Why autos are quicker than manuals

Blobcat

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The above just came up in my watch list, makes sense although I could see a great business in aftermarket gear ratios for the manuals…;)
 

rifiki

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Even in an underpowered auto you can beat most manual drivers at the traffic light drag strip.
 

Srdl

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Even in an underpowered auto you can beat most manual drivers at the traffic light drag strip.
Many years ago, I had a Morris Marina 1.3 Auto (don‘to say it, I was too young to know better) and that beat most things away from the lights.
 

rifiki

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Many years ago, I had a Morris Marina 1.3 Auto (don‘to say it, I was too young to know better) and that beat most things away from the lights.
Off topic, 1973 I got hold of a TC coupe, pretty fast and uncomfortable, usual BMC problems burnt valves etc.
Only BMC would produce a coupe with doors from a 4 door saloon!!
 

Botus

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Off topic, 1973 I got hold of a TC coupe, pretty fast and uncomfortable, usual BMC problems burnt valves etc.
Only BMC would produce a coupe with doors from a 4 door saloon!!
vauxhall magnum
vaxhall monaro

watching quit a bit of vice grip garage... most 1970s / 1980's GM stuff had double wishbone front suspension
 

Botus

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that title of the video is stupid
manual's need to be done by humans we are lazy so fewer longer gears....and most don't understand when to chnage, thus they have far more compromises = slower

10 speed box on the mustang auto.....
 

AnthonyUK

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A mate had a Dolomite Sprint auto which were quite rare. It also had a limited slip diff so was blisteringly quick in a straight line.
 

Paul Garrett

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Off topic, 1973 I got hold of a TC coupe, pretty fast and uncomfortable, usual BMC problems burnt valves etc.
Only BMC would produce a coupe with doors from a 4 door saloon!!
Well way back in my 20's i got hold of a 1973 TC saloon , wondered why it had such a lumpy tickover? I found out the guy who had it before had the thing bored out to 2ltrs and put a high race cam in it! Gearbox was shot so one of my mates at work put a silver seal gearbox in it, much better, also had chrome weller wheels, janspeed exhuast and slightly raised at the back, went like stink but still had typical BMC problems though, sounded like it had a V8 in it and was a typical boy racers car
 

kotecki

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A mate had a Dolomite Sprint auto which were quite rare. It also had a limited slip diff so was blisteringly quick in a straight line.
Do you think that the auto box of that era was quicker than a manual? Would the manual with the LSD be an even better option?

In the early 70's I worked for the Co-Op transport department and having an HGV1 licence I was obliged to drive any and all the vehicles in their fleet. (Including that pesky electric milk-float) I digress.. All the smaller vehicles were automatics, be they Ford Transits, Morris Marina vans plus a number of other vehicles, but hand on heart none of those things would pull the skin off of a rice pudding!! You could not argue with the decision to go automatic for the smaller commercial vehicles as it really made a significant difference in down-time. The auto box of yesteryear was good for what it did but my humble opinion is that they were not as quick as their manual option.
 

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After 60 years of owning cars i said ,, after my first automatic , that i would never, ever , buy another one .. but i am here again with my 5th Automatic. But i do think that the manual gearboxes are best . Autos are for older people that want to sit there in comfort and do very little till its time to exit the car .
 

AnthonyUK

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Do you think that the auto box of that era was quicker than a manual? Would the manual with the LSD be an even better option?
It probably wasn't. I had a manual with a LSD and it didn't feel as quick. Maybe at higher speeds the manual with overdrive would be the better option but being a torquey, relatively low revving car (in standard tune) it felt OK in auto form even given the low complexity gearboxes of the day.
 

DREAMER NO2

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I bet no one has ever owned a Smiths Automatic the auto box was all electric and was fitted to some Sunbeam and Singers cars and Hillman cars of the 1960 /70 s.
 

SL63 Mark

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The 5 speed auto on my SL learns how you drive and changes gears accordingly. It can be a lazy cruiser or a drag strip racer.
 

EmilysDad

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After 60 years of owning cars i said ,, after my first automatic , that i would never, ever , buy another one .. but i am here again with my 5th Automatic. But i do think that the manual gearboxes are best . Autos are for older people that want to sit there in comfort and do very little till its time to exit the car .
I've had autos for 30 years or so ... I can never see the attraction of 3 pedals, especially in stop start traffic. 2 feet ... 2 pedals ;)
 

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