Auto vs Manual

[Oneofthegreats]

The basic reason for using an auto is to eliminate the shock loading characteristics of a manual & a properly modified auto will be superior in strength & shift quality's over a manual.
With an auto you pull it into 1st & all the driveline slack is taken up & preloaded. Mash the throttle, grab 2nd & 3rd & not once have you lifted off the power. The load is alway's applied.
I'll also say that some people have run as fast as 9's with standard driveshaft's & C.V. joint's several times. I don't think they would hold up too long with a manual.

With a manual, your on & off the load over & over again from starting off to selecting gears creating shock load on the driveline.

This shock loading is what cause's all the breakage's. C.V. joint's, driveshafts, gearbox housing's, diff's, diff. spider gears, diff. housing's, diff carrier bearing, gearsets. We've already seen some of the pic's this shock loading can cause.

I had a highly modified (fully manualized, 3000rpm Hi-stall torque convertor) TH400 in my ute in which I used to compete in burnout comp's etc.
When it was an manual I was constantly breaking gearbox's, clutches, diff's uni joints, engine mounts the lot.
Another engine with twice the power & an auto, I never broke anything for over 2 years up until I pulled it apart.

I know when your in your racing mood & take off 'BANG' dump the clutch, next gear 'BANG' dump the clutch & so on & you get all that crashing & banging from the driveline.
With an auto it's smooth the whole way through no matter how much power you put through it, you don't have to let off.

I hope this gives you a better understanding of the advantages of building an auto, from a performance point of view, as everyone else say's 'AUTO' there crap, sluggish, power robber's without even thinking what the reason is behind it & most of them have never driven a car with a well modified auto.
Go to the drags one night & see how many big powered cars are running an manual. If they are using a manual, compare the difference between the two eg. how cleanly they both get down the track, how they launch off the lights etc.

[team_v]

The only problem is the excessive cost in replacing auto parts which will definitely occur if they are being used under performance duress.

Especially the DSG replacements.

[Oneofthegreats]

The only problem is the excessive cost in replacing auto parts which will definitely occur if they are being used under performance duress.

Especially the DSG replacements.

Yeah sorry. I should of added. Auto = no DSG.

The 6spd DSG afterall still has clusters of gears & wet clutch's. New 7spd also has two clusters of gears & two dry clutch's.

Also the cost of replacing performance auto components compared to performance manual components is fairly significant in favor of the auto.

My auto cost all of less than $1K to build ( I built it with the help of a good friend in the industry ) incl. the high stall. This auto was also rated to 600hp.

Now the mk1 auto I plan on building will cost a fair bit more due to the stall speed of the convertor, as once you get over the magic 3000rpm limit, the prices can skyrocket!

I think the final cost will come on around the 2K mark which is still very cheap for an auto & mostly home built, but compare the cost to a manual that can handle the same amount of power & then weigh up reliability ie which will break components more?

Again the advantage is with the auto in my opinion


I'm looking at a reliable street/drag racing point of view. Not circuit racing.
Totally difference mediums & can't be compared I don't think.