4 speed versus auto- which one?

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mshred

mshred

The Green Manalishi
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Hey guys,

in building my scamp i have access to a 4 speed to put behind it...my car will be a street/ strip effort, and i really want it to put down consistent times....I originally wanted to go automatic, because from what i hear its faster at the track, and with getting stall converters and such, it seems to really help out in going faster- faster is what im after....

BUT, my friends ( who love manual transmission) keep telling me to put a 4 speed in the car....i have everything to do it, but i keep telling them that id rather have the auto because its faster....is this true? I mean, besides what you guys actually prefer, what are the pros and cons of each one when trying to turn the fastest quarter mile...like i said, timeslips are important for me even though it will be mainly street driven...I know shifting gears in a manual is fun, which is why im being tempted to do it, but if there is really a significant advantage with staying auto for the power and times, id rather stick with it....if you guys could lend your opinions and what is good about each and what is bad i would really appreciate it as all this 4 speed talk has me thinking now:toothy10:

matthew
 
A Manual will suck up less power. I don't know if autos are quicker. I don't think they are. Mabby more consistant. I think a 4-speed would be better for a street strip car. You shift it so you can change the shift points for the driveing you are doing and you don't have to deal with a converter. With a 4-speed you can lanch at what ever RPM you want and slip the cluch if you have too.


Plus I like 4-speed they are a lot of fun.
 
4-speed. Making good consistent runs with a 4-speed is all about practice and once you have it down there is a feeling of personal accomplishment that you never get from an automatic. They are also way more fun on the street. Autos definitely have their advantages but for me manual is the only way to go.
 
As far as I know Ronny and Sox only had four speeds. A auto will be more consitant for most people but they do suck power and they have to be set up right. Lots of dial in, wheras a stick car can be shifted whenever you want and is a heck of a lot more fun.
 
with the right converter, it will be faster and more consistant at the strip..

alot of people have problems launching a 4 speed at the strip..

with the auto you could also use a manual valve body...
 
You want to be consistent,then run an manually shifted automatic.. 4-speeds are cool to drive on the street,but when it comes to racing i'll take a auto over a 4-speed any day,just take a trip to the track you,ll find just about everyone that races has a auto in their car....
 
hey guys ive been to the track before...my dad has a manually shifted 727 behind his 440 69 dart track car with a torque converter stalling at around 3500 rpms....I know everyone will say what they prefer, which is cool, but what i would really like to know is what the pros and cons of each one are...I know there are many racers who use manuals still too, so its not like they are totally bad for racing...but anything specific about either that makes them a good choice or a bad choice....like i said the car will be mainly daily driven with track time, but i want to go as fast as i can with consistency

thanks guys
matthew
 
took a look through the post your combo section, and through about five pages there were maybe a max of 3 or 4 4 speed cars....i guess that tells me something too
 
For constant slip times, an auto trans is it.
For a faster car, I think n auto will do it.
The manuals use less power, but there is more room for error. The clutch adjustments must be dead on and shift to perfection. If you achieve this level of shifting excellance, there is potentail to be faster. You will need a slightly higher rear gear for this as well and a slightly larger/more intense cam to compete.

All this from a 4spd manual, "I love to row your my own boat kind of guy."

The biggest advantage of the auto, once set up is it can leave at the RPM you need to without a hitch or slip up. BAM! In your powerband and running with a push of a button.

This is not the case with a manual, but I'll never change.
 
EVERYBODY IS RACING WITH AUTO,JUST PUT IN GEAR AND GO.4 SPEED IS A LITTLE HARDER TO LEARN,but once you learn it,s alot of fun.you will here in the crowd..WOW that was a 4 speed!!nice shifting.ALSO CRUISIN AROUND TOWN IS JUST PLAIN COOLER SHIFTING.Any muscle car enthusiast knows 4 speeds were put beHInd HP.my 2 cents.Good luck with your choice!
 
Four speed cars are less consistent and harder on parts. Having said that, IMO four speeds are more fun (unless you are in traffic).
 
how much harder on parts are 4 speeds? also, is there a way to launch at any rpm you want (like 3500 for example, just purely as an example)? what is the equivalent in a manual trans to upgrading the converter in a auto? a new clutch and flywheel?
 
HOW MUCH HARDER On parTs?8 1/4 snAPPED AXEL,8 3/4 MULCHED CONE TYPE 4.10,U-JOINTS.mind you this is behind 340 stroked(372)452hp.also have centerforce clutch and lakewood bell. scattershield.best run was 12.8 at 108mph it should be in low 12,s.more tinkering and experience,i.ll get there.It,s nice 2 be different than everybody else!

OCT 08 003.jpg
 
A manual is VERY hard on parts. Launch is the killer, shifting is real tuff on parts when your shifting like the video does. I used to be able to shift my OE Hurst damn near as quick. Lots-o-seat time for that learning curve. But it's possible run the car real hard with a stock shifter. You'll find whats weak real fast.
 
im thinking of sticking with the auto now..as much fun as a manual would be on the street, if there is a chance of more parts breaking then im definatly not goin for it only because i cant afford to have lots of stuff break if i drive hard
 
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