Forums » Grassroots Motorsports » can an automatic be fun? 1 2

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  June 18, 2011 11:57 p.m. Taiden HalfDork

  well?

  after seeing that 4x4 240z with the automatic + shift kit I am intruiged.

  I am a hardcore 5 speed kind of guy, but a lot of swaps I want to do are much cheaper when paired up with an autotragic.

  Can autotragics be fun?

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  June 19, 2011 12:20 a.m. oldtin Dork

  The Baja racers I know use automatics. Same with King of the Hammers competitors. Haven't heard them complain about the fun factor. At the top end of racing, paddles have taken over - even though they're manuals, actuating a clutch isn't part of the driver's role. I like the involvement personally and for most street cars a manual makes them more lively, but with the right car and drivetrain, I don't think a manual is necessarily the key to it being entertaining. Also see thread about challenge cars with autos...

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  June 19, 2011 8:43 a.m. Javelin SuperDork

  It depends. An automatic RX-7 will make you suicidal as it doesn't have any torque and you can't tell it when to shift. An automatic Mustang GT can be awesome because it has a ton of torque and you can throw shift kits and manual valve bodies at it.

  My old P71 was more fun than most of my previous daily drivers (all of which were 5-speeds up until that car) precisely because of what the auto could do.

  In summary: Big torque + good trans = fun; Low torque and/or bad trans = not good.

  Michael Pinto - 73 AMC Javelin 360 / GoKart / 86 944 Sport / 01 Grand Prix GT / 06 Mazda5 M5

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  June 19, 2011 8:45 a.m. Matt B HalfDork

  I keep hearing that C4's are well suited to their autotragics. Big torque seems to be concurrent theme in acceptable shift-for-me transmissions.

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  June 19, 2011 8:51 a.m. alex SuperDork

  My dad has an auto C4 and I can't say I've ever really wished it had as stick. The transmission is well programmed for the application, and the torque means you're never really caught out.

  I have to say, the auto in my mom's Saab 9-3 is pretty impressive in Sport mode.

  And the '60 Catalina racer we're building came to us with a 2 speed Powerglide that we're planning to run, at least for a little while, just for the helluvit.

  The only two things in life that make it worth livin' are guitars that tune good and firm feelin' women.

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  June 19, 2011 9:11 a.m. Lesley SuperDork

  A lot of the high end german cars have trannies that shift way better than I ever could. Putting a shift kit and re-programmed computer in my truck completely changed its character - shifts are hard and fast. Never ever bogs or hunts... and it certainly used to.

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  June 19, 2011 9:12 a.m. Derick Freese Dork

  I've had torque and an automatic and got along just fine with plenty of grins. I've had a 4 banger with an automatic and I wished for death.

  With that being said, there are some vehicles I want with an automatic. If it has a V8 and is hauling around 3 tons, I would rather an automatic. That's not going to be a particularly fun car in any manner, so the automatic wouldn't kill anything.

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  June 19, 2011 9:30 a.m. SyntheticBlinkerFluid HalfDork

  I made my old 3-speed Auto Corolla fun by manually shifting it. A floor mounted shifter helped. It made driving it's slow ass a lot more enjoyable.

  '95 Jeep Cherokee / '80 Mazda Rx-7 / '68 Corvair Monza Coupe

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  June 19, 2011 9:52 a.m. Taiden HalfDork

  The two that come to mind are:

  third gen chevy 5.3L vortec + autotragic

  or

  1uz-fe is always paired (and much cheaper to retain) the autotragic

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  June 19, 2011 10:31 a.m. Lugnut Dork

  After my couple of honestly wonderful years with my SMG M3, I have really come to accept automatics into my heart, as long as they shift acceptably fast. (No talking about how the smg is really a manual, I am just talking about trusting the computer to know what I want)

  A mouse has cut the wire! Good-by!

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  June 19, 2011 11:21 a.m. mad_machine SuperDork

  I used to drive large trucks (commercial) for a living.. I prefer the manual trucks over the automatics

  Be careful of your words, for someone will agree with them. Be careful of your conduct, for someone will imitate it. -Leih Tsu

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  June 19, 2011 12:18 p.m. belteshazzar SuperDork

  A 4r70w with a j-mod is completely acceptable in my book.

  spending money I don't have to buy parts I don't need to impress people I don't know

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  June 19, 2011 2:03 p.m. mthomson22 New Reader

  To the op's original question - yes, they really can. My Miata is an auto and a ton of fun. I've opened fluid passages in the 1st-2nd and 2nd-3rd passages and shimmed the pump pressure relief spring. It's very crisp and predictable now.

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  June 19, 2011 2:04 p.m. Giant Purple Snorklewacker SuperDork

  I have a .40 and a .45 auto that are both a blast.

  Lord of drivel and harbinger of Floundering

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  June 19, 2011 3:02 p.m. ncjay Reader

  Most automatics can be adjusted, tuned, or modified to perform almost on par with a manual transmission. The big drawback is that big, heavy torque converter. IMCA modifieds have eliminated the torque converter and replaced it with a foot pedal that kind of acts like a clutch. It's a pretty sweet setup that drops the weight and power loss normally associated with automatics.

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  June 19, 2011 3:37 p.m. Taiden HalfDork

  ncjay wrote: Most automatics can be adjusted, tuned, or modified to perform almost on par with a manual transmission. The big drawback is that big, heavy torque converter. IMCA modifieds have eliminated the torque converter and replaced it with a foot pedal that kind of acts like a clutch. It's a pretty sweet setup that drops the weight and power loss normally associated with automatics.

  Any more info on this?

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  June 19, 2011 4:14 p.m. 93gsxturbo HalfDork

  You can look them up in Summit Racing.
  

  It lets you modulate clutch pressure with your foot.

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  June 19, 2011 6:23 p.m. iceracer Dork

  We tried one of those acjay refferred too in a modified. It worked but it kept blowing seals and dumping the fluid. It was based on the Powerglide. start inlow then shift into high on the track.

  The Power Shift in my Fiesta can be fun.

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  June 19, 2011 8:15 p.m. White_and_Nerdy HalfDork

  My RT4WD Civic wagon was fun, despite being an auto. Admittedly, it was a failing auto transmission that inspired me to move the car along to a new (fully informed) owner. But in the meantime, in snow, ice, and even gravel, the lack of a left pedal allowed me to concentrate on my left foot braking and fling that shoebox around like a rally car.

  - Justin

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  June 19, 2011 8:18 p.m. 93EXCivic SuperDork

  No.

  Maybe if mated with a shift kit and something with a lot of torque but I can't imagine any car being as good with an automatic as with a manual.

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  June 20, 2011 12:50 a.m. Vigo Dork

  I disagree with that. I think a lot of things can be BETTER with an automatic than a manual. Especially heavier vehicles. Heavy-duty manuals tend to shift like crap.

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  June 20, 2011 6:17 a.m. Mazdax605 Dork

  I don't know,but will soon when my Sapporo arrives via the shipper from CA. It really was my only question when buying it(aside from why the hell am I considering a Plymouth Sapporo). I know I am strange.

  He'll go to buy her turtle wax,but in his mind he won't be coming back

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  June 20, 2011 7:37 a.m. skruffy SuperDork

  I rather like the DSG trans in my GTI, so much so that I bought it over an almost identical car with a manual. It is, however, not the sort of "automatic" that fits the spirit of the thread. It's more like two motorcycle transmissions that share the same case, with everything run by electronics.

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  June 20, 2011 8:24 a.m. pinchvalve SuperDork

  Extremely heavy clutch in a small car wit no power just plain sucks.

  "Don't Sweat the Petty Things." Yes, and Don't Pet the Sweaty Things.

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  June 20, 2011 8:39 a.m. 81cpcamaro None

  Taiden wrote:

  ncjay wrote: Most automatics can be adjusted, tuned, or modified to perform almost on par with a manual transmission. The big drawback is that big, heavy torque converter. IMCA modifieds have eliminated the torque converter and replaced it with a foot pedal that kind of acts like a clutch. It's a pretty sweet setup that drops the weight and power loss normally associated with automatics.

  Any more info on this?

  They use setups like this with either a transmission with an internal clutch like this: http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Brinn-Racing-Transmission-with-Free-Stand,6320.html or with a coupler like this: http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Ram-Coupler,899.html Unfortunately neither would survive in a street car, they are not built for street duty, just to get the car moving for the race.

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