I have a question... Do manuals have an advantage over automatics when it comes to autox and taking sharp turns etc? If so what would be the reason. ALL information is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

Almost always. As long as the revs stay in the powerband the manual will go as soon as you open the throttle. Autos will first decide to downshift or not, and then still might not be in the right power range to accelerate. Also, when throttle lifting on & off for oversteer in slaloms you can't duplicate that with an auto.

We've got a automatic 2000 Sentra running with us that's great on tight bustop turns. It downshifts and upshifts great with almost no lag. He's currently 2nd in class for the season.
Oh yeah, he's converting to a 5sp shortly

 

Yeah! I have to agree manuels are better cause you control where you are in the power band and you get better throttle response. I have a auto and for the most part I leave the car in 1st...I have Don's VB mod and it helps when I bump it up to 2nd on soem parts of the course. I want to convert to 5spd, just don't have the money or the parts. Besides, I would just pay someone to do it for me.

 

An equally important reason is that virtually all of the torque that it takes to turn the pump that runs most everything in the automatic is freed up to accelerate the car. You don't have torque converter losses either. Since you typically have more than 2000 rpm showing during a run, the stall speed /stalled torque ratio thing that helps the dragstrip guys get out of the hole is mostly a memory.

Another effect probably exists based on the greater weight of the automatic and that this additional weight is located right over the already heavily loaded front wheels.

Norm

 

I can't agree with the shifting/powerband thing. The better automatic drivers in SD manually shift their car. If you plan ahead and execute before u need the gearshift, you will be in the right gear/powerband when needed in an automatic.

My opinions of automatics changed when I met PT, a 1998 Altima automatic owner. He keeps up with BA who has a 2k2 Altima 3.5 5sp. BA gets ahead on the straights, but PT reels him in the turns. In an AutoX, I'd say PT would win. Open/Road course, BA gets the title.

I love my 5sp for throttle response through the turns, when I steer w/my foot. I'm sure automatics can do it too, but I'm not used to it.

I still have trouble performing heel-and-toe. Guess I need some aftermarket pedals?

BTW, anybody have trouble downshifting 2 > 1? When I'm in 2nd, 5k rpm, I can't get into 1st gear gate. I've tried double-clutching, but nothing. This happens in my 93 and 97. Another nissan enthusiast said it's a 1st gear lockout when you're above 20mph to prevent tranny damage. Opinions?

Jae

 

It's because you can't get the engine to rev high enough to match the revs closely enough for the 1st gear synchros to let the shift occur. Whatever road speed corresponds to 5000 rpm in 2nd would require somewhere in excess of 8000 rpm in first. The engine (arguably) benefits more. If you were to ever get that kind of a downshift to happen, you'd over-rev it, maybe float some valves into the pistons, etc. And you'd wonder why the car was trying to stand on its nose.

Downshifting to 1st from anywhere above about 3000 rpm in 2nd is mostly a waste of time anyway - the time you'd gain from the better 1st gear acceleration is about a wash against the time you'd lose doing the downshift and the upshift again (during which times you're actually decelerating slightly due to drag forces).

Assuming all else to be equal (though we know that they really aren't), PT is simply that much better than BA when it comes to driving at the cornering limits.

Norm

 

3000 is where the bog begins...there's no oomph down there. I downshift to 1st and take a turn, coming out faster. I hafta agree that 5000rpm is a waste, but if I know it's a turn w/decreasing radius requiring me to slow as I go farther into the turn, I'd rather have my shifting completed instead of shifting mid-turn.

Jae