I'll try and approach this differently... all this that follows is regarding an inline-4 transmission.

There aren't many scenarios where the stock auto will be better than a stock manual in most instances. If they are geared the same (which isn't the case in the Tib's, which is why the autos are still bad up here) in the higher quarter mile times there isn't too much difference, if you knew how to launch both transmissions.

In the middle times (12sec-14sec quarter) where stock automatic transmissions are not built to handle that much stress, they have a tendency to start slipping, overheating, and breaking internals much faster than stock manuals.

In the faster times (10-12 sec) manuals become too hard to shift in most instances (you do see the people at NOPI for instance, still using manual transmissions at 8sec marks however)... this is where the built automatic transmission comes into play. If designed to handle the power, the automatic becomes faster than the manual, even for the best of drivers. Civics/Supras/RX-7s are examples of cars that when they reach the 10-12 sec mark, the automatics dominate the manuals. At this level, both transmissions have to be built anyway.

 

aren't there semi-automatics that switch gears much faster? i wouldn't know about the fastest cars being automatics, but they would probably require a lot of fine tuning to get to that point. but at that point, they are only driving straight. i guess if you want to enjoy driving, a manual is better around the hills, turns and corners. but i wouldn't say automatics are that much slower than manuals. they are just boring to drive.

say, this "power" switch here on the automatic... hehehe. it doesn't make it faster does it?? i mean, it does switch gears near the redline but wouldn't the car lose speed at higher rpm gear switching? i tired it and it feels like it's faster.

 

To me, "power" feels much stronger for the auto tibby. WIth it off and you WOT, the tranny would change gears at high rpms but the rpm drops more than when it is on "POWER"

 

so, if i dont want to be in 10-12 sec , i should have a manual, and if I want to be in 10-12 i should keep my auto. lol

 

As Ham said, there is 8 second cars with manual tranny.

Will your car every be in 10-12 second range? Doubt.

 

Still I gotta get the most power out of this thing! So you may be a second- second and a half faster but now have you ever realized what little time that may be? Time a second or count a second outloud and you must realize that it's really a small fraction of time.

I havent heard of anyone who has put a torque converter on their Auto Tibs, but I bet the gains are easily 15 whp. This is something I may invest in, possibly before anything else. It is evident that there is a lot of disagreement here and we're at stalemate.

Hopefully someday I'll prove you wrong after I bring it to the track and test out some of these horsepower, torque, 0-60, 1/4 mile figures after some tuning

 

1-1.5 second at the track is 5-10 cars at the end of the 1/4 mi man. It's a crap load!

Wish you luck with everything and hope you won't regret that you started to mod auto.

 

90 miles per hour
/60 minutes = 1.5 miles per minute
/60 seconds = .025 miles per second
*5280 feet = 132 feet per second

op's car hits 90 in the 1/4, if a car was exactly one second behind him that would be 132 feet behind him, divide that by the average length of a car and that's at least 5 cars.
im with OP on this one, 1 second is a lot man ..

even though i do agree automatics do have their positives, a manual is gonna take you if your N/A and the guy can shift.

to combat that problem ... boost!
get boost, then you'll take 'em AND get to keep the auto .. (unless of course he's boosting or has nitrous) but a boosted auto tib will easily take the average i/h/e 5 speed setup. the basic kit alone on stock internals which you could easily put 5-7 psi on will get you around the ~200hp mark.

also, i would not spend that much money on a torque converter..a turbo is so much more effective.



OP, if he gets the torque converter, wouldn't that make him about equal with a 5 sp?

 

I honestly have no idea how torque converters work. I will look into it and let you know. But I'm with you, if you want to be fast and keep the auto, get a turbo smile.gif

 

torque converters go for like 4K!! it would be easier to just spend that on a turbo kit. true, it would keep the money down.. but buying all the internals, the gauges, the kit, fuel pump has got to be a pain in the butt. not to mention managing it. with gas prices right now...

speaking on behalf of an auto, i want a turbo. i really do. i want the roller coaster speed. i don't want fake internals that won't give me little power. the problem is i'd rather enjoy shifting for myself many days than to enjoy blowing some camaro off the street one day.