my cousin has a 1989 chevy S10 with like 850 hp that he races on the track but it's an automatic and he says they're faster.

you get more torque from a manual, correct?

can u tell from exhaust if someone has a manual or automatic?

i drive a 1996 honda accord EX and idk if i should swap it to a manual. its auto right now. i also want to get exhaust soon.

 

Wow... Another one of these...
Just do the auto to manual swap.. Because in an automatic, the engine isn't directly connected to the transmission. there's something called a torque converter that transfers spinning motion from the engine to the transmission. the torque converter allows the wheels to be stopped while allowing the engine to spin normally. if you put a clutch in an automatic transmission car, the engine would die at full stops. and here's why: when you come to a dead stop, the transmission stops too. but you need your engine to keep running. if you put a clutch, the stopped wheels would resist the engine from running and it would die. so a torque converter allows the engine to run while the transmission is stopped. but a torque converter has some slipage so it isn't as fast as a manual.

so because of the slipage in torque converters, manual's are generally faster. but if your bad at driving manual transmission, and your slow at shifting, its gonna affect your speed. but even if your bad at shifting, you should get a manual and practise.

the majority of race cars you see are manual for a reason.

It would take lots of money to get your little crappy auto accord trans to do the things that you cousins powerglide will do.. LOTS of MONEY! And if you drive the crap out of your accord Im sure you already feel the affect of slipping auto trans..

For your cousins car the reason him an alot of other domestic guys have autos in the vehicle is becasue they can stay on the gas the whole way through the pass.. Another things.. Trans Brake.. just like dumping a clutch..

Its a whole different ball game when you talk about auto trans for a 850whp "race car" and your 125hp grocery getter.. Im not even going to take the time to write much more.. Your cousin could have explained this to you in a few minutes if you really wanted to know.. Do some research kid..

And sometimes you can tell by the exhaust "note" that someone does or doesnt have Manual trans.. Some auto rejects will "power shift" their auto trans or step gears in the auto.. lol..

 

it's not really apples to apples...

the S10 i assume is set up for drag racing and has a pretty heavy duty transmission suited for several seconds of accelaration and then... done!

compared to a similarly powered S10 with a manual, it doesn't surprise me that the automatic is faster. no clutching, no shifting means better ETs.

same truck around a road course... may have trouble keeping up with a lightly tunned S2000...

when comparing the two automatics, the S10 and the accord the most similar thing is the name. ok.. maybe not. but the construction, the gearing, the aftermarket support, the intended use... hugely different.

 

Along with all this, you have to remember that there is an entire cottage industry dedicated to transmission massaging for domestics:
Custom Torque Converters
Shift Kits
Heavy Duty Clutch sets
Redesigned Sun Gears
etc.

(you get the idea)

The Sport Compact community doesn't have access to all that; so YES you are comparing apples to oranges.

As it stands RIGHT NOW, Manual set-ups are strong(er) (although they have issues as well)

P

 

like stated before, the reason the automatic is used in high powered drag cars is because of the ability to be on the gas for the whole run. No lifting of the throttle means there is no time during the run that the car is not accelerating. For a street car/road race car an auto is not gonna allow the ability to correct chose the right gear for the moment/situation.

unless you have the power and are strictly drag racing..the manual is gonna be the best all around

 

do you plan on keeping the accord forever and investing lots of time and money into it?

If yes, i say go for the tranny swap, otherwise that is a complete waste of money.

 

the automatic is faster at shifting and above all else it is more consistant. so yes your cousin is correct and that is why they use them. Also automatics have considerably more clutch area to work with and can handle more power.....

 

I have 96 EX 5sp and had an automatic. I love to drive the 5sp once i got it i never drove the auto no more.Sold it so we could buy an odyssey. I think that the 5sp feels faster and much more fun to drive even better if you can get Forbidden Motorsports short shifter.