Manual or Automatic?

2

2TonCat

Registered User
What are your thoughts on each?

The manual is fun, but everyone says they wheelhop.

Autos are faster though, but they can't hold gears.

Anyone have any wiring hacks that can make an auto trans hold gears?
 
m5r2 isin't worth the hassle of swaping in with the parts becoming more scarce everyday and the inital cost of the swap its just not worth it. If your seeking for a standard your best bet would probably more than likely be the t56 with a windsor bellhousing and a gto shifter, much better aftermarket support and will have an abundance of parts for years to come.

autos are just not an option for me, I prefer a standard because they are better in just about every aspect. Autos are only feasible on cars that run faster than 7s. I could go on and on about why autos suck so bad but then I'd just be rambling. But when you think about the pros/cons of each the clear winner is the standard by a long shot.
 
Depends on the purpose (and the owners opinion)

For me, I wouldn't mind a stick since I'm not a big racer. But if I was big into drag racing - and possibly AutoX - I would go with a well built auto and TC.

I'm still considering a T45 swap in my 94 but like the idea of being able to just put the car in Drive and go.

-Melon
 
That's why I avoid traffic :D Sometimes I'm willing to drive a bit out of the way to avoid a bunch of traffic. I dislike sitting in stop and go traffic anyway. I get impatient with the moronic drivers but can't do anything because there is no place to really go.

-Melon
 
Are the full manual valve bodies from lentech really good. / How is the shift pattern. Being 1 D OD N R P ?
 
I really like the Lentech that I've got in my AOD.

Shift pattern is as follows (atleast with the Street Terminator VB I've got)
P = P
R = R
N = N
OD = 3/4
D = 2
1 = 1

To hold 3rd gear, you'll run a wire from the VB to a switch. I wired mine to the auto-ride switch. When it's on, the trans will hold 3rd. If you don't run the wire for the switch, then it'll shift into 4th with no problems. I ran that way for a year or so.

-Melon
 
Wow so much dislike for the auto.:rolleyes: For a street car that runs the 1/4 a few times a year, I cant see the manual as being faster. The truth being most guys cant shift worth a plug nickle on the track. All one has to do is look at whos running fast in this club and they run autos. Ira's the only one here lately that I have seen run in the middle 11s and thats with a lot mor HP than David Neibert. A lentec valve body really wakes up the shifting when in drive on the street. Switch to manually shifting the car and it shifts even harder. If your prefrence is shifting because you like shifting the car that great. But if you think an auto is a dog in a SC than you havent driven a lentech tranny.

Ken
 
kenewagner said:
Wow so much dislike for the auto.:rolleyes: For a street car that runs the 1/4 a few times a year, I cant see the manual as being faster. The truth being most guys cant shift worth a plug nickle on the track. All one has to do is look at whos running fast in this club and they run autos. Ira's the only one here lately that I have seen run in the middle 11s and thats with a lot mor HP than David Neibert. A lentec valve body really wakes up the shifting when in drive on the street. Switch to manually shifting the car and it shifts even harder. If your prefrence is shifting because you like shifting the car that great. But if you think an auto is a dog in a SC than you havent driven a lentech tranny.

Ken
Click to expand...
Can't you just feel the love............ ;)

Ira
 
Oh yeah, well I've never heard of overdrive going out on a M5R2! :D

Autos are nice when you're eating spaghetti and driving though...
 
Manual. For a street car that sees the 1/4 a few times I say you can't beat the fun factor of a manual. AOD's can be fun when built, but damn, by the time you get a stall, heat exchanger and line upgrade, one piece billet input shaft, internal upgrades, valve body, etc... you are broke. And you never know exactly where your stall will be...you just kinda hope for the best.

Manual, you just get a good clutch. Done. Everthing else is good to go unless you prefer a tighter shifter or something. But interals don't really fail anymore than an AOD. Mine have been fine for 4 years now....and most internals that fail, were going to fail anyway regardless of power.

Wheelhop doesn't really exist for me anymore. First gear rips so quick that you just spin. And it's a blast to drive on the slicks. No doubt my manual tranny is leaving some e.t. on the table....but I don't think it's that much. If i swapped to a C4 or AOD, my 383 RWHP would become something like 350 RWHP or less. And I would be very suprised if the car could bust into the 11's. SO what's that...4 tenths improvement? I'll keep the manual (for now).

P.S. M5R2 will technically be "supported" for quite a while. Several companies keep good used parts on hand to keep you running. The problem is these trannies shift like such horse$h!+ that BRAND NEW parts vs. good used parts is the difference between "acceptable" shifting and "poor" shifting. Which is only noticing mainly when racing. So if you aren't racing the car alot and need parts to keep enjoying it....you'll be able to keep servicing that M5R2. If you want peak performance out of it....thats a different story.
 
Micahdogg said:
Manual. For a street car that sees the 1/4 a few times I say you can't beat the fun factor of a manual. AOD's can be fun when built, but damn, by the time you get a stall, heat exchanger and line upgrade, one piece billet input shaft, internal upgrades, valve body, etc... you are broke. And you never know exactly where your stall will be...you just kinda hope for the best.

Manual, you just get a good clutch. Done. Everthing else is good to go unless you prefer a tighter shifter or something. But interals don't really fail anymore than an AOD. Mine have been fine for 4 years now....and most internals that fail, were going to fail anyway regardless of power.

Wheelhop doesn't really exist for me anymore. First gear rips so quick that you just spin. And it's a blast to drive on the slicks. No doubt my manual tranny is leaving some e.t. on the table....but I don't think it's that much. If i swapped to a C4 or AOD, my 383 RWHP would become something like 350 RWHP or less. And I would be very suprised if the car could bust into the 11's. SO what's that...4 tenths improvement? I'll keep the manual (for now).

P.S. M5R2 will technically be "supported" for quite a while. Several companies keep good used parts on hand to keep you running. The problem is these trannies shift like such horse$h!+ that BRAND NEW parts vs. good used parts is the difference between "acceptable" shifting and "poor" shifting. Which is only noticing mainly when racing. So if you aren't racing the car alot and need parts to keep enjoying it....you'll be able to keep servicing that M5R2. If you want peak performance out of it....thats a different story.
Click to expand...
You left out an important piece of this puzzle. Your M5R2 came stock, remains stock, and is quit streetable stock. Any automatic you build that will give an advantage at the track becomes less streetable with every upgrade.

Ira
 
If I was going to buy a Ferrarri I wouldn't get a auto! The whole reason I drive a SC is because it has a stick. To me that is what seperates it from the grand national. Thats what made me fall in love with this car. If my SC was an auto I would sell it and buy something with a stick!:eek:

Stephen

Maybe I would put a stick in a MKV111.:rolleyes:
 
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