Manual Trannys

[69Cobra]

Originally Posted by ALMACK

My favorite manual trans soundtrack

That's Cool!!!!

[Mike Taylor 3601]

Kris,
It's gettin close to June,still coming back to US about then?

I have watched that old modified video lots of times,don't hear those sounds,live anymore,the heavy flywheels,dry hops,no rev limiters. ahhhh I love it.

Now back to question pros too many to list, cons none.

Stick's are very reliable and consistent and alot of fun now because of clutch setups that work,I doubt any modified cars in the video had a clutch setup that you could push in without the seat belts on LOL,back in those days a staging duel was decided by who could hold the clutch in the longest before their trembling leg cramped up and buckeled.
Mike Taylor 3601

[james schaechter]

I agree. They are fun, the clutches and transmission choices are flat out good!
Too many think back to what was around 30 years ago.
The trick auto stuff will set you back plenty of cash too. Plus you don't have to go through torque convertor hell testing and sending them back in etc.

The best part is listening to some of the automatic guys that swear that they need an autoshift since their car is too badass to move the shifter one inch!

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=JbdziClJLjU

Troy Henderson's sister Trista racing her Nova in A Stick.

I'll weigh in on this.
I ran a G stocker with an auto trans on and off for 10 years. I now have a D car with a manual Trans

The Pros
The cool factor of racing one of these cars

You can adjust your light from real red -.050 to as late as you want with the clutch setup. It's all in the adjustments.

You can take power away from the track with a clutch adjustment. Also when a stick car spins it usually dosen't mean the end of the run. When you are on a bad track with the auto it's bend over and hope for the best.

The transmissions are more durable, and if you buy one you can buy either a Gforce or a Jerico and they will run about the same, different gears to make it how you want. Running an auto, If you don't buy a Pro Trans for a Ford or Mopar and at least a very good metric for a GM you will be pissing up a rope when you have to run a car that does. Or leave .13 on the table. If you car spins the tires with one of the mentioned transmissions above it will beat up and eventually destroy the low roller clutch.

The last thing is the clutch. I started running my car in 2011, and when I made mistakes with a clutch and drove through it a few times. I could take it out, sand it, and make the next run no matter what. When you break a converter, you better have a spare or 2, and hope they work.


The Cons

It's much more labor intensive to get one of these cars set up.

If you are a white collar, golf hat wearing drag racer that doesn't work on your own car it is tough to race one of these without being able to fix it yourself.

When bracket racing these they present their own challenges. Clutch heat changes your RT quite a bit.

I think it is harder on an engine with a manual trans than an auto.

Finally, the suspension
With an Auto you can get away with autozone parts in the car and it should go down the track.
With the manual Trans car, you better have good pieces or the car will be tough to drive or get to work.

I've enjoyed my experience racing the stickshift car, and look forward continuing to do so.

[Dwight Southerland]

Other Pros:
1. When your friends ask you to help change their converter, you can say "I don't know how." (Right, Woodro?)
2. You never smell like ATF or have red t-shirts.
3. No stupid "warm up the converter" rituals.
4. No more having to workout in the gym to get your arms in shape.
5. What does "percentage of slippage" mean?
6. You learn without a doubt who makes the best driveline parts.
7. Clutches are adjustable between rounds; converters are not.
8. You never have to worry about mistakenly putting the trans into reverse after you cross the finish line. (Push in the clutch!)
9. What's a "Park"?
10. You can change the transmission without a floorjack or someone to help you pick it up.
11. If you start losing mph, you know you can't blame the converter.
12. You can drive their car but they can't drive yours.
13. There's always something to do while going down the track.
14. You perfect the "driving a race car with one hand" skill or your life as a racer is really short.
15. Changing first gear ratios is easier and cheaper.
16. The stick racer community is "instant friends".
17. You don't have to worry about throttle response or bog on the starting line, just crank it up a few more RPMs.
18. You can intimidate the hell out of your opponent in the other lane; there's nothing like the sound of a big block at a sustained 7000 rpm to scare the hell out of somebody who is not used to it.
19. The sensation of engaging the clutch at 8 grand on 14x32s is a cosmic experience.
20. Fewer heads-up races.

A Con:
1. You learn without a doubt who makes the best driveline parts.

[Run to Rund]

Living through the "old days" I remember when almost all the cars were 4 speeds, and that doesn't mean overdrive automatics. To me, racing is a 4 speed. An automatic would seem like sitting on your couch watching youtube.

[69Cobra]

Originally Posted by Mike Taylor 3601

Kris,
It's gettin close to June,still coming back to US about then?
Mike Taylor 3601

Hey Mike,
Yeah I'll be back the end of May for a few weeks for R&R. If all goes well we could possibly dyno the Stocker motor when I'm home then. But as of right now I'm going to come back over and see if I can make it through the end of the year so the IRS doesn't have their way with me if you know what I mean.

[Jeff Lee]

Con:
The wusses in the other lane with an identical car and drivetrain (except they have an auto trans) refuse to allow sticks and autos to run heads up together. I suppose they were the same wusses that street raced 4-speed cars and always asked for a 1 car jump or something.
And most, if not all, of us stick guys are here not because we're trying to hide from a heads-up run, it's because it's fun, challenging and much more satisfying. I haven't spoke to one stick guy yet that is opposed to combining sticks and auto's.

Pro:
Cheaper in the long run. Unless you want an auto trans and buy one trans and one convertor and are satisfied with the results, good, bad or indifferent.
I can leave at 6,000 at a low elevation track or 7,500 up in Denver with the same clutch.

Fun:
Racing a auto car door handle to door handle from start to down track. Now he's at the top of third at max RPM waiting for the finish line and you stuff your trans in 4th, pull ahead and back right into him. The look on his face: priceless!

More fun:
I've shifted in the air on the 1-2 shift and that's down right fun but nothing can top a wheelie then hitting the 1-2 and then the 2-3 while never having the front tires hit the track. I felt like I was having a Bob Glidden moment. Probably more orgasmic than Dwight's BBC 8K launch on 14x32's! But then again, I haven't done that, so who knows?

[Dinsdale]

All the above and then some.. Just about as much fun to watch as drive!

[442OLDS]

Originally Posted by Run to Rund

To me, racing is a 4 speed. An automatic would seem like sitting on your couch watching youtube.

Not everyone that races an "automatic" has it shift "automatically".

Yes,there is no clutch pedal involved when making the shift,but how many 4 speed drivers use the clutch to make the shift?