I know you put the clutch in, raise the rpms, and then let go of the clutch and gas it. But how would I go about doing that on an automatic? I've tried holding the brakes and bringing up the rpms, but then the wheels just start spinning. Should I put it in neutral then raise the rpms and put it in first? And also, how much should I bring up the rpms? I'm getting a new engine put in my car in a few weeks. It's going to be a 383 with over 450hp. Thanks for the help.

No human can shift faster then a properly built automatic.
You can come close, but you won't be faster.

For drag racing, auto is the best way to go.
For road racing, manual.

Originally posted by Blackbird01
No human can shift faster then a properly built automatic...If this is true, why is it that everyone in the Drag world uses a stick?

actually, everyone in competitive drag racing uses an automatic. they manually shift it from gear to gear. if you look at a car's specs, chances are they have something similar to a Powerglide or a TH-400 tranny which is chevy's heavy duty automatic- ideal for the strip... check out www.siracing.com - it's the site of a friend of my family who competitively races. go check the specs of the cars they currently have in the line up.

depends where you live. now all of you who love stick, i have no probpem with that, but i drive auto for one reason alone. I live in San Francisco, and driving stick in SF is a bitch. Nothing but hills and traffic. Now if you live in SF and drive stick, good for you, but dont say driving stick in SF is worth it, cas its not.

an auto is best for drag racing, well a properly built auto anyway.

a manual is better pretty much anywhere else.



pretty much ALL of the top cars in the drag racing world, either import or domestic, use an automatic transmission. i remember that turbo magazine article with that supra. it had the 6 speed manual for street duty, and a "quick-change" 2 speed powerglide for drag duty. (a powerglide is a chevy built auto that has been around for years for those of u who are unfamiliar with it) on slicks, it could just hit 9's on the 6 speed, but well into 8's with the auto.

The best way to go is for a sport shift, like what alot of companies
are making stock in their cars right now. Jaguar is a good example.
You have an automatic tranny which you can shift just like you would
a manual, without having to work a clutch pedal.

It's easy to do, though not quite as fun as a true manual, but it gets
the job done much nicer.

In all truth, manual is for people who REALLY drive, i love the manuals
but my doesn't have one. Yet on that note, in my automatic Bonneville,
there's nothing like flooring the gas, feeling 1st gear work it's way up,
hesitating and then throwing you in your seat as second kicks in.

Both are great, but i do believe that the sport shift is the best. Either that or power shifting an automatic tranny. Just get more power
that way.

Originally posted by fastrThanU
actually, everyone in competitive drag racing uses an automatic. they manually shift it from gear to gear. if you look at a car's specs, chances are they have something similar to a Powerglide or a TH-400 tranny which is chevy's heavy duty automatic- ideal for the strip... check out www.siracing.com - it's the site of a friend of my family who competitively races. go check the specs of the cars they currently have in the line up.

I wonder how that is when I see funny cars, pro stock, and top fuel cars with clutches. Those aren't autos.

there are clutch-activated autos. so u get the advantage of raising the rpm for launch and the better grip of a manually activated clutch rather than a slippy auto, but then after launch the computer takes over and works the clutch for u. ive seen this on a lot of sequential transmissions but not on a computer shifted one, but maybe thats what they have,

But those still arent automatic transmissions. Automatics have torque converters in place of the clutch. A sequential is still a manual transmission, the clutch is just controlled by the computer. That does make it an auto, it by defenition and design is a manual trasmission. Automatics don't have a clutch.

i just did a search of for-sale drag cars on the internet ranging from bracket racers, to Outlaw, all the way up to Pro Street... the vast majority of the cars i saw had some form of modified Powerglide(23), Turbo 400(17), Turbo 350(8), C6(2), 700-R4(2), 727(2)

a couple had manuals: Tremec TKO 5-spd(1), Lenco(1), T-10(2)

So here's the grand total for drag strip trannnies:

Automatics: 54
Manual: 4

i take the manual, i like the control over the tranny. my experience with the sequential is not that great (3.2 CL-S, MR2) but i still like the feel and flexibility of the manual.

It's true, I agree with FastrThanU I know that most dragsters use autos.

I like manual much more, now that I've drivin it, well sorta. I find that with a manual transmission,t he driver has muhc more control over the engine, it also raises the bar for drivers who consider themselves 'good'.

Personally, I'd really like to try BMW's SMG II, in the sport mode, you can perform shifts in 0.1 seconds, much faster than anybody can in a manual. To my knowledge, the Magneti Marelli F1 Trannys can do it in 0.06 seconds, that fast. They use sequential gearboxes BTW.

Originally posted by Celica-Zen
my experience with the sequential is not that great (3.2 CL-S, MR2)

those are more sequential autos, a sequentially shifted manual tranny will have a clutch. thats my choice, a sequential with manual clutch for idle and an auto-clutch for gear change.

hmm wonder how much one of those would cost for my subaru?

I know I've driven manuals and autos, and a properly built auto will outshift a manual, BUT you have more control of RPMs and shifting points with the manual. I LOVE manuals, I own a stick as my fun truck (ex-daily driver) and an auto (new daily driver), and as far as "hills" I live in Eastern KY you can't get worse than having to double downshift when you hit a MOUNTAIN, no offense but San Fran can't hold a light to Eastern KY.....

"San Fran can't hold a light to Eastern KY"
BS, ive driving in the hills of VA, WVA and all those hick states have nothing on SF. Hills arent the problem, its the traffic with them, and your hills have no traffic on them (animals dont count...)

Originally posted by Polygon
A sequential is still a manual transmission, the clutch is just controlled by the computer. That does make it an auto, it by defenition and design is a manual trasmission. Automatics don't have a clutch.

How many times do I have to say it?

I have lived in a larger city (it wasn't SF but it wasn't country) and I'd rather deal with traffic anyday than have to deal with MOUNTAINS and COAL TRUCKS. I'd like to know what "hick states" and what exact parts they were.... because until you've dealt with vehicles going 25 MPH for no reason on a road where you can't pass (not becasue of legallity, but because of the curves and the fact that its a 2 lane) and the fear that the 18 wheeler that you're following could just flop over around any curve, or the gate on it could open and spill over 25 tons of coal onto the road in front of you..... TRAFFIC AIN"T SHIT.....

but like I said earlier, I LOVE my stick, but my auto is my daily now, but mainly because the stick is now my play toy....

Originally posted by Polygon
How many times do I have to say it? Haha...i know...

im sticking with a manual. my throw is really short, its too much fun, and the control aspect is important too. plus, im kinda figity, so i gotta be doing something while im driving...

not everyone uses a manual for drag racing. There is a great number of drag cars with auto transmissions. They are more consistent when it comes to bracket racing, and th GM autos are damn close to shifting like the GM manuals do

Actually, GM autos shift FASTER then GM manuals.
In an automatic, you can hold out the shift as long as you'd like (at least, in my car you can).
Fords C6 automatic is the best transmissions you can buy for a drag race application.

i really cant say i know which is better for what..but all i know is that i love ripping through the gears in a manual..its a great feeling, no matter what car you are, ive driven many cars and no matter what, as long as it is a mnaual with a nice gearbox, i have fun drivin.. autos are kind of boring, the jeep my parents had bought me was an auto, an i always felt it was really delicate and you always had to be careful, with manuals, you can have a little room to drive the car hard.. or mess up..i would suggest a manual..

i said earlier that an auto is better for drag racing, but even so, i wont even consider buying a car that isnt a manual. if i see a car i think i want, the very 1st thing i look at is if its a manual, and if its not i just walk away and forget about it.

the ONLY time i ever considered buying an auto was this REALLY nice looking classic 240Z with a 350 in it and a 4 speed auto, but thats only cuz itd be awesome to have such a nice condition 240Z with a 350.