I have an autocrapic SC '96. On the streets, my car is very fast, my tires break loose easily even through second gear. On the highway however, it's a slug...to me anyway. Of course, it's much faster than when I was NA, but still not very impressive when I have a SC, on the highway anyway. It just proves to me what I have always thought, automatics don't fair so good on the highway. Hm...I wonder would the MEVI help me do better on the highway? I tried OD on/off on the highway, didn't make much difference to me. It just doesn't have the pull that I get on the streets. And it doesn't seem to want to downshift sometimes. It just stays in 4th gear(OD on)or 3rd gear(OD off, doesn't downshift to 2nd)very often. Whether or not I'm SCed or not, highway runs are still the same...very disappointing. Anyone of you auto guys out there feel the same way, that on the streets your car is pretty fast, but on the highway...blah! For whatever reason, I hardly get the tranny lag on the streets oppose to on the highway. From now on, I think I'll just cruise whenever I'm on the highway. Hopefully nobody will try to race me on the highway, I'll probably won't do so good.

 

I know what you mean...my car is a slug without happy juice on the highway too. The car runs really good when it's a roll from 35-90mph. When you gets up to triple digits, it just runs out of breath. I hate racing from 80mph roll.

 

Yep!

So I sold it and bought a new car... 5spd... turbo... yummy.

 

If you guys stay in the sweet spots of each gear, you would see a different result. My car pulls hard when I'm in second at around 3000rpm to 5500rpm. Even in third it feels pretty good.

 

That's pretty hard to do with an auto tranny unless you manually shift it. Having a SC, I don't want to risk manually shifting it. Manually upshifting should be fine, but can't manaully downshift when I'm on the highway.

 

Like Deezo said, you have to know the sweet spots.

Manually downshift to 2nd gear to run anywhere from 40 - 80 mph.

There's a big lag when you shift into third at 80, but by 90mph, things pick back up and it runs pretty strong up to 130 in 3rd.

 

Ahhh yes, the 3rd gear lag. This is what all GTP guys complain about too. Once they hit 85mph+, much of the fun disappears. That's what tall gearing will do to ya.


Dave

 

EXACTLY!!!

2nd is a great gear.. but when you shift from 2nd to 3rd there is a lag until about 90 just as ben said and once you clear 100 it is smooth sailing...

The MEVI would help... BUT it will ONLY help after 5000 rpms or so.. so then you would REALLY need to control the shifts as much as possible

I always thought the SC would take the lag out of it...

but I guess you need to let me drive it so I can understand better

also 5 spd conversion would help

 

There is away around that you know. A 4.10 gear would greatly improve the topend perfromance, while it wouldn't do as good as the VI it would help alot. I ran some simulations and a 4.10 geared SC auto would out accelerate a stock 3.62 geared SC from 5-120mph. Between 120-140mph the stock gears pull more but the 4.10 gears allow 5mph more topspeed (156 vs 151) and would drop ET/trap by 1-3 tenths/+1-2.5mph.

 

Dude, I want that software.

 

hehe...you say that so calmly like that's an everyday occurrence. (I guess there was a time where it used to be for me....now in the max, I see 5th gear about twice a month)

Whenever you guys get upset about this...just think about a positive aspect of owning an automatic to balance it out

 

That's why you have to bait them into racing from a 55 or 60 mph roll

 

 

[spam] www.cartest2000.com [/spam]. If you decide to get CT 2k email me so I can give you my DAT file. It contains all the cars I've added plus the ones I update with dyno info. Not to mention I've made a few nifty modifications .

 

5-speeds on the highway absolutely rule. Cruising in 5th at 75 mph. Someone wants to play. Drop it into 3rd and you are gone Add the MEVI and you are soooooo gone! I once took a Mitusbishi Diamante, repeatedly, on the highway, like he was standing still. He must have thought I was turboed or something. His SOHC auto V6 vs my 5 speed DOHC V6. The difference was very apparent

DW

 

Maybe I'm expecting too much. A few of my friends who rode in my car on the highway said it's very fast and scared them a bit. The problem is after riding in Mardigrasmax's and JAY25's car, my car feel like a slug compared to theirs. Then again it's 5spd vs. auto.

I do noticed that once I get near 90mph and over, the pull is quite strong. It's under that is the problem. I usually don't drive over 100mph that often. Is it bad to drive with OD off(3rd gear)for an extended period or is it ok? Right now, I usually drive with OD on all the time, even on the highway. I never really drive with OD off past 100mph. Like I said, I hardly ever manually downshift it or even manually upshift it. I'm very careful with my car, maybe that's why even to this day, I haven't had any tranny or engine problems.

 

I definitely agree. The 5th to 3rd downshift is beautiful with the MEVI. Worth the price of admission for that alone!

 

The MEVI works great for the end of 2nd, but you aren't over 5000RPM at the beginning of 3rd, and you usually aren't even at 4000, so unless you have below a 3.25" Pulley, you are still lagging.

The beginning of 3rd sucks in the Auto. MEVI or not.

Then, by the time you hit 5000RPM in 3rd, you are doing 100+. Most of the races I've encountered have been between 60 and 90.

example:
I have 277hp at the wheel and Auto + MEVI + 3.25" Pulley.

mtrai760 has a CAI and Y-Pipe and 5spd. He is at 180hp. We raced from 60-90mph. At about 80, I was forced to shift into 3rd, and he was still pulling on me hard.

He won.

Of course, if we'd started at 40, or gone up to 110, I would have lost him.

 

How bout you email that proggie to me, seems like $$ for it I have the olden version

 

Wow, that sucks. Just what I mean!

 

I never have a problem. I'm the one that developed the O/D on, off trick. The thing is, you have to hit it in the right spot. OD should be off when you first hit the gas. When you approach 80, or 4000 rpm in third gear, turn it on. When you approach 90, turn it off again to stretch out 3rd gear to redline. The trick works.

 

i agree
so i sold the auto and got a 5spd

 

Sheesh, I think any Max here would feel like a slug compared to Mardigras Max. A 5 speed with 350fwhp to the wheels?? I'm sure my car would feel like it's powered by a 4 banger after driving his

DW

 

I never try that, maybe I'll give a try.

 

I know what you guys are talking about, but so far it hasn't really been a problem. I'm auto too, (and NA for that matter) and when I slam on it at that speed, it downshifts to third like it should.. but with a CAI and no MEVI, it just runs out of breath real fast and shifts back to forth. I had this happen on the highway last weekend, but I still beat the guy. Took a mustang from a 80mph roll. I pulled on him slightly to 110 and then by 130 I had a car length on him. If I had a MEVI and were able to stay in third longer.... pfft, i would have demolished him even worse.