Manual or Auto, N/A drag car
02-17-2011, 10:50 AM
#21
The only people saying to keep the manual is either
A) They don't drag race and B) Prefer to "Rice" from a Roll and like that ability to control the shift as a Roll race is at most 2-3 up shifts and basically 90% of skill is removed.
If I could afford it, this car would have a RMVB 4L80e and done with it. Stuck with the M6 until either A) I blow it up or B) Get enough cash together to buy one.
I will say though I have had enough arguments for the fact that i drive it so little that i could get away with a TH400 but still I like at least some O/D. BUT I have driven a '70 Chevelle with a Th350 from Central Connecticut to Epping Dragway in NH, I was a bit crazy back then....
A) They don't drag race and B) Prefer to "Rice" from a Roll and like that ability to control the shift as a Roll race is at most 2-3 up shifts and basically 90% of skill is removed.
If I could afford it, this car would have a RMVB 4L80e and done with it. Stuck with the M6 until either A) I blow it up or B) Get enough cash together to buy one.
I will say though I have had enough arguments for the fact that i drive it so little that i could get away with a TH400 but still I like at least some O/D. BUT I have driven a '70 Chevelle with a Th350 from Central Connecticut to Epping Dragway in NH, I was a bit crazy back then....
02-17-2011, 11:08 AM
#22
It is fun for me to learn something new...so I am heavily leaning toward the 4L80 now. Especially when I saw this vid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzEUy4OLByY
But then I got confused a bit when I watched this one. Why does this car leave so soft with a 5K rpm stall?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSaliFGlD-g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzEUy4OLByY
But then I got confused a bit when I watched this one. Why does this car leave so soft with a 5K rpm stall?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSaliFGlD-g
Also no A/C and turn off the Radio. Got it. 
02-17-2011, 01:09 PM
#25
Try no heat for 2 winters, no windsheild wipers, no ac, and no radio, then your at my level lol. Its nice to have a daily driver again.
But I am correct in thinking a higher stall will leave much harder than a lower then? It almost sounded like the red car was slipping so I thought maybe the looser the verter the more it slips at first.
But I am correct in thinking a higher stall will leave much harder than a lower then? It almost sounded like the red car was slipping so I thought maybe the looser the verter the more it slips at first.
02-17-2011, 03:58 PM
#27
OP, the big issue here is weighing your personal fun factor in an M6 vs auto with consistency goals and budget contraints. Since you mention possibly driving it to work, it sounds like you're looking to build a street/strip car as opposed to a track-only trailored car that sits in the garage year round except for those few nights a season when it's at the track. Correct me if I'm wrong because you did state "drag car" in the title of the thread, but you also mention driving it on the street. And you also mention having that "driver mod", so I imagine you enjoy driving manual cars quite a bit (but again, correct me if I'm wrong).
First off, just how much do you love using a clutch and bangin gears as you're driving down the road or tearin down the track? If this is what makes you love the fact that you have the car, then chances are an auto just isn't going to make you as happy in the long run. On the other hand, if you've done nothing but manual cars forever and are itchin to try something new, you're always gonna be wondering what it would be like to build and tweak an auto, and you can still go MVB to get the bangin gears feel with your right hand. But this whole happiness factor here is going to change from person to person.
Now when it comes to consistency, this is a broadly defined word on these forums. Some people use it to refer to within a couple tenths of a second while others are talking about hundredths of a second. While there are many track cars out there that will do passes throughout the day within a few hundredths of a second of each other, the majority of the street cars out there, auto or manual, are simply not that consistent given weather and track prep changes from day to day. There is always a learning curve for any given track and day. The ones that ARE that consistent love sitting at a rental for every new setup they do and tweaking suspension parts, shift points on an auto, tire pressure by the half a pound, etc and logging the info in that given weather and track to make a car that consistent.
If, on the other hand, you care about building a car that is consistent within a couple tenths of a second once you've made a couple passes throughout the day and really spent some time learning the car for that particular setup, then there is absolutely nothing wrong with a manual car. It will take more time to tweak and practice, but it's absolutely possible, and a lot of people enjoy this challenge with a manual car. If you are one of them, an auto car just might not be your cup of tea. I am one of these people personally. By my last day at the track with my car, I was bangin off about six 11.4X passes in a row at the same mph and 60's within half a tenth of each other. It took me a couple year of practicing and tweaking but that was the whole fun of it for me, personally, and I got there.
But, if you care about building a car to win brackets or a particular class, running a bunch of 10.5X passes right off the bat in a row on any given day might make an M6 car a problem for you. That's the decision you have to make, though.
The final big consideration is future budget. While the initial build budget necessary might be comparable or sway you one way or the other depending on your personal situation, in the long run (as mentioned by many members), the manual will likely turn out to be a much more expensive project. Clutches and other drivetrain parts aren't cheap and the extra stress a manual transmission puts on them causes much faster wear. If you're going to have a good ongoing budget down the road and don't mind spending that on some upkeep rather than strictly upgrades, then this isn't an issue. If your budget will be tight, though, this will be a big consideration.
I'll end with a note that I'm not technical wizard of any kind when it comes to cars; I'm just trying to point out some general thoughts and questions to consider when building a car like this. On the other hand, you'd be surprised at how many people on this site do a lot of posting in the technical forums and have high post counts but have never actually gone faster than 12's at the track...
Good luck with your build and keep us posted! I always thought it would be badass to throw an LS3 into my Z28 before I sold it.
First off, just how much do you love using a clutch and bangin gears as you're driving down the road or tearin down the track? If this is what makes you love the fact that you have the car, then chances are an auto just isn't going to make you as happy in the long run. On the other hand, if you've done nothing but manual cars forever and are itchin to try something new, you're always gonna be wondering what it would be like to build and tweak an auto, and you can still go MVB to get the bangin gears feel with your right hand. But this whole happiness factor here is going to change from person to person.
Now when it comes to consistency, this is a broadly defined word on these forums. Some people use it to refer to within a couple tenths of a second while others are talking about hundredths of a second. While there are many track cars out there that will do passes throughout the day within a few hundredths of a second of each other, the majority of the street cars out there, auto or manual, are simply not that consistent given weather and track prep changes from day to day. There is always a learning curve for any given track and day. The ones that ARE that consistent love sitting at a rental for every new setup they do and tweaking suspension parts, shift points on an auto, tire pressure by the half a pound, etc and logging the info in that given weather and track to make a car that consistent.
If, on the other hand, you care about building a car that is consistent within a couple tenths of a second once you've made a couple passes throughout the day and really spent some time learning the car for that particular setup, then there is absolutely nothing wrong with a manual car. It will take more time to tweak and practice, but it's absolutely possible, and a lot of people enjoy this challenge with a manual car. If you are one of them, an auto car just might not be your cup of tea. I am one of these people personally. By my last day at the track with my car, I was bangin off about six 11.4X passes in a row at the same mph and 60's within half a tenth of each other. It took me a couple year of practicing and tweaking but that was the whole fun of it for me, personally, and I got there.
But, if you care about building a car to win brackets or a particular class, running a bunch of 10.5X passes right off the bat in a row on any given day might make an M6 car a problem for you. That's the decision you have to make, though.
The final big consideration is future budget. While the initial build budget necessary might be comparable or sway you one way or the other depending on your personal situation, in the long run (as mentioned by many members), the manual will likely turn out to be a much more expensive project. Clutches and other drivetrain parts aren't cheap and the extra stress a manual transmission puts on them causes much faster wear. If you're going to have a good ongoing budget down the road and don't mind spending that on some upkeep rather than strictly upgrades, then this isn't an issue. If your budget will be tight, though, this will be a big consideration.
I'll end with a note that I'm not technical wizard of any kind when it comes to cars; I'm just trying to point out some general thoughts and questions to consider when building a car like this. On the other hand, you'd be surprised at how many people on this site do a lot of posting in the technical forums and have high post counts but have never actually gone faster than 12's at the track...
Good luck with your build and keep us posted! I always thought it would be badass to throw an LS3 into my Z28 before I sold it.
02-17-2011, 08:59 PM
#28
I went so opposite of my old car it was rediculous, so I have gotten my fill of both transmissions. I think I do enough track racing that I would ultimately enjoy the auto more.
As for the comment on how fast I have gone vs my post count, people tend to forget what I had going on for the last 2-3 years, but then again they would need to be my friend to know. But dont worry, slips coming soon. I'll leave at that.
02-18-2011, 07:58 AM
#30
02-18-2011, 08:39 AM
#31
If I find it, ill post the link here.
Edit: Here it is.
https://ls1tech.com/forums/manual-tr...tall-pics.html
02-18-2011, 08:43 AM
#32
After decades of experience at the track, here is what I will tell you. If you are doing it for fun and you are not concerned with consistency, parts breakage or losing bets, manuals are fun. However, if you are concerned with any of the above, automatic all the way.
02-18-2011, 11:34 AM
#33
10 Second Club
iTrader: (8)
op...what's your et/power goals? I have no problem being consistant with a m6 car and don't break up much stuff. Face plated T-56 been together for 4 yrs(just fixed 3rd) and I have busted the 10 bolt twice but that's to be expected. I have a rebuildable clutch that don't cost much to repair but have only repaired it twice in 5 yrs. Not bad for a low 11 sec car imop.
02-18-2011, 02:14 PM
#34
op...what's your et/power goals? I have no problem being consistant with a m6 car and don't break up much stuff. Face plated T-56 been together for 4 yrs(just fixed 3rd) and I have busted the 10 bolt twice but that's to be expected. I have a rebuildable clutch that don't cost much to repair but have only repaired it twice in 5 yrs. Not bad for a low 11 sec car imop.
I know you can leave kind of soft and make things last, or I used to pre-load my old car a little bit with the hand brake. Would be really easy to do with the line lock on this car. The goal for the car is mid-high 10's at 600fwhp, and the wheels have to be up off the line
That bell housing is sweet!! I just saw that ACT finally makes a clutch for these things now, that would be my top choice for a clutch. I had one that had 350 nitrous passes (on slicks) in my old car, and it mic'd .015" smaller than a stock disc.
Last edited by Jenson; 02-18-2011 at 02:29 PM.
