What is your choice for Transmission Auto Or Manual
- Thread starter Bucks
- Start date
Manual. No question. It was a hard fact that my Corvette would be a 6-speed.
I compromised on the transmission choice on my Trans Am when I bought it, but it was too good a deal to pass up. I have never been terribly disappointed, it is still quite quick and a lot of fun, but I sure do love to row my own gears, and my Corvette was absolutely going to have a clutch - It's not a real sports car if it doesn't have a clutch.
I compromised on the transmission choice on my Trans Am when I bought it, but it was too good a deal to pass up. I have never been terribly disappointed, it is still quite quick and a lot of fun, but I sure do love to row my own gears, and my Corvette was absolutely going to have a clutch - It's not a real sports car if it doesn't have a clutch.
All of my Corvettes have been manuals. I would not want it any other way. Love shifting my Corvette.
I’ve had manual and auto Camaros. I liked them both as with that car both seem to fit the experience of driving it. Maybe it is the lower performance levels that evened it out for me. My Camaros were mainly stock HP with a few mods. Nothing seat crushing.
Had a 280Z Turbo for a while with an automatic. God what a miserable thing to drive. Huge turbo lag and with the automatic it was frustrating and boring. They came close with that car but... no cigar.
I’d be driving my new Black 19 ZR1 that I recently found For MSRP that has everything in options and ZTK...including the A8. Which is why I’m not. Damn that car was perfect otherwise. It was hard to walk away but I know I would always be wishing it had the M7.
@Bucks As you have likely seen this subject has stirred up some big debates on here. Some getting a bit heated too. I am guilty of mixing it up a bit on the subject in the past but learned just how polarized Corvette owners are on the subject based on their own expectations of what they want in a Corvette and why. And good on them, as Corvettes are more than just a car. They are an extension of the owner in many cases.
This should be fun to watch.
I’ve had manual and auto Camaros. I liked them both as with that car both seem to fit the experience of driving it. Maybe it is the lower performance levels that evened it out for me. My Camaros were mainly stock HP with a few mods. Nothing seat crushing.
Had a 280Z Turbo for a while with an automatic. God what a miserable thing to drive. Huge turbo lag and with the automatic it was frustrating and boring. They came close with that car but... no cigar.
I’d be driving my new Black 19 ZR1 that I recently found For MSRP that has everything in options and ZTK...including the A8. Which is why I’m not. Damn that car was perfect otherwise. It was hard to walk away but I know I would always be wishing it had the M7.
@Bucks As you have likely seen this subject has stirred up some big debates on here. Some getting a bit heated too. I am guilty of mixing it up a bit on the subject in the past but learned just how polarized Corvette owners are on the subject based on their own expectations of what they want in a Corvette and why. And good on them, as Corvettes are more than just a car. They are an extension of the owner in many cases.
This should be fun to watch.
- Jun 26, 2014
- 1,377
- 2,303
Hands down - Manual!
- Aug 30, 2014
- 15,653
- 22,167
Manual. No question. No other choice for me. My truck is manual, as were the last three trucks, my 76 280Z (non turbo Derek) was manual and a lot of fun, my 340 Duster, my Volkswagen 47 years ago...lol... Have had and still have some grocery getters that were autos but that's about it.
when I was searching for my car(s) it had to be auto, don't care how nice a std car is I would not take it for free. Plus was 82 had no 4 spds available but regardless no stds for me. Had a 67 SS 396 for 17 years M21 close ratio, just didn't care for shifting gears in a car , had enough of that in the trucks, 13 spd roadranger, etc. Don't know how you guys can like it in these little cars with those little pedals and no room.
I find it a ton more fun having a automatic and a bunch of gear shifters. My hotrod ( 3 spd ) and 49 1/2 ton ( 4 spd ) I got the Hurst Lightning Rods, and the 58 I'm building right now will have the 4 stick Killduff shifter , no pedal to play with and much more entertaining I find.
I find it a ton more fun having a automatic and a bunch of gear shifters. My hotrod ( 3 spd ) and 49 1/2 ton ( 4 spd ) I got the Hurst Lightning Rods, and the 58 I'm building right now will have the 4 stick Killduff shifter , no pedal to play with and much more entertaining I find.
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- Aug 30, 2014
- 15,653
- 22,167
You realize there is no double clutching required anymore... There's more room now than in 82 as well. We even have space for a dead pedal. Each to his own but If you do come across a "nice" std Vette for free, let me know.
- Oct 30, 2013
- 17,018
- 38,728
Well I would say a manual but I have had so much trouble with them. The last one was really hard to shift, a lot of grinding noises and every time I pushed in the clutch the high beams would come on. Always thought the clutch pedal was really much too small.
If I could not get a Corvette with a manual I would own something else.
If I could not get a Corvette with a manual I would own something else.
Haha, Michael! I could ask a similar question of you. If you are experienced with 13+ gears, why would you not want it in a car? I am actually a bit surprised to learn this of you, but it's all good. My dad is like you in a way, he did manual labor for years when he was a kid on a farm, and now everything he does is the easy life. Every car he buys is automatic. LoL.
Most of my cars throughout my life have been manuals. If I had a choice, it would be a manual. I don't care about city driving and whatnot. Doesn't bother me in the least. Sure, the calf on my left leg is bigger than my right, but that's okay. I am more concerned about the unnecessary wear and tear on the clutch than I am about the effort to operate the pedal.
To me, the whole experience of handling the clutch, the throttle application, and the gears to do everything in the car is what makes it fun. I can do things with a clutch that you can't do in an automatic, and I don't mean just popping the clutch to do a burnout. It also makes it exclusive to me, because my wife only has two legs and my car has three pedals and my child can't even reach the pedals. I've said it before, and I will say it again - It takes knowledge to be able to drive a manual transmission, it takes skill to drive it well.
I get a great deal of pride out of my ability to control a car. One of my proudest accomplishments is beating a Hellcat Charger with slicks on an unprepped air strip. It's like street racing in a way, but you get to warm up your tires first, which makes a big difference. I do have to admit that the first run that I did against the Hellcat, I didn't warm my tires up enough, and I spun bad, and got beat bad. But once the tires were warm, I banged out some fantastic 3k-ish launches, feathered the throttle for traction, and showed that Hellcat how it was done. He even claimed to be 800+ horsepower, while my car is n/a so it's around 530.
I know the numbers don't work and I should have gotten beat, but there is a very important lesson to be learned here:
The Hellcat Charger was an automatic. With Launch Control, traction control, stability control, and I don't even know what else. The simple fact is that the driver turned it to whatever mode he thought was right, and just floored it and steered to keep it straight.
I had a different approach. I launch around 3k, and then feather the throttle until it hooks, then gradually floor it. Second gear, it's stab and feather, but it usually hooks pretty quick. Third gear is go as hard as you want.
I really enjoy that it takes knowledge, skill, and a little bit of finesse to put the power down effectively with a manual transmission. It is more about the man and his capabilities than it is about the machine and all of its controls to take your mistakes out of the equation. I want to drive a car, not play a video game.
Just my 6 cents (including Carbon Tax and GST).
Most of my cars throughout my life have been manuals. If I had a choice, it would be a manual. I don't care about city driving and whatnot. Doesn't bother me in the least. Sure, the calf on my left leg is bigger than my right, but that's okay. I am more concerned about the unnecessary wear and tear on the clutch than I am about the effort to operate the pedal.
To me, the whole experience of handling the clutch, the throttle application, and the gears to do everything in the car is what makes it fun. I can do things with a clutch that you can't do in an automatic, and I don't mean just popping the clutch to do a burnout. It also makes it exclusive to me, because my wife only has two legs and my car has three pedals and my child can't even reach the pedals. I've said it before, and I will say it again - It takes knowledge to be able to drive a manual transmission, it takes skill to drive it well.
I get a great deal of pride out of my ability to control a car. One of my proudest accomplishments is beating a Hellcat Charger with slicks on an unprepped air strip. It's like street racing in a way, but you get to warm up your tires first, which makes a big difference. I do have to admit that the first run that I did against the Hellcat, I didn't warm my tires up enough, and I spun bad, and got beat bad. But once the tires were warm, I banged out some fantastic 3k-ish launches, feathered the throttle for traction, and showed that Hellcat how it was done. He even claimed to be 800+ horsepower, while my car is n/a so it's around 530.
I know the numbers don't work and I should have gotten beat, but there is a very important lesson to be learned here:
The Hellcat Charger was an automatic. With Launch Control, traction control, stability control, and I don't even know what else. The simple fact is that the driver turned it to whatever mode he thought was right, and just floored it and steered to keep it straight.
I had a different approach. I launch around 3k, and then feather the throttle until it hooks, then gradually floor it. Second gear, it's stab and feather, but it usually hooks pretty quick. Third gear is go as hard as you want.
I really enjoy that it takes knowledge, skill, and a little bit of finesse to put the power down effectively with a manual transmission. It is more about the man and his capabilities than it is about the machine and all of its controls to take your mistakes out of the equation. I want to drive a car, not play a video game.
Just my 6 cents (including Carbon Tax and GST).
- Jan 28, 2019
- 24
- 18
it is a no brainer for me, manual or bust!
- Jan 27, 2009
- 3,981
- 3,866
Just a thought....
Do all you guys have Manual clothes & dishwashers?.
Graham
Do all you guys have Manual clothes & dishwashers?.
Graham
- Jul 11, 2013
- 730
- 489
I want at least one of each!
'87 Corvette, '84 Z28 - automatic
'68 AMX, '77 Firebird, '77 Spitfire - manual
'87 Corvette, '84 Z28 - automatic
'68 AMX, '77 Firebird, '77 Spitfire - manual
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.......Jeremiad you asked so : , I know that I would be in a minority group with my choice of auto over std's , but I just don't like a std in a car plain and simple. Hardly use the clutch when shifting gears in the truck 5 or 13 spd , even in the SS 396 didn't need the clutch always. I never abused anything cause I'm the one who would have to fix it. Never did a burn out in my life. Last fall when I helped my friend make the deal on the 76 Stingray with the 4 spd, at the GM dealership they asked me to whip the car around the building and drive it over the pit so I could take a look under the car. Nice car but riding the clutch to crawl over the pit was abit nerve wrecking as not much side to side room, uncomfortable pressing 3 pedal's and can't see much over the long nose......I just don't like std's in a car . They require more service work , more expensive to keep going. When I put a wanted ad out looking for my Vette in bold letters I wrote, NO 4 SPEEDS , I find the multi gear shifters are alot more fun , condidering putting them in my 82 but yet I hate to alter a nice original car that GM made pretty good my opinion and that is alot coming from a guy who likes to mild custom everything. I watch alot of Street Outlaws ....don't see any std's there. Oh, did you ever drive in a parade with your std ? I done many over the years and the ones with the 67 SS 396 were just sickening riding the clutch for 20 minutes, it smells big time wrecks the clutch and flywheel and release brg. Different strokes for different folks.
As a side thought, my favorite cars have always been manual, and nothing but. I applauded GM when they made the FRC which led to the C5 Z06 and it was a mandatory 6-speed manual. The C6 Z06 carried on that tradition. To me, it meant that you had to be a "real man" to drive this car, and not just a mouse-clicker with too much money. I am actually disappointed to see an automatic transmission (with paddle shifters no less) in the Z06 and Zr1 models. Now some dumb Kardashian can go crash in one.
I am sad to think that future versions of this car may only be available with automatic transmissions. As if being married didn't make me feel insufficient already. Now all that I am really needed for is opening jars of pickles.
I am sad to think that future versions of this car may only be available with automatic transmissions. As if being married didn't make me feel insufficient already. Now all that I am really needed for is opening jars of pickles.
Love your writing man 
I was typing my reply while you were posting yours. lol. Thank you for your honest and geniune response. This is what I love about this forum - we can be free to be honest and open about our opinions. I understand your distaste for a clutch. It is an acquired thing, perhaps. I too have skipped the clutch in many vehicles and still do it a lot on my motorcycle. If the revs are right, you don't need the clutch. Same goes on the downshifts. I enjoy this. Many do not.
Yes, I have driven many cars in parades every year, and while I can agree that it is not exactly fun to operate that clutch, I can do so without riding it or having any issues with slipping or smell. I do get tired after a lap or too and need to pull over to take pictures and give my left leg a break, but I nevertheless love my manuals.
My Trans Am was only my fourth ever automatic, and the first one to introduce me to the idea that with enough power, it didn't matter if it was manual or automatic. I would have preferred a T-56, but the deal that I got on that car was too good to pass up, and even with the auto, it would break the tires loose at 60 km/h.
For sure the guys on Street Outlaws and all that stuff have automatics. Consistency is key. I have seen several episodes where guys do have manuals, but granted they always lose. It's tough. Driving a manual is hard. That's why I like it.
Yes, I have driven many cars in parades every year, and while I can agree that it is not exactly fun to operate that clutch, I can do so without riding it or having any issues with slipping or smell. I do get tired after a lap or too and need to pull over to take pictures and give my left leg a break, but I nevertheless love my manuals.
My Trans Am was only my fourth ever automatic, and the first one to introduce me to the idea that with enough power, it didn't matter if it was manual or automatic. I would have preferred a T-56, but the deal that I got on that car was too good to pass up, and even with the auto, it would break the tires loose at 60 km/h.
For sure the guys on Street Outlaws and all that stuff have automatics. Consistency is key. I have seen several episodes where guys do have manuals, but granted they always lose. It's tough. Driving a manual is hard. That's why I like it.