Auto vs Manual

[Sox]

Originally Posted by crazy-au

I really never meant to make an arguement about this subject. I was simple enquiring what people opinions are for my car. Its no rocket ship.. It will never need to tow, Its not a strip car, I do a conjsiderable amount of highway driving.

Some just want an argument, don't worry too much about it.

What worries me about auto
- Boring!
- Stall + 100km/h on highway i will lose fuel economy and will still be slipping which will heat the box up and enough of this can cause damage
- $3000 to build a box i SHOULD be happy with but will still be auto
- Fuel economy around town will be worse then it is now and its pretty bad

All correct.

Positives of auto
- Ease of use when im lazy
- With a decent box should get good launch
- Every now and then will bring smile to my face

Yep, all true too.

What worries me with Manual
- Car came as auto so legalities and insurance
- Hillie area so having to change gears a lot (not really a problem)
- How well it will work after conversion
- If i go crazy later on will it hold this magic 500hp?

Legalities and insurance ain't an issue. It's perfectly legal to do a conversion either way. Insurance companies simply comply with legalities in most cases.

Changing gears is fun, so no worry there.

If the conversion is done properly, then it should be as good as a factory job.

A T5 won't but then neither will the auto in standard form.
In any case, there are manual boxes which will handle 500hp without any trouble.

Positives of Manual
- Smile on my face every time i drive it
- Car will feel more alive (and yeah maybe quicker.... )
- Better fuel economy
- Cruising at 100km/h wont be a worry, still get fuel economy

You better believe it.

Its a win/win lose/lose situation. I just wanted p[eople experience in similar situation froms similar positions. The car could have been quick not long ago, but plans changed. Now i just want to have a bit of fun with it and not try and be a bloody rocket ship..

Pretty easy decision.

[protd]

[SeXC]

I think go the manual..... having said that, it isnt easy to do if you are gonna do it yourself, if you have never done this sort of thing before (if you have, sorry i didnt know) it will probably take you the better part of the day just setting up the pedalbox and pushrod and you will be upside down flipped @rse over tit just to get it in, and thats just to get a pedal in there, then you gotta pull your centre console out, make sure the shifter is gonna fit through the hole in the floor (only ever done it on an xc myself so dont know about the au) possibly extend the hole, and then most likely cut up and customise the console itself.

All Im saying is Its not as easy to convert as you may have been led to believe. But if you really really want it, then thats what you gotta do otherwise you will always be wishing you had instead of spending the same dough on an auto.

Having said that.......

If you have intentions of boosting the crap out of it later..... build an auto, because (and i know im gonna get flamed for it) you wont break an auto. If you spend 3.5k thereabouts on a btr, you have a VERY strong box and unfortunately unless you want to spend double that on a manual, you will be changing out t5s like your undies with a serious turbo motor. but hey, thats my opinion and I will be building myself a btr to go behind my auto au because it is more hassle free.

[Bushbasher]

After having waded through 3 pages of "this is better than that cause......" it seems to me there is merit on both sides of the argument but it also seems to me that for the money you're talking about you arent too far away from going out and just buying a manual car and be done with it. Then you'd have one of each sitting in the driveway ready for whatever mood you're in. Want to go play- put on your Nikes'/Adadas/Asics etc and go peddle like mad. Want to be lazy , put on your moccasins and kick back and just worry about go-stop-turn.

Personally, I'm over the manual thing mostly, besides, it just encourages me to play and that's when I'd get in trouble............... I like my licence and want to keep it.

Bushbasher

[LG]

Crazy, I did the manual conversion as you know. I wouldn't look back. It will shave about 1 second off your 1/4 minimum. The ability to create that lunch when you need it from the start or even 20km/h or 40km/h.

If later on you wanna get crazy and get more power, go for the T5Z, or the T56. T5Z is around ~$2k IIRC. And don't forget, if your auto is in good nick, you can sell it off, and re-coup some of the costs.

Cheers

[poolkeeper]

+1 built auto lol

[StealthAu]

Originally Posted by LG

It will shave about 1 second off your 1/4 minimum. The ability to create that lunch when you need it from the start or even 20km/h or 40km/h.

OP asked if to go with a manual or spend some money on the auto. If money spent on the auto includes a high stall, the pro's you mention for the manual are crap.

[cm335]

if i can join in my uncle's au 1 futura was a manual and i remember the thing went hard! more fun than my 220 xr8 which is auto by the way. the six would fry its tire in 1st,2nd and 3rd what a sleeper... go the manual mate u wont regret it.

[Cam]

So am I safe in assuming that seeing as you are looking at buying 3.9's and LSD as per your other thread your staying with the auto?

[big_waity]

It is simple, personal preference. If you want it to be fast in a straight line, go a powerglide or simmilar. If you want to have fun and/or be fast around a track/on the street, go a manual. If you want to eat a big mac whilst accelerating slowly to 100, stick with the BTR.

[dub racing]

When i was looking for a T3 to buy i test drove an auto and didnt like it much the shifts felt like a taxi ,not like a performance car should feel .I then test drove the manual T3 that i own now .I did make an offer to the bloke with auto because i wanted a T3 so badly ,but would of changed it to manual ,but he refused so glad he did because i love my manual stroker so much .Im more of curcuit person than a drag person and think an auto on the circuit would be crap IMO .I plan on doing club sprints in the T series so i think a manual is better for me but everyones different good luck with your decision .

cheers mark

[MaTTe]

hahahah this thread attracts alot of heat.. wait.. was that my fault?
I referenced a 500hp auto, because it has been brought up in another post. The point i was making was that if i had an auto and manual car of equal power, I would rather drive a manual car around a circuit over an auto at a strip.
I didn't realise the auto was a fully manualised valvebody.. so essentiall it is a clutchless manual (obviously it's different.. but the way it was explained that's what's being said)
But you are right on the driveline shock, a manual is far more abusive, and a manual may be rated to a lower spec when towing, but that doesn't mean the box is any less able. The clutch may well be a weak point (standard they're weak) but it's also to cover fords warranty claims.

I just think manual is more fun. I don't enjoy point and shoot in anything except the bedford, but with the size, weight and lack of power steering, auto is just the best choice for that application.

For a street car it depends on your driving style, if you want to be lazy get an auto - if you want fun, go thru the gears.
If you want to be involved - get a manual, if you get lazy go 1st-3rd-5th

In terms of legality, if you're using parts form a manual car it'll be legal, just advise the insurance company of the change made.

I converted my BA to manual because i was sick of point and shoot, and i loved every drive. The conversion isn't that hard if you're handy with some tools.. if not, pay the extra and have it installed.

If you start looking towards this 500hp mark, get a t56 - the t5z will fail at around 400rwhp. The turbo boys aren't twisting as many internals in the t56s as the 6speed autos.

Anyway, everone is going to have a different opinion.. but the only way to be sure for yourself is to bite the bullet, or try one. Find someone with a manual, and drive it for a week, you'll be bored, or converted.

[blackers10]

dont forget people are talking modified autos vs standard manuals...
you can spend some coin on a T5 and have it handle ALOT more power (Hart Transmissions at Brendale in QLD have built such boxes) they change a few bearings around and reinforce some stuff and they go fine in saloon cars and other fast powerful cars

[superroo]

Also for a point of refernce, i know a previous member on here (he was banned), who did a T56 conversion on his car (XR6), and by the time he sold his old stuff he was $1900 out of pocket.

Cheers

[DJM83]

Auto with ESS ftw, in all honesty id prefer a manual but beggers cant be choosers. Next car will be manual