Re: Auto vs 5-spd; was Re: 1998 Dakota R/T (question about

From: Carl Vidos (cvidos@io.com)
Date: Mon Oct 13 1997 - 01:24:35 EDT


WillTier wrote on 11-Oct-97 19:55:58

>I don't drive on dynos, I drive on the track and the road where it counts.
>And I could care less about friction loss as long as my auto keeps whippin
>them sticks.

You know, sometimes I don't even know why I bother... but here goes.
I believe Alan was responding to the statement "autos make more power
than manuals." His statement was correct: an automatic transmission,
in general, has more driveline loss than a manual. Fact. Most of the
6-speed f-bodies in our group are running stock rear wheel HP figures
in the 270's, while our auto bretheren are in the high 250 to low 260
range. I've saw this for myself at our recent "Dynofest." We dynoed
over twenty cars that day, so it wasn't a fluke.

So it really doesn't matter where you drive, the fact remains that,
in general, an auto has more driveline loss.

At the track, the sticks are pushing 100 in the quarter (stock) while
the autos are around 94 or so. Furthermore, the sticks have a closer
gear-to-gear ratio which lets the engine stay in it's powerband. I
will say that the autos are running about the same ET as the manuals,
though, despite the fact that they're so much slower.

I'll grant you this much, Mr. Tier, the autos are usually more
CONSISTENT, but they're certainly not faster. Ask fellow Dakota owners
Alan and Andre. I've personally driven both the auto and the manual
Dak, and while *I* would probably do better in the auto (how the HELL
do you shift those damn four foot long poles???!!!) the manual sure
feels alot faster to me....

> I haven't seen a lot of "no mods" Daks run 15's especially the 97's and what
>is a f-body V8 ? Probably something I usually look at in the rear view mirror
>???

Alan's bone stock Dak ran 15.7 in the quarter, and that was with a
peg leg open diff.

And the day you look at an f-body in the rearview mirror will be the
day you raced the punk with the V6 version. Geez, only low 13's at
a piddly 103 in the quarter? With JUICE? Gimme a break. I run 104 in
the quarter completely NA, and I haven't even BEGUN to do mods yet.
Mods? I'll show you mods. No happy gas for me either. All throttle
and no bottle is my motto.

Let's compare apples with apples here, shall we? Sure you make a Dak
go fast, but you can make an f-body go faster. Fact, pure and simple.
Get off the high horse, old timer, and learn a little something from
us younger ones. We're not all blithering idiots, you know.

>No problem with autos we can drive with our boots on, no problem..

I prefer to hang 10 myself; gives me good clutch feel for those
hole shots against those old guys with autos and slow-pivoting ankles.

>Bill

Carl



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