Manual Transmissions Are The Best!

[Hunter]

Used to drive a manual, loved it.
But with Peripheral Neuropathy, those days are long past.
A8 is heaven sent.

 

[coolblue]

There was a time when having an auto was frowned upon . I’ve owned many stick cars but I do love my A8 !!

There was a time when it was frowned on but for a somewhat valid reason. One, the auto did steal HP and a pretty good chunk at that (TH400 on average 25+ HP loss compared to Muncie 4spd on G.M.'s) and two, the auto's weren't as strong as a top notch 4spd. (M22 "rockcrusher" was basically indestructible, AND shifted like butter -still have one in storage LOL). The TH350 was not that strong at all. I built a Pontiac 400 with high compression, ported heads, cam, etc and completely grenade'd the internals (twice!). The TH400 was strong, but if it overheated, it was toast also. And with a big cam you needed a stall converter which builds HEAT. They just were not that good for a real HP motor or as flexible. But with new redesigns and computer control, none of that's an issue anymore really. Everything has it's time.
P.S. Yes I know, there are HP guys switching to TH400's and Powerglides in there modern Challengers , but those are track dedicated machines for a singular purpose that go 1/4 mile at a time.

 

[Jimmy N.]

...there's a crazy inexpensive Cat on Craigslist right now with an m6. What to do..

Buy it, put an automatic in it, and enjoy the profit when you sell it.

 

[motorhead]

There was a time when it was frowned on but for a somewhat valid reason. One, the auto did steal HP and a pretty good chunk at that (TH400 on average 25+ HP loss compared to Muncie 4spd on G.M.'s) and two, the auto's weren't as strong as a top notch 4spd. (M22 "rockcrusher" was basically indestructible, AND shifted like butter -still have one in storage LOL). The TH350 was not that strong at all. I built a Pontiac 400 with high compression, ported heads, cam, etc and completely grenade'd the internals (twice!). The TH400 was strong, but if it overheated, it was toast also. And with a big cam you needed a stall converter which builds HEAT. They just were not that good for a real HP motor or as flexible. But with new redesigns and computer control, none of that's an issue anymore really. Everything has it's time.
P.S. Yes I know, there are HP guys switching to TH400's and Powerglides in there modern Challengers , but those are track dedicated machines for a singular purpose that go 1/4 mile at a time.

AGE (http://www.autogear.net/motorsports) makes an awesome transmission they call the M23.

https://midwestmuncie.com/product/super-duty-m23/

https://www.hotrod.com/articles/inside-n-series-m23-transmission-auto-gear-engineering/

I was going to put one in my MCSS before I got the M6 HC (reason being the HC will get more regular use and I'll get to enjoy it more often). Still might as time and money allow.

 

[coolblue]

AGE (http://www.autogear.net/motorsports) makes an awesome transmission they call the M23.

https://midwestmuncie.com/product/super-duty-m23/

https://www.hotrod.com/articles/inside-n-series-m23-transmission-auto-gear-engineering/

I was going to put one in my MCSS before I got the M6 HC (reason being the HC will get more regular use and I'll get to enjoy it more often). Still might as time and money allow.

Never even heard of that. Knew they were retrofitting Italian gears into Muncie rebuilds but didn't know they were still developing all new design's. I got an OEM "all American" in a 1971 case, in super clean condition.....If your interested. LOL.

 

[1971demon]

Ok...I've been reading this A8 vs M6 banter since I got my HC. I seriously need a tutorial.
Two HCs, one A8, one M6. Fastest 0-60 mph wins. Both cars same weight, same tires, same road, and thus same friction. Both cars can freely spin the tires, or not, well past 40 mph when the A8 is going into 2nd gear and M6 still in 1st, and the gearing differences equalize. Seems that the race depends on skill of the drivers controlling spin, not the car's limitations based on gearing, since both can exceed the available friction off the line. Please tell me, what am I missing.

0 to 60....the M6 is going to win....after that A8...and now you know the rest of the story...

 

[Decay]

Buy it, put an automatic in it, and enjoy the profit when you sell it.

It's red or I would!
At least buy it and drive it for a season.
I might be able to even live with it being red.
Now if it was octane instead of torred it would be at my house.

 

[BULL]

M6 drivers rule
A8 drivers drool


If laserdoc was still here, he'd lock this thread down

 

[1971demon]

M6 drivers rule
A8 drivers drool


If laserdoc was still here, he'd lock this thread down

LOL...so that's how I got sent up !

 

[16GoManGoHC2]

0 to 60....the M6 is going to win....after that A8...and now you know the rest of the story...

This one I don’t know about, seems getting off the line with the M6 is the issue. From all I’ve read the A8’s usually have the better 60’ against a stock ratio M6? That’s my issue, 60’, after that I can shift fast enough that running against an auto is not out of my league. Add a no lift shift setup and the M6 will run neck and neck with an auto if their equal at the 60’, IMO at least.

 

[stonewall]

I had the M6 in my 2012 Yellow Jacket. It was fun to play with. But I got tired of it pretty fast. The A8 in my Cat is impressive all around, not just for some things like the M6. as I got old, I slowed down a bunch. The other day I decided to put the A8 into manual, I jumped on it from a standing start and it banged the rev limiter before I could pull the + paddle. so I put it back in auto!

 

[Jimmy N.]

M6 drivers rule
A8 drivers drool

Uh, huh...suuure. Jealousy will get you nowhere.

 

[BULL]

Uh, huh...suuure. Jealousy will get you nowhere.

Just to be clear, I do have the A8 in our DSRT, and while it's nice, it still doesn't give me that "Golden Earring - Radar Love" feeling while driving.

 

[BULL]

Not even close

 

[Jimmy N.]

Well, a stick does give you time to find the correct gear while they sing "Last car to pass, here I go".
Meanwhile, the A8 just went.

 

[BULL]

See, now you're all a bunch of Jackwaggons, getting me all stirred up and it looks like this outside, so I can't do squat about it...

 

[MaxCarnage]

Hey a manual vs auto thread, I've never seen one of these before, lol.

The A8 is (mechanically) far superior to the M6, facts. It holds up better to mods/power, hell the M6 will fry the clutch after some hard launches on drag radials. I'm not scared of the M6 on the streets or the track. I will out 60ft you, and it's all over from there. Plus I have a Hellcat Redeye, the manual is so lame it doesn't even come in a Redeye, lol. So unless an M6 is heavily modified it doesn't stand a chance. If Dodge would have at least not given it such awful 1-3 gearing it would have been a better option imo. I have driven and owned both M6 and A8. The only argument for the M6 is "fun factor" which is subjective to who considers which one more fun to drive. I prefer the responsiveness of the quick shifting and always in the powerband A8. While you're busy trying not to miss a shift and wheel hoping I'll be long gone. I used to love manuals, but stock autos are now far superior. The manual is dying, buy one if you want one because each year they die just a bit more. I used to love CDs, but now I stream my audio. Technology eventually catches up and replaces out dated things, manuals are one of them.

 

[Hickster]

Don't have a gal at this moment so I have to do sumtin with my hands. Shifter works well. Funny purchasing my vettes I got charged extra for straight shift the H/C got a deduct.

 

[SilverBillet]

There is definitely less interest in driving with a manual transmission in high traffic or urban areas with lots of stop and go. Competition wise, you can go to any dragstrip in the Country and maybe not find one (serious) racer with a manual trans. It’s fun but the novelty wears off when you get in traffic or can’t get through one round of bracket racing at the track.

 

[Stormtrooper1320]

There is definitely less interest in driving with a manual transmission in high traffic or urban areas with lots of stop and go. Competition wise, you can go to any dragstrip in the Country and maybe not find one (serious) racer with a manual trans. It’s fun but the novelty wears off when you get in traffic or can’t get through one round of bracket racing at the track.

Exactly. I had a bunch of 5.0 Mustangs with a 5 spd in them. They were fun running around the street, and they made for some awesome burnouts, but man were they a bitch in So. Cal freeway rush hour traffic. Nothing like having to shift 3 times to go 25 ft and stop.
I like the cool factor of a stick shift, but it's almost impossible to go anywhere around my area and not get caught in some type of traffic.