alright, belive it or not, people have actually raced their automatic cars, I dont know maybe its just wierd to me, but what does evryone else think of the automatic racers?

automatic is better for racing. My car is automatic. You cant shift as fast as a machine. of course maanual is more fun but thats a different story.

Auto's own in the 1/4. Machines don't make mistakes, people do. Manuals can be fast, but like I said, people make mistakes. Plus you can build boost on a turbo by power braking.
I still hate slushboxes though, guess i'll always be slower in the 1/4 then

-Ben

i think my automatic trans'd automobile would devastate any manual competition you could throw at it.

automatics are THE ONLY way to go for drag racing performance.

got a turbo? even better. the automatic's stall converter will spin the rpm's up faster and only put the power to the ground when you're on boost (assuming you get a stall converter that is rated above your boost rpm). no lag.

manuals are for road racing and automobiles that need to handle. we install our shocks upside down so the car will transfer weight onto the drivewheels too.

going fast in a straight line is MUCH different than the tuning of a handling car.

jason

after driving an automatic car and a manual car, id go for the amnual. ok, ive never driven in a 1.4 mile race, but i just like manual gearboxes better. you feel more in control, plus it is possible if you learn how to shift quickly to beat an automatic. come on, you all should know that it is always possible for skill to beat machine anyday.
oh yeah, on the subject of shifting............... no, no, come back its not what you think. ok, on the subject of shifting, i seem to remember out of F&F 1, that when diesel van owns that cop in the charger, hes going on about how he wasnt 'double shifting like you should' i though you only had to double shift when you are shifting down. eh?

I haven't seen that movie in a long ass time.. but wasn't he driving the rx-7 when he told the cop dude he was granny shiftin or somethin instead of double clutchin like he should... I guess you can double clutch in an up shift... i dont really see the point... but i presume you could... guess if you want to spin up the RPMs right before you stick it in gear... hrrmm maybe if you put it in gear while your holdin the clutch in then rev it up high and pop the clutch.... i donno... seems like that would be HELL on yer clutch... only time i ever double clutch is when i'm autoX'in the grand am (which i actually stopped doing... now i just watch... hehe...) then you double clutch as you down shift so your car doesn't lurch forward and you lose speed around corners and such... i believe its called like heal-toe double de-clutching? somethin like that... but you have your left foot depressing the clutch with your right heel on the brake and toe on the gas to rev it up then you drop it in gear and let out the clutch... i dont ever pop it because that would probably just create un-necessary wheel spin in a FWD car...

man... i must feel like typin tonight... all my responses have been crazy long... lol...

-Daniel

damn, im getting confused today. for the start of a race, dont you keep it in neutral, give it really high revs, put in it to first, then when the light goes dump the clutch? ive never tried it, but thinking about it, i guess itd be really hard to do. if you dont time it right, and get that 'biting point' then youll just lurch forward and stall.

cue embarrassment

Hrrrmmm... I'm not sure if you're supposed to keep it in neutral or not... on a manual what i've always been taught and have seen is keep it at idle until the top red comes on... then when that comes on put it in first with the clutch on the floor... then give it some fairly high revs... i usually go about at 3500-4000 in the grand am... really depends on your engine and its usable power band and redline and all that good stuff... but then slowly let the clutch out until you can feel that its fixing to engage... so you keep the clutch RIGHT BELOW the point where it would engage and put the car in first and make you take off... but then you wait 'til the light hits green or... actually right before it hits green but not so much before that you get red-lighted... then pop the clutch the rest of the distance (which shouldnt be very much) and mash the gas... but ya... to get a real good start you really have to know your car and get the timing down and everything... also if you change your clutch on a manual tranny car... like if you go from an OEM to a sport clutch you have to start all over 'cuz they feel TOTALLY different... especially if you go from OEM to say a SPEC or Quartermaster dual or triple disc clutch... but thats another story... heh... you just gotta work on yer timing...

-Daniel

What the hell? keep it in neutral than dump the clutch? NO YOU IDIOT GO PED BOY!! and yes machines do shift faster so deal with it. i dont car if a manual does feel faster, its not.. You dont want to dump the clutch, you want to control the clutch and the gas evenly to get the most power to the ground you can without smoking the tires. its abuse on the clutch but its the best way to go.

keep it in neutral then dump the clutch? did i say that? well, i meant put the clutch down, shift it into first, still keep the clutch down, until the light goes green then dump the clutch and promptly stall (if its me driving, cos i have no sense of timing whatsoever). but feel free to correct me as I openly admit i dont have the faintest idea of what im talking about