Automatic for Track, Bad Idea???

[johan]

Originally Posted by matttheboatman

Thank everyone for your input. I started tracking with an Automatic Transmission Porsche and then converted to a manual. Ultimately, i prefered the AT but wanted to find out if there is anything inherently wrong or slow or unusable with the AT at the track on the 86. I would definately install a cooler. As far as the relative cost of future maintenance, true the AT can be a costly repair. But, the MT will need clutches and the possibility of engine damage due overrevs is a likely occurance sooner or later.

Actually.... Low mileage, used AT trans for this car are really cheap on ebay. I think you'll be just fine.

[johan]

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

You bitch so much about every little thing that I must have gotten your complaints mixed up.

I can't argue with this.

[EAGLE5]

Once you get the AT, your testicles will shrink. That's all. Chances are you'll be faster in an auto unless you learn to shift really well, at which point the manual advantages win. Final drive. Being in the exact gear you want.

[CSG Mike]

Nothing wrong with the AT. You'll have a gearing advantage at some venues, and a gearing disadvantage at others. Just a matter of how the gears line up with a particular track.

[TommyW]

Originally Posted by Dr. BRZ

The high end cars not ours. I have not lost to an auto twin. If only there was a way tp get the fastest autos and sticks on the forums and race each other. Would be awesome.

same track same driver, Randy Pobst I believe and an auto and manual. Almost identical lap times. Doubtful it gets more accurate than that for comparison purposes. Regardless, I’ll keep my manual

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by Dr. BRZ

The high end cars not ours. I have not lost to an auto twin. If only there was a way tp get the fastest autos and sticks on the forums and race each other. Would be awesome.

That's a challenge I'd take!

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by CSG Mike

That's a challenge I'd take!

Yeah yeah... you and Senna


We all know how awesome you are.

[Evan55]

The only bad idea is not taking your car to the track.

As an instructor I have been in plenty of cars you would think has no business at a racetrack. Crown Vic with a vinyl bench seat sticks out in my mind. The student had a blast! Plenty of automatic rental mustangs too.
Just take it to the track, when you get serious you can think about selling and getting a manual later.

Edit: but if you havent bought a car yet, yes I would say go with manual

[GrantedTaken]

DO the automatics come with some kind of tiptronic steptronic?

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by GrantedTaken

DO the automatics come with some kind of tiptronic steptronic?

Yes, there are buttons and levers to tell the AT to shift gears. From all account it shifts good.

It's still a torque converted automatic with a different rear end gear, and I forgot, over a flying lap, Mike's not wrong F/D change will be more track dependent on whether it's good or bad than just the hurt acceleration.

[matttheboatman]

Originally Posted by Evan55

when you get serious you can think about selling and getting a manual later.

Edit: but if you havent bought a car yet, yes I would say go with manual

Hi Evan,

The truth is I am building a race car, so I would say its getting serious. Is your answer based on historical manual bias? Or, is there a good reason not to go automatic. Most new race cars and modern track cars are being built faster and more durable with some form of automatic.

I fully get the concept of doing better with less - less grippy tires improves your handling skill, manual shifting with heal-toe downshifts is inherently more difficult so it is more rewarding. I get all that. And, the 86 comes to the table as manual in its DNA. But is there anything wrong with racing an automatic???

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I came to the track scene starting with an automatic so I do not have any manual bias. In fact, I would say the computer has taught me how to downshift better better then most when I do run a manual. But, after weighing it all out, I have decided paddles are a better fit for me at 10/10ths.

Why would I not build a automatic-equipped 86 race car?

[x808drifter]

Originally Posted by matttheboatman

Hi Evan,

The truth is I am building a race car, so I would say its getting serious. Is your answer based on historical manual bias? Or, is there a good reason not to go automatic. Most new race cars and modern track cars are being built faster and more durable with some form of automatic.

I fully get the concept of doing better with less - less grippy tires improves your handling skill, manual shifting with heal-toe downshifts is inherently more difficult so it is more rewarding. I get all that. And, the 86 comes to the table as manual in its DNA. But is there anything wrong with racing an automatic???

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I came to the track scene starting with an automatic so I do not have any manual bias. In fact, I would say the computer has taught me how to downshift better better then most when I do run a manual. But, after weighing it all out, I have decided paddles are a better fit for me at 10/10ths.

Why would I not build a automatic-equipped 86 race car?

I believe you are mixing up AMT and AT.
Paddle shift cars in just about every professional race series in the world are still technically manual.

The trans in our cars is NOT that kind of trans.
They are two very different things.

[Ultramaroon]

Not THAT different.

[14stu]

For what it's worth, I've never met anyone at the track with a manual who wished it was an automatic; however, the majority of the guys at the track with an automatic say they wish they had a manual. As an instructor, I've driven all sorts of cars with all sorts of transmissions. I always prefer a manual over anything with 2 pedals. It's reassuring to know that I control when the car shifts, instead of just asking for permission and letting the car decide. An automatic won't help you become a better driver and it will limit what you can learn with the car.

If you are just looking to save money on the purchase price, remember you'll lose the same amount when you try to sell your car. A 'prepped' automatic 86 sounds like it'd be almost impossible to sell (maybe you'd find someone who was looking to put a sequential transmission in it, but that's a very small market).

If you're afraid that you aren't good enough with a stick shift, there is no better time to learn than the present. Now, if you already had an automatic or if you had some sort of physical limitation that kept you from driving one, there's nothing wrong with the automatic in the 86 and you can have plenty of fun in one at the track.