I just want to say i'm new to cars and stuff so please bare with me, i'm trying to learn as much as possible. I just got a 3.9L V6 2004 40th Anniverary Edition Mustang a couple weeks ago (i love it). I know it's not going to put a lot of cars to shame as far as speed goes but I just want push it as much as i can, see what I have. It's an automatic so my questions are...

1) It seems people are always raving about manuals when it comes to things like racing and stuff. Are they really that much better? If so, what exactly about it makes them better? I'm assuming just because you have control over when to shift. But I would imagine (if properly tuned) an automatic can do it at the perfect time moreso than a person.

2) Sometimes i'll take off to see what it can do but I always ease into the gas at first, I don't hammer the pedal. Would laying on the gas from a dead stop be a bad thing to do? Also, at times the car will jerk when it shifts gears. Is that just something that happens or is there something that can be done about that? (Let off the gas at the right time, etc...).

Like I said, i don't know much about cars at all so if someone could go into detail as much as possible, i'd really appreciate it.

 

answers sorta

1)mauals are a bit more efficient and thus a bit better there some people just prefer a manual over an auto

2 IDK im not a big auto know dood when it comes to that sorry!

welcome gratis on the car

 

yeah dont slam the gas pedel. all you will do is turn the tires over. espeically on autos. dont slam it, but lightly tap the pedel then push it in fast. that will give you the best acceleration

 

Ok, thanks guys. Any info about the shift jerk?

 

Is it jerking when you floor it, or is it doing it when you let off the gas? Auto will jerk into gear sometimes if you hammer it and then right as it shifts you let off the gas. If that's the case don't goose it as hard. [/align][/align]Also what the guy said above about not flooring it is correct, I get much better power out of my v6 when I press the gas enouph to get moving and then hammer it.[/align]

 

I haven't hammered onto the gas immediately at all, i've always eased into it at first and then floored it. I probably have let off the gas as it was shifting a few times but I think I started trying that because it sometimes would do it when I had the pedal down all the way. I'll play with it some more, see what it does so I know for sure.

By the way, does anybody know the stock gearing for my car(3.9L V6 2004 40th Anniverary Edition Mustang)? I keep seeing people going to 4.10 or 3.73 meaning it'll give me more acceleration (less top speed) the higher the ratio, correct? I'd rather get a lot more acceleration because around here, there's really no use for a lot of top speed, everything is pretty much stop and go for the most part. If I went to, say, the 4.10s,will I see a significant difference?

 

yeah, manuals are amazing, the best!!! When you are in high school.....