5 speed manual or modified auto

primo · 12-11-2007, 07:48 PM

hello all
well my auto is just about ready to cry enough so im looking at other options. The first thought i had was to do a manual conversion but today one of my work mates suggested getting the auto rebuilt with shift kit and a stallie, im liking both options but cant decide.

what do you guys and girls think i should do also what else could be done to auto

cheers

Dezza · 12-11-2007, 07:52 PM

It really depends on whether you prefer manuals or autos. A toughened-up auto can handle more power than a stock T5, but if you're like me and feel more in control with a manual, then go for that. I did the T5 conversion last year and have no regrets. It has heaps more punch than the stock nearly dead auto, and is a lot more fun to drive.

Jason[98.EL] · 12-11-2007, 08:01 PM

dezza has a valid point with what do you prefer to drive

if it is for drag racing have a look at what people use in a drag car

AUTO

it is not your norm auto but they ar aout

i like the auto but i also have a man ea

hope this helps

jason

trick_xd · 12-11-2007, 08:12 PM

a MECHANICAL Shift Kitted Auto

and as for being in control ... Where ever I hit the shifter it goes into that gear.
I use my shifter and pull back the gears just about every time I drive it .. and I drive it hard .

AND I get to eat and drive at the same time ... Don't put the drink between your legs and floor it... the gear change will get you wet . lol

Dezza · 12-11-2007, 08:21 PM

Well, it's each to their own. I grew up driving manuals. I decided to give an auto a fair go when I bought the EA. I quickly tired of it. Hell, I even loved getting behind the wheel of Dad's gutless 89' Rodeo Diesel simply because it was manual. I've always found autos boring. I've driven BA autos since converting my car to manual, and despite the sequential shift, and the fact they are far superior to my old dodgy auto, I still prefer my manual.

castek · 12-11-2007, 08:50 PM

i'm in the same boat as dezza. i love manuals. unless its an old auto with a stage 3 (manualised) shift kit, then i must have a manual. my old EL gave me the shits, to the point i sold the car

DNKPWR · 12-11-2007, 09:56 PM

Manuals are much more fun and quicker than the auto's...Also a great way to liven up your ride!
One negative i have is the fact the clutch pedal is soo damn heavy!

EBEATN · 12-11-2007, 11:19 PM

Love my auto's!

3.9from hell · 13-11-2007, 12:09 AM

depends a lot on wat its behind, autos are heaps of fun to drive when modded rite and with 170rwkw or more

Josh L · 13-11-2007, 01:50 AM

I'm a huge manual fan... why should your right foot have all the fun?

trick_xd · 13-11-2007, 08:20 AM

I don't mean to be rude BUT

on a stock 4ltr you need a manual just to get some power out of it.

When you get up around the 170+ mark you are just stupid if you think a manual is "cool" to have , you wont be able to take it through macc's drive in . you wont be able to take off without a lot of clutch so then its slipping and you will wear it out quicker as well as the other damage you will do just everyday driving / flogging it around .

But as most people on here wont get to the 160rwkw mark with out going forced then yes by all means ... go the manual , But if you do go forced then you would be better off with a manual .

I'm over 220rwHP N/A and 280rwHP Forced and I need the Auto just to help settle it down and make it easier to drive.

Been there , done what your thinking..... I run a Built & Kitted Auto

**Polyal** · 13-11-2007, 08:29 AM

So perhaps a TKO is what your after Trick?

At the end of the day your the one driving it, if you dont plan to put monster power/torque through the thing then a T5 is fine. And even so there have been plenty of people with good power using T5's; you just need to be gentle.

FairmontXR6 · 13-11-2007, 08:52 AM

AUTO

Nice to be able to cruise, but you can also have fun with shifting manually. Add a stally, skift kit and better diff gears - LOTS OF FUN

Rob · 13-11-2007, 09:52 AM

Tough autos are fun, but nothing compares to fanging a manual 4 litre through the twistys! Heel-toe downshifts always good fun.

T5's arent in the same league as t56s or toploaders durability wise, but they arent as fragile as they're made out to be, not behind an I6 anyway. Good oil, regular maintenance and a bit of care should keep them alive long enough.

Incidentally, dont forget that 160rwkw is more than the HSV 215i 5.7 strokers made when they were new. Not bad for a 6 eh?

gozza · 13-11-2007, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trick_xd

I don't mean to be rude BUT

on a stock 4ltr you need a manual just to get some power out of it.

When you get up around the 170+ mark you are just stupid if you think a manual is "cool" to have , you wont be able to take it through macc's drive in . you wont be able to take off without a lot of clutch so then its slipping and you will wear it out quicker as well as the other damage you will do just everyday driving / flogging it around .

But as most people on here wont get to the 160rwkw mark with out going forced then yes by all means ... go the manual , But if you do go forced then you would be better off with a manual .

I'm over 220rwHP N/A and 280rwHP Forced and I need the Auto just to help settle it down and make it easier to drive.

Been there , done what your thinking..... I run a Built & Kitted Auto

some people actually like to drive a car -

fair enough if your an bracket racer - an auto is for you -
if you need an auto to make your car settle down with 280 hp in a manual your mental retardation is funny -

also what does the power of a car have to do with eating while driving - I must be a spastic because i can't stuff my face while on full lock in 3rd -

btw way which of your power figures included happy gas - N/A or Forced

OED666 · 13-11-2007, 11:20 AM

manual all the WAY.

i am 1.3 RWKW from 170 at the bags, and my car is extremely easy to drive. Easier than my wifes old Barina (thank f(uk its gone). Also, I dont consider myself stupid by any stretch of the imagination.

its pretty easy to get 160rwkw without any assitance.

Trick_XD, if you just have over 220 "N/A" and your car is supposedly capable of those times, then 13.2/3 here i come...

OED666 · 13-11-2007, 01:06 PM

Also, forgot to mention heat soak in Autos is a killer. Absolutely kills drivability and qtr times when they get hot.

You'll need one of these to keep it cool enough... Not sure how it would look though...

3.9from hell · 13-11-2007, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OED666

manual all the WAY.

i am 1.3 RWKW from 170 at the bags, and my car is extremely easy to drive. Easier than my wifes old Barina (thank f(uk its gone). Also, I dont consider myself stupid by any stretch of the imagination.

its pretty easy to get 160rwkw without any assitance.

Trick_XD, if you just have over 220 "N/A" and your car is supposedly capable of those times, then 13.2/3 here i come...

hehe but then no ones car could ever be as tough as Trick_XDs, cos Trick_XD ownes it.

hes kinda like chuck norris :jab:

Thanatos · 13-11-2007, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trick_xd

I don't mean to be rude BUT

on a stock 4ltr you need a manual just to get some power out of it.

When you get up around the 170+ mark you are just stupid if you think a manual is "cool" to have , you wont be able to take it through macc's drive in . you wont be able to take off without a lot of clutch so then its slipping and you will wear it out quicker as well as the other damage you will do just everyday driving / flogging it around .

But as most people on here wont get to the 160rwkw mark with out going forced then yes by all means ... go the manual , But if you do go forced then you would be better off with a manual .

I'm over 220rwHP N/A and 280rwHP Forced and I need the Auto just to help settle it down and make it easier to drive.

Been there , done what your thinking..... I run a Built & Kitted Auto

God, you're an idiot.

I have 175rwkw and my car is as easy as a stocker to drive, because I actually know how to drive a manual and operate a clutch properly.

So just because you obviously can't drive a manual and you wear out clutches prematurely and cause damage 'just by driving it around', means that an auto is way better??

An auto is easier to drive if you have massive amounts of power, but I'm sorry to inform you buddy, 280rwhp is NOT massive amounts of power. With the kind of power that an worked N/A 6 or a low-boost setup will produce, and in the hands of someone who actually knows how to drive, a manual will be just as quick as any built auto, if not quicker. Not to mention it's more fun to drive on a daily basis. I like to do more than just steer when I drive my car.

Cheers,
Dave

DEVL-XR · 13-11-2007, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thanatos

Not to mention it's more fun to drive on a daily basis. I like to do more than just steer when I drive my car.

Yeah totally agree with this, honestly when I drive auto's I nearly fall asleep, its so boring! To me autos are only good when you havent slept in 3 days and you have no energy to use a clutch!

Dezza · 13-11-2007, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BradensEBxr6

Yeah totally agree with this, honestly when I drive auto's I nearly fall asleep, its so boring! To me autos are only good when you havent slept in 3 days and you have no energy to use a clutch!

Exactly. That's what I was meaning in my earlier posts. My car will never be a quarter mile weapon. All my performance mods are and will continue to be rather mild, so the durability of the T5 will never be an issue. As it is, the performance of my car surprises a lot of people. But I never converted to manual for the increase in performance. While that is certainly a benefit, the main reason I converted it was so I could drive the car rather than just steer it.

Rob · 13-11-2007, 05:41 PM

I hate being hung over and tired on a monday morning, driving over the westgate in peak hour...... :gren:

kabbart · 13-11-2007, 06:05 PM

I find manuals are more consistant.

trick_xd · 13-11-2007, 07:10 PM

Oh wow so much to reply to

gozza ... I put in my forced .. that it nos.. sorry I thought you would understand that .

oed666 .... I told you a long time ago that I thought you would have been quicker then me ... I put down my time compared to your to 2 things . track and car setup .. thats all ..
Yes heat soak is a killer for Autos but nothing that a bigger trans cooler wont fix

Thanatos .. I drive a manual everyday .. and if like today and the last week I have been up and down the GOR and a heap of dirt tracks ... yes I think I know how to drive a manual ... Maybe you have your clutch set up way better then I did ... I used to have problems with the cable a lot ... that might be why I like my top loader in my other car.. ... cable clutches suck

3.9from hell .... Narr not tuff ... just done the right stuff and take care so I don't break anything .. doing something cause I want to is different to fixing something I have to.

Swinny03 · 14-11-2007, 02:59 PM

auto for me, i like crusing with buddies and easy towing

SrsIIE8 · 14-11-2007, 03:40 PM

Your Driving it so its what you like at the end of the day, I would go a manual 8 days of the week but thats just me. beeing a pretty stock car, it would feel a lot more responsive with a manual and i find they are just a lot more fun in general. I pick my EL xr8 t5 over my old boys BF xr8 Tip Tronic all the time, i find it so freakin boring without a clutch i nearly fall asleep on the way to work. As for future mods i wouldnt worry about Trick XD comments to much because if you know how to drive and use your clutch correctly its no harder to drive with 100rwkw as it is 400rwkw. End of the day, your driving, pick what you perfer.

Walkinshaw · 18-11-2007, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trick_xd

I don't mean to be rude BUT

on a stock 4ltr you need a manual just to get some power out of it.

When you get up around the 170+ mark you are just stupid if you think a manual is "cool" to have , you wont be able to take it through macc's drive in . you wont be able to take off without a lot of clutch so then its slipping and you will wear it out quicker as well as the other damage you will do just everyday driving / flogging it around .

But as most people on here wont get to the 160rwkw mark with out going forced then yes by all means ... go the manual , But if you do go forced then you would be better off with a manual .

I'm over 220rwHP N/A and 280rwHP Forced and I need the Auto just to help settle it down and make it easier to drive.

Been there , done what your thinking..... I run a Built & Kitted Auto

Posts like this is the reason this tech area has gone down hill. Spouting total rubbish does nothing to help those who are actualy after 1/2decent information and help regarding technical questions.

Best to be quite and thought an idiot, than post and remove all doubt...

**Sorted** · 18-11-2007, 03:06 PM

Hmmmm I wonder what common denominator we have here with all this bitchin...........................

:

:

ANYWAY pinno what rwkw's have you got?

As you can see there is for and against on both sides..........

You want a fast 1/4 mile time as you have high rwkw's then auto, only idiots would assume a manual is faster

If you going to use your car as a daily driver and want the fun of changing gears all the time the go manual

If you have alot of stop start city driving go Auto

You have not given us alot of information to go on so I will wait for your reply as to what you want to achieve with a kitted auto or manual conversion

Jason[98.EL] · 18-11-2007, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DRHEMI

Hmmmm I wonder what common denominator we have here with all this bitchin...........................

:

:

ANYWAY pinno what rwkw's have you got?

As you can see there is for and against on both sides..........

You want a fast 1/4 mile time as you have high rwkw's then auto, only idiots would assume a manual is faster

If you going to use your car as a daily driver and want the fun of changing gears all the time the go manual

If you have alot of stop start city driving go Auto

You have not given us alot of information to go on so I will wait for your reply as to what you want to achieve with a kitted auto or manual conversion

well put

i have had a high rwkw in the past and yes when it was set up orig it was manual and was a biach to drive

i went with a 2 spd auto after that and wow what a difference it made

and if people think an auto isnt fun to drive you are wrong

you just need to think of ways to make it fun

jason

Dezza · 18-11-2007, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grimus

and if people think an auto isnt fun to drive you are wrong

I disagree, and I drove an auto for 4 and a half years. I hated it. Again, it's all a matter of personal opinion.

I regularly drive my car in heavy traffic too, and it still doesn't bother me that I have a manual.