Nick2Sick

iTrader: (2)

Hey guys, I've read the forums for about a year but this is my first post so if it's in the wrong category please let me know and I'll try to move it!

I'm looking to buy a 98-02 Firebird Trans Am and it's going to be a daily driver/strip car. The only mods I plan on the next two years is small stuff (exhaust, UD pulleys, etc) but I might boost it a few years down the road when my income is higher.

My question is whether or not I should buy a manual or automatic. Some say the auto trans in this car is weak, others say that auto will beat a stick in a strip race because it shifts better (I always thought autos were slower and the gear ratios weren't as good as stick). I've read some posts but I'd love some input given my particular situation, thanks in advance for your advice.

A little bit of additional info, I live in Charlotte so I'll be doing some city driving but I don't put a lot of miles on my car in a year. I plan to spend around $8000-$10,000 to buy the car.

It seems like people with manuals want 1k-2k more, and I've seen MANY birds listed for 8k with more than 150,000 miles on them....is this normal??? I know the price should be higher than blue book because its a collector/sports car but paying that much for a car that's 15 years old and has more than 100k miles seems high to me. I've been looking only on craigslist so if you guys have suggestions for other places to look I'd appreciate them.

Thanks again, can't wait to become an LS1 owner and sell my Pontiac Sunfire

Arctic_Z

I've had an auto and now a 6 speed. I loved my auto and sometimes miss it. There's nothing like banging gears though. I think if you're going to do a lot of racing and drive it everyday go for the auto. I got the 6 speed for a weekend cruiser.

I paid 6k for my 84k mile formula.

Fry_

Autos make better drag cars and are less likely to break the rear diff. Also I've read it many times, if you can only do 1 mod make it a good 3000+rpm stall converter and a trans cooler. A Yank SS3600 seems to be the most common choice.

RSAXON1979

iTrader: (1)

I agree, it really depends on what you are gonna do with it.... I got a stick because i mainly drive it on the street when the weather is nice and race it on occasion so i find it to be more fun to drive, however if you plan on being a hard core drag racer at the track every weekend then a built automatic is what you want.

If you look around you can run across a deal, i bought a clean 2001 6-speed formula for $5k and i found automatics a dime a dozen, look in the classifieds on here there are a few deals.

BTW: if i were you i would try to find a 2001-2002 just because you will get the slightly better 241 heads and much better LS6 intake from the factory.

dhctss

iTrader: (3)

many 2000 cars have the 241 heads also fyi.

RSAXON1979

iTrader: (1)

Yea i know but they dont have a factory LS6 intake which is a nice factory upgrade that won't cost anything extra at time of purchase, plus if you ever upgrade its nice to sell it and offset some of the cost of an aftermarket intake.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

This topic has been covered many, many times and the facts will always be the same. It's all a matter of opinion, and the opinions of others' won't matter when you're the one in the driver's seat. A4 vs. M6 threads always devolve into a flame war of subjective opinions presented as facts, and the only advice that matters is to drive both and see which YOU prefer.

As these cars are all 12+ years old and mostly high mileage now, the "strength/longevity" factor is a wash. If it's a high mileage M6 car and the clutch is still stock, you can expect to need a new one in the not-so-distant future, possibly also some internal trans work if it was driven hard and you'll likely want to upgrade the hydraulics. If it's a high mileage A4 car and the trans is stock, you can expect to need a rebuild in the not-so-distant future. M6 cars are MUCH harder on the stock rear, so if you plan to race often, on sticky tires, and especially if you plan to increase power then you can expect to need a new rear sooner rather than later. With an A4, the stock rear usually holds up to a great deal more since it doesn't receive the same sort of launch-shock that's inherent with a manual trans car.

Beware of the recommendations of sticking with '01+ cars. All of the '99+ (and some of the very late '98 models) have a roof panel issue that requires roof replacement to correct. Here is a thread that outlines the issue:

https://ls1tech.com/forums/paint-bod...e-dummies.html

....for this reason, I always prefer a pre-05/98 build date car, since I don't care for the cost or hassle associated with this repair. If you want a convertible, then this point is invalid. The only real advantage to the later model year cars is the LS6 intake, which is more easily added to an early car vs. a roof panel replacement on a later car. The exhaust manifold and cylinder head casting process differences won't matter if you plan to modify either (all LS1 heads [806/853/241] have the same potential once ported.) The only other significant point of consideration is the PCM differences from early to later model years, but for the typical bolt-on or even heads/cam build, any year PCM can be properly tuned by a competent tuner. If you plan on a serious FI build, then you might be one of the few that can really benefit from the later model PCMs.

One final consideration. It's pretty easy to find nice M6 cars, they were often someone's garage queen or weekend toy. This is rarely the case with autos; most were daily drivers and finding a nice one is more difficult at this point.