Automatic 86 On the Track! OH NO!!!

[Lunatic]

I have the automatic. Love it. I have drove several different tracks with it and in fact bought the automatic with tracking in mind. I have several videos on my Facebook page if you want to check it out. https://www.facebook.com/Lunatic-Rac...5620119162747/

[ysu]

I've an A/T as well, and track it. Now with an ACE 250B header. Heaps of fun.
And it's definitely no slouch.

It maybe a tad slower than the manual, due to the longer gearing & extra weight, but I don't think you're going to be hunting for that last second

Just replace the pads & fluid before tracking, see my thread how it looks after a moderate track day (about 1.5 hours of total track time). It can take it, but not well.

Other considerations:
Tracking makes things run hot. Very hot. I've oil temps up to 130-133 C regularly.
Pretty much guaranteed the A/T fluid will get hot, too. And replacing the A/T fluid is a biatch.

Think about a vented hood, and/or oil & A/T fluid coolers on the long run.

Just a single track-day will be fine, unless you're at a very hot location. In that case I'm not sure.
Afterwards you can decide if you want to continue.

[Lynxis]

Just talking about auto vs. manual on track where your launch doesn't matter, the real difference is due to longer gearing in the auto. In theory, the manual will be faster around most tracks unless the gearing is too awkward to be efficient.

Your first time out, you can leave the trans in full auto as you get used to driving around but I suggest switching to manual mode and using the paddles to shift yourself as soon as possible. I drive a manual but I'm told the auto sometimes hesitates or seems to have trouble choosing the correct gear for the situation and that costs time. You will be much faster in the long run when you choose the correct shift points and gears for a given course rather than let the car try to figure it out for you.

[Wayno]

Never go on track without oil and ATF coolers.

These aren't timed laps: low cornering speeds, still 100% throttle and braking on straights, so equivalent to a session of half the length, but you get the idea.

http://datazap.me/u/wayne/stg2-ace-e...-24-25&solo=11

[North_GA_FRS]

I track my auto regularly, first NA with E85/tune, now with FI and 360Hp. The auto is no slouch on track and with FI, the taller gears are actually pretty nice. I wouldn't say you shouldn't go to the track without oil/ATF coolers; my first year of track days in this car was NA without either. It's pretty hot in Georgia and I never went into limp mode because I overheated the fluids (I did change them all regularly though). We have a lot of guys who track in our 86 group and it seems like more would come out; however, they believe they need thousands of dollars in mods before this car can hit the track. This is simply not true. I would recommend changing brake pads/fluid but if it's your fist time on track, you may not even need to do this. Best thing to do is get on track, drive the car hard, determine what you like/dislike, determine your and the cars strengths/weaknesses, and create a list of mods based on your findings.

[kimchangil424]

I agree with North_GA_FRS. Just take the vehicle out first stock and see what it is capable of. I can assure you that for most beginners on a track the automatic will provide the faster time as you can concentrate on your lines and not have to worry about rev matching. The automatic transmission is very intuitive on track and rev-matches quite well under hard braking. As stated by another member, many individuals track their automatic 86's every other weekend such as Robert Stangarone who is extremely competitive in autocross. Moto from Club4AG also tracks his automatic FRS and can post faster times than most manual NA cars without a sweat. It all boils down to getting seat time first. Just take it out and enjoy it. Decide what modifications you need after you have surpassed the limits of the vehicle.