automatic advantages

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Princess Valiant

A.K.A. Rainy Day Auto
Joined
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i have been in this hobby for around 8 years now and i have through quite a few cars, mopar only......well in this time i have never ran an automatic before....i used to buy manual cars only or i have 4 speed swapped a few cars too.. so my question is: i am considering building a 74 duster and im not sure about what driveline to use.......Automatics are new to me .....so i am asking if there are any advantages that torqueflights have over a 3 or 4 speed.....so far the big advantage i see, is that automatic stuff seems more common and easier on the purse over 4 speed stuff. any input please......BTW i am not sure what engine i am going to use....50/50 toss between a 225 or 360.
 
If you go v8 you can put a 200r4 in your car and gain a 4 gear (o/d
 
first off the slant and SB trans have a different bell housing so dont pick up a trans until your sure...
 
Manual transmissions are mostly for havin fun on the street. People race them and have for years...and have been VERY competitive. Ronnie Sox comes to mind. BUT, you have to get REALLY good. Bottom line is if you want your car to be as quick as possible you cannot out shift an automatic.
 
the 727 was a race bred transmission. they can take alot of abuse. in recent years the 904 has become an automatic favored with small block racers due to its lighter weight and performance capabilities. a well built automatic is virtually maintenance free and will provide years of quick shifting fun. i have traded out 4 speeds for autos a number of times because i prefer them
 
And you can shift an auto like a 3 speed without the clutch....

x2 there are valve bodies that are manual only, but takes a lot less time to change gears also you would need a clutch pedal and on a auto car mite have to move the brake pedal over :sign3:
 
I prefer automatics over sticks due to the fact that the area i live in is covered with traffic lights/stop and go traffic the constant shifting is awful, i would rather have sticks in my vehicles but the area just won't allow me to enjoy one.
 
I wish I'd "gone auto" years ago. I purposely wanted an auto car because my arthritis is so bad now. Torqueflites seem to be one of the easiest transmissions to work on, and there is PLENTY of info about 'em.
 
Driving around on the street a manual 3 or 4 speed is hard to beat for the fun factor.

At the track, I'd never run a manual trans car for bracket racing. 25+ years ago, autos were terrible at best,. Now they are light years better than manuals. Just look at the record books for stock and super stock, many auto trans cars are faster than the manual trans counterparts, some substantially faster . 25+ years ago, that really never happened. Autos are now way more consistent and MUCH easier on parts, even with a transbrake.
 
Driving around on the street a manual 3 or 4 speed is hard to beat for the fun factor.

At the track, I'd never run a manual trans car for bracket racing. 25+ years ago, autos were terrible at best,. Now they are light years better than manuals. Just look at the record books for stock and super stock, many auto trans cars are faster than the manual trans counterparts, some substantially faster . 25+ years ago, that really never happened. Autos are now way more consistent and MUCH easier on parts, even with a transbrake.

you know that SS/AH now gets i think a 150Lbs weight break for a manual!?!? like really?
 
When I stick my face against the side window and see a 4 speed sticking out of the floor, I think cool. When I see an automatic I think, must be the wifes car.
 
When I stick my face against the side window and see a 4 speed sticking out of the floor, I think cool. When I see an automatic I think, must be the wifes car.

my slant car slams your head against the seat and its and auto... and a slant...
 
Take 2 Mopars equipped the same 1 a 4 speed the other an automatic.

Put them side by side , drop the hammer and the automatic will pull ahead by a car off the line and stay ahead all the way every time, even if you switch drivers.

The auto is the way to GO !
 
I,ve raced with both 4 speed and 904 auto,hands down the auto is quicker(for me anyway)my 904 is built for racing behind my 410ci small block.I am at more ease leaving the line with the auto as it doesn,t seem as hard on the parts,car.there,s also a ton of cars that came with the small block 904,so can be had easily.
 
Real hot rods have 3 pedals. Period. :burnout:

Both of my Darts and my Challenger came with 904's. They work just fine. And yet I have an 833 and almost all the associated parts to change each and EVERY ONE of them over to 4 speeds.

Yes, I know that auto's are "more consistant" on the track. And I don't care. :finga:

Nothing is as fun as driving a 4 speed (or 5 or 6 speed, as it were). The inconvenience of shifting a 4 speed in traffic is far and beyond worth it to bang through the gears on the open road. And since my Challenger is the newest car I own, I spend plenty of time stuck in traffic in it. And every minute I'm stuck in traffic I still wish I had a 4 speed.

I personally believe that automatic transmissions were the harbinger of doom for people with actual driving skills. Hey, now that you don't have to pay attention to shifting all the time you can eat a burger while you drive. Or do your makeup. Or read a book, or text on your phone, etc, etc, etc...

But, hey, if you want easy, go ahead. Pretty soon you'll be able to program a car to run the 1/4 mile for you, and it'll go faster than you could ever drive it -all by itself. That'll be so much fun! :banghead:
 
When I stick my face against the side window and see a 4 speed sticking out of the floor, I think cool. When I see an automatic I think, must be the wifes car.

haaaaa! i do that too! a manual car is MUCH more cool. just pure AWESOME.
 
i have raced a 4 speed before and got pretty consistant times ....i dont know if i would been faster with an auto......but i dont really race anymore and for this project im just building a street car........i am seeing that the majority is in favor of the auto......i should have done a poll.(dont know how) as of now you guys are pushing me towards staying with the manual for street coolness factor.....i am really leaning towards a slant six with an 833 OD. i was just curious about autos bcoz i have never had an auto....the few times i have driven autos....it was someone elses car. i am going to change my title to "Miss 4 speed"

Thanks so much for everyone's input .....your awesome FABO.
 
Driving around on the street a manual 3 or 4 speed is hard to beat for the fun factor.

At the track, I'd never run a manual trans car for bracket racing. 25+ years ago, autos were terrible at best,. Now they are light years better than manuals. Just look at the record books for stock and super stock, many auto trans cars are faster than the manual trans counterparts, some substantially faster . 25+ years ago, that really never happened. Autos are now way more consistent and MUCH easier on parts, even with a transbrake.

I don't know crackedback... driving around with a 727 or 904 with a full manual valve body is pretty hard to beat on the fun factor as well... and you don't have to worry about a clutch in the traffic and on those pesky hills.... I raced my street strip Demon with a 904 manual valve body and it was just as much fun on the track as it was ripping through the back roads on a weekend drive.... I miss my transbrake too... those are really fun at street lights! LOL
 
Real hot rods have 3 pedals. Period. :burnout:

Both of my Darts and my Challenger came with 904's. They work just fine. And yet I have an 833 and almost all the associated parts to change each and EVERY ONE of them over to 4 speeds.

Yes, I know that auto's are "more consistant" on the track. And I don't care. :finga:

Nothing is as fun as driving a 4 speed (or 5 or 6 speed, as it were). The inconvenience of shifting a 4 speed in traffic is far and beyond worth it to bang through the gears on the open road. And since my Challenger is the newest car I own, I spend plenty of time stuck in traffic in it. And every minute I'm stuck in traffic I still wish I had a 4 speed.

I personally believe that automatic transmissions were the harbinger of doom for people with actual driving skills. Hey, now that you don't have to pay attention to shifting all the time you can eat a burger while you drive. Or do your makeup. Or read a book, or text on your phone, etc, etc, etc...

But, hey, if you want easy, go ahead. Pretty soon you'll be able to program a car to run the 1/4 mile for you, and it'll go faster than you could ever drive it -all by itself. That'll be so much fun! :banghead:

It's so nice to know I'm not alone.
 
I wish My 727 was a 4 speed but I don't have the $$ or skills to change it over. I will probably go full Manual VB & Floor Console. That'll be above my Skill level too.
 
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