well anyway, how is an auto better than a manual for drag at the launch? I mean someone said in anothjer post, they held it to about 2400rpm, but isnt that what a torque convertor does for an auto? So if manual can do it how come autos win when they do the same thing?????

 

If it has a stall and torque converter setup precisely to match your tires and HP... its better because when you mash the gas theres pretty much no room for driver error where you have to control the clutch everytime with a manual.

Its not nearly as fun though.

 

An auto takes out driver error for the most part and is very consistent. That is good for high HP applications and bracket racing. A manual is more fun and can be faster but there is always the possiblity of leaving the tranny on the 60' mark. ONe missed shift in a 600 hp beast and you may have some serious damage done or lose control.

 

Those of you who think the manual is funner on the drag strip may have never ran a 9 to 10 second car with an auto. We are doing ours with foot brake only so you are using both feet for the start. Once you get off the brake and full into the gas, you see nothing but sky and bing, its shift light and time to ****** the next gear. Now eyes back on the track and time to ****** the next gear. My son and son in-law thought the 5 speed was the way to go until they made about 40 passes with it and got their first chance on the auto. Now they only want to run the auto. They save the 5 speed for the road where it is much funner to drive.

 

yeah I think for an all out drag car an auto is the way to go. For DD and 'casual' racing a manual is better, and more fun.


my buddy has a 72 nova automatic.... that thing is so crazy automatic... shift kit, gets sideways into 2nd, not to mention the 13.6 1/4 mile

George

 

I cant find the video.... I know I have it somewhere.. It would help you understand why high horsepower autos are better than a manual.. Its a TA doing a burn out.. or so the guy thinks. You see the guy take get on it.. hear it squeeling like mad.. no smoke and tires arent going. When he lets off hte gas smoke comes pouring out from under the car. It flashes up something on a black screen that says

450RWHP Car: 26k
Tires: 500
Having your buddies laugh at you for thinking your doing a burn out while your frying your clutch: Priceless.

 

Autos rule the brackets. Very consistent, and as I believe was mentioned before, you can adjust settings in teh tranny, differential and torque converter to you RWHP and tires for that supa-sweet qurater time.

 

A stock or lightly modifed 5spd car is faster than the same auto hands down. (with a good driver).

However, I would say anything past mid 11s and you really need a auto for the car to perform.

 

It really depends on the car or more over the trans in particular. Take my SS for example. If you took an auto and a 6 speed and put a high stall in the auto and a heavy duty clutch in the M6, the auto will blow it away. This is due to the really high 1st gear ratio in the T56, which makes cutting a good 60 foot time very difficult. This is why I will swapping in an auto with a 4500 rpm converter this year. I will pick up at least a 1/2 second, probably more.

 

Auto, auto, auto. For racing auto, for DD a 5spd is probably funner, but could still hurt you in a street race.