Auto or manual

[DanPratt]

Hi all,

I am building a 68 that has no engine or transmission in it and have choice about transmissions. It'll be a 440 and driven regularly on the street. I'm very tempted to put a tremac 5 spead manual in it but i know there are some nice auto transmissions out there. Im keen to hear what people think about it.

Cheers,

Dan

[Mytur Binsdirti]

[Mike DC]

   
Auto or manual?  

umm . . .
Democrat or Republican?  
Catholic or Protestant?  
Coke or Pepsi?  

It's just a choice you have to make for yourself.


As for the mechanicals, getting an overdrive gear means spending several thousand bucks on an aftermarket setup of some kind.  The choices have been covered in many past threads.  Do a search.  

[1974dodgecharger]

auto or manual?
HEMI or manual?
69 or 68
buy 69 and have both 68 and 69
upgrade 68 or buy 69 hEMI charger
hmmm....those were my choices awhile back

[Laowho]

We've been up against this since we bought the car. I've always wanted the manual and OD, and I don't think there's been a person yet to back me up. Doesn't matter who we ask. So good luck w/ that, and we're (I'm) dropping it off Saturday for it. If pressed I'll say it's for the OD, but really I just can't see it w/o manual. When we take our drives through rolling country hills all I can think of is stick, and on the hwy...OD. Figure we'll minimize the tunnel changes too. Also never wanted a 5-speed cuz of the BB. But for me there was never a question,  only a bias that persisted.

[Wingnut426]

Manual if you are young, automatic if you are older. 

[Charger-Bodie]

I prefer a manual. If you do too, go for it.

[303 Mopar]

I swapped my auto to a 4 speed from Brewers and it totally changed the car.  So much more fun to drive.  I didn't want to chop up my car too much, and suck at fabrication.  Plus I've heard good and bad about Tremec.  In the end, its your car so do want YOU want.

[Homerr]

Do you want to ride along in your car or drive it?

[Mike DC]

 
I'm just going to point out that this problem exists no matter what car you drive:

[DAY CLONA]

.

[John_Kunkel]

It'll be a 440 and driven regularly on the street.

"Regularly" like daily or once in a while? I love stick shifts but they're a PITA in heavy traffic.

[Rallye]

Manual 

[Homerr]

Automatics are making this country soft.

[70B5Cuda]

 
I'm just going to point out that this problem exists no matter what car you drive:

This type of traffic does not exist in Wichita, KS!! I hate traffic and couldn't do it every day. I don't even know how anyone drives a nice Mopar with an automatic transmission in that kind of traffic. I'd either be freaking out or just never drive the car

[Troy]

Do you like driving a stick "regularly"?

Do you drive above the speed limit on the highway *often*?

Is your car on the rare side?

What do your current floor pans look like and do you mind hacking them up?

What is your budget?

Most of these cars were automatics from the factory. Finding automatic transmissions and parts (linkages and such) is easy and cheap. Factory 4-speed equipment is expensive (about 4-5 times as much as an auto). After market overdrive 5 or 6 speed equipment is even more expensive and most won't fit without floor pan modification. Overdrive automatics aren't terribly expensive BUT most require floor pan modification. The whole drive train works as a unit so engine torque, transmission and rear axle gearing (plus torque converter in an auto), and wheel/tire selection are all equally important. Be aware that a stick shift can be much harder on the rest of the drive train (depending on your driving style) so that's even more reason to plan the whole thing as a unit. You may quickly find that you have no traction - which is slightly better than twisting the axles or body into a pretzel with too much traction.

I have a stick shift in nearly every car I own so I am obviously OK with driving them regularly. My 70 Challenger has a 440 Six Pack, 18 spline 833transmission, 3.23. rear gears, and 275/60-15 rear tires. I have no problems driving mid 70s on the highway (outboards open at a72-73 mph) and it still pulls hard stoplight to stoplight (or smokes the tires for 150' depending on how you work the pedals). I don't really see a need for the OD unless you want to run 3.50 something to 4.10+ rear gears and/or want to "cruise" at 80-90 mph. One of my 68 Chargers is a factory 4-speed and has a 3.54 Dana so I haven't quite figured out how I will live with that. A previous Charger had a 440 auto with 2.76 rear gears that would cruise at about any speed. Acceleration was only OK. The 4-speed with 2.76 gears is not a good idea as it just results in burnt clutches and flywheels. The factory mandated 3.23 or more with a 4-speed and, after trying it, I know why. If you've got a big block with gobs of low end torque you don't really need 3.91 or 4.10 gears to accelerate (in my opinion). Unless you like making smoke or spending a good deal of time at the track they are more hassle than what I like to deal with on the street.

Troy

[alfaitalia]

 
I'm just going to point out that this problem exists no matter what car you drive:

There is traffic like that in pretty much every large city in the UK most days..yet in the U.K. (and most of Europe as well as Japan) over 80% of new cars sold last year were manual gearbox cars. In the US you lazy lot (just joking) were buying 76% of your cars as autos THIRTY years ago and now you are up to 96% ! I have owned over thirty cars (I'm 50)..only two have been auto (Audi A8 4.2 V8 Quattro and my Jeep WJ Grand Cherokee 2.7 CRD) both of which were never built as manuals. I think the reason us Brits (and European types) like manuals is two foId.....One, they are seen as more of a "drivers" car rather then just transport to get you from A to B and Two, is the cost of fuel here. Autos have a rep for being more thirsty...not so true these days with some of the modern eight and nine speed trannies with the top few gears locking up and DSG units almost equalling the manuals. Manual for me every time. You are just not as in control of those "steer from the rear" moments with an auto. Nice for a relaxed cruise though ! Each to his own I guess !


Quoted figures from the web and from last year (newest I could find) so take from that what you will.

[moparchris]

MANUAL Trans.
If you're even asking it sounds like you'll be going automatic.

[Baldwinvette77]

Go for the manual, if you do the automatic thing you'll be wishing you had a stick

there may be times you will wish you had an automatic but you'll be glad you have it when you see a break in traffic 

[ws23rt]

You need to ask yourself the questions (don't try to lie) ----How and where do you expect to put miles on your car?
Do you hope for the comfort and feel that current cars give?

You can pay for the mods. to put a "tremac" 5 sp. in your car.  It will be costly and along the way many questions will come up about other cool stuff that will only end when your car feels like a vision that will change as the weeks and months and dollars go by.

It sounds like you have the bones of a car at this point.  If I may ---propose that you build the -entire- car on paper. Do what you are doing now which is asking for help. ---Do not start on this quest with just the engine and transmission question making you happy.

If you just like the manual shifting (like I do) STICK with it.

Add-----I have always liked and owned manual shift cars from my early days. My 69 Coronet Hemi 4sp is great fun to drive and I look forward to places to go.---BUT---If heavy traffic congestion is ahead I am out.--This is not my idea of fun driving.  The same goes for driving my hellcat. The hellcat is way easy compared to the coronet but if 5mph driving for an hour or two is in the forecast My vote is for auto trans.

What is "daily driving"?

[crj1968]

Daily driver gas sipping 4cyl POS to get to work while drinking coffee and answering phone calls= automatic

Weekend fun car= manual

[74Rallye]

Manual! Do you want to drive the car or just be along for the ride. Just my opinion as I hate automatics in my fun cars.

[Mike DC]

There is traffic like that in pretty much every large city in the UK most days..yet in the U.K. (and most of Europe as well as Japan) over 80% of new cars sold last year were manual gearbox cars. In the US you lazy lot (just joking) were buying 76% of your cars as autos THIRTY years ago and now you are up to 96% ! I have owned over thirty cars (I'm 50)..only two have been auto (Audi A8 4.2 V8 Quattro and my Jeep WJ Grand Cherokee 2.7 CRD) both of which were never built as manuals. I think the reason us Brits (and European types) like manuals is two foId.....One, they are seen as more of a "drivers" car rather then just transport to get you from A to B and Two, is the cost of fuel here. Autos have a rep for being more thirsty...not so true these days with some of the modern eight and nine speed trannies with the top few gears locking up and DSG units almost equalling the manuals. Manual for me every time. You are just not as in control of those "steer from the rear" moments with an auto. Nice for a relaxed cruise though ! Each to his own I guess !


Quoted figures from the web and from last year (newest I could find) so take from that what you will.

I agree the biggest factors driving the difference is fuel prices + habits.  Modern autos are removing the fuel price advantage and that will change the picture eventually.

But the USA's traffic issue is bigger than a few places in every city.  The whole country is getting very suburban-ized which means start/stop traffic lights and straight flat roads. Like, everywhere.  

I drive a manual as a daily-driver.  I love it when it's fun.  I still hate the thing in traffic.

[DanPratt]

Thanks everyone, especially Troy for your very useful feedback.  My 68 is nothing special and I am a mechanic so cost of getting someone else to do the mods is not an issue.  I suppose I was undecided because I wondered about the car being more of a cruiser.  But some of your feedback reminded me of why I got into this.  Why I've spent all those nights scraping skin off my knuckles under or inside this thing and what I want out of it at the end.  Fun.  So stick shift it is.  I want to drive this beast and I want to have fun doing so.

I have a good diff in it but I don't know the gearing, so thanks also to several of you who reminded me to factor that in to the planning.

Cheers,

Dan

[Laowho]

YES!  

In another week I'll be enjoying the difference that a stick/SFCs and torque boxes will make to driving. We only have a 3.23 and so are on the very bottom of what Troy stipulated, but then again the whole build was dictated by the diff. and tho it's right for our purposes (old people cruising), I always ALWAYS drove it wishing it wasn't auto. So YES. (Hear that? Another angel got its wings.)