IWantMyNewGT

:scratch: C6 or C3? [/b][/quote]
C6--it was a '72 T-Bird. I didn't own it until the 80's, though.

GirchyGirchy

If it's like a classic auto tranny, you shouldn't have to turn off O/D. Turning off O/D just means it won't go into fifth gear...it's good for coasting down hills to save brakes, or going up hills so the car doesn't shift between 4th and 5th the whole time. It shouldn't affect how you shift into lower gears.

I can't find any pictures of the auto tranny gate, so I don't know if it's PRNDL or PRND321. My car has the latter, so I can hold it in any gear I want (it's a 4-speed) by downshifting into the gears. If you have L, it'll probably just keep it under 4th gear, letting you only use 1-2-3.

Sounds like a lot of you don't give auto trannies enough credit. Recently, they've improved quite a bit...they've become much closer to the speed and economy of a manual transmission, due to newer electronics and more gears. If you like sticks better, good for you. But I think your criticism of automatics is unfounded. Kind of like how many of you treat the V-6.

The '79 Pinto I used to drive was a 3-speed auto, and it had a spot for each gear. I usually shifted it 'manually' to get the most power out of it, and I had tons of fun. It would hold each gear until up or downshifted, no matter what. It helps to have the shifter on the floor, too.

Lowe!

This thread ought to be a poll question. It would be interesting to see what the % of people whom favor an auto over stick, maybe even include the not available "manu-matic" as a fantasy option.

I also wonder if there is a favored tranny w/ the V6 vs. the GT???

SeniorStang

"Letting The Car Drive You"??? I've got an Automatic......but I don't see anywhere in the owners manual anything pertaining to 'Auto-Pilot'. The Mustang is a pony car/muscle car....... but it is not a 'Sports Car'. I grew up in the Muscle Car Era.....and I've also driven plenty of Sports Cars in my lifetime, and there is a disctinct difference between the two. As I said earlier.....it's like Apples and Oranges as far as handling between Muscle (speed) Cars & Sports (driving) Cars, and heaven forbid that anyone wrap their car around a tree in learning this. I guess it all boils down to what each of us respectively bought our car for. For me it was 2 reasons primarily: (1) The trip back in time with the styling cues used, and (2) The comfort for me at 6'2" and being able to extend my legs out comfortably with plenty of side-to-side footroom. Cheers Mates..... [/b][/quote]

Gee !!! None of the "enthusiasts" I know drive the street the way they drive the road course; ...and I sincerely hope those who worry about loosin'-it while bangin' gears during high speed turns either stay away from my neighborhood or at least let me know when they expect to be there (we have lotsa trees to wrap Mustangs around).

Most of the true "enthusiants" I know around here are looking at the turnkey racer and cammer combo and don't expect to be licensing them for the street.

I guess when you get right down to it, you can be dangerous with either the stick or auto; ...it's the driver that makes the difference. When it comes to driving the street, RELAX AND ENJOY !!!

Enjoy all of the New Year.

ustabawannab

I've driven a lot of manuals. My bikes are, of course, manuals. Been driving for 30 years. I am willing to publicly admit that I'm not consistant enough of to flawlessly hit every gear at the exact right time at the right RPM range.

If I could split myself in two, one manual driver and one automatic, my automatic self would beat my manual self most of the time, street or strip. I'm a more consistant driver with an auto. That's me. I guess I'm just not as coordinated like you Michael Schumachers out there (oh wait, he uses SMG and launch control B) ) My A4 and then my 330 are 5 speed automatics. My GT will be too. I suspect that a few of you row-yer-own folks out there missed a gear or two in the "heat of the moment".

At that moment, I'll kick your butt

yur1279

for me its not that I favor a auto over a stick, it was that the auto was more practical at this time. By the time I get a GT, I plan on knowing how to drive manual and most likely will get one as well.

oatmeal

Can you start the car in 2nd in an automatic? I'm thinking about the snow that may never come here in NC.

yur1279

You can shift directly into 2nd on the auto.

rayainsw

“FERRARI AND PORSCHE MAKE AUTOMATICS AND YOU CANT GET SPORTIER THEN THAT. SO THE IDEA THAT A SPORTS CAR GOTTA BE MANUAL IS BASICALLY BS.�

“first off they do not sell automatic transmission's they sell what bmw calls "SMG" Sequential Manual Transmission. They are basically a manual transmission with an automated clutch not a torque converter.�

Porsche sells a true (mannually shift-able) automatic. Much like the Audi Tiptronics. Even on the Porsche 9xx Turbos.

And Corvettes (last I saw numbers) sold more Automatics than Manuals – even with a 6-speed manual and a (still, in the C6) 4-speed automatic.
- Ray
All for freedom of choice . . .

rayainsw

“imagine taking a hard turn and the car all of a sudden shifts gears on you and throws the rear end out, that would stink... all you would have to do is have a manual and you would be able to control that. “


“I was under the impression that with the O/D turned off, you could still "hold" a gear with this automatic (say, second gear in the twisties) by manually selecting it so you don't lose your rear end. Am I missing something here? Please forgive my ignorance if I am. The last auto. I owned was a C6 back in the 80's mated to a 429-4V, so it has been awhile!�

Without the SST (the FLM name for manumatic functionality) software and some sort separate gate (or paddle shift buttons / levers), as included on my Lincoln LS V8 with the same trans., you cannot hold a lower gear – nor can you preclude an automatic (and perhaps ill-timed) downshift to a lower gear, if throttle position, RPM, etc. would dictate same. As stated above, O/D turned off = perform all other automatic shifts as usual, except lock out upshift to 5th gear.

- Ray
Old Fart.
Waiting to see if SST appears on 2006 Mustang GTs . . .

rayainsw

“ Can you start the car in 2nd in an automatic? I'm thinking about the snow that may never come here in NC. “

Not currently in this automatic in this car – but the SST / manumatic functionality applied to this trans. by Lincoln (and Ford optionally in the T-Bird) allows 2nd gear starts. It also allows 3rd gear starts.

- Ray
Lived in NC for 5 years – snowed (a bunch) 3 times . . .

Shea

Automatics and V6s stink!!!

hehe, anyway, I wish that automatic manuals were cheap enough to put in a car like the Stang...I'll probably never be able to afford one. Guess I'll have to steal an F1 car.

Badandy

okay. I am not oging to bash the auto, but it is a drivers race if it is a MANUAL! What is so hard to understand. If you have two autos going at it, you just have to know how far to press the gas. If it is manual vs. manual, then you have a real drivers race. If you have auto vs. manual, you better hope the manual driver is really good, and if he is it will beat the auto (if he is really good).



The point is, some people like autos. But if you want to feel that extra "connection" and oneness with your car, it has to be a manual. If you have never driven a manual, you know nothing about that.

wjones14

To me, my decision to go with manual tranny (on every car I have ever owned) is not about whether the stick is faster than the auto. I want the manual because I find it is more fun to drive.

The only time I *might* consider an automatic would be if I lived in an area where the daily traffic was unbearable and it was constant bumper to bumper 1st-gear stuff. But most of my driving is suburban with only moderate traffic, so as long as I live here I will prefer to drive a car with a manual.

swingle007

Well, after reading 7 pages of back and forth I'll chime in on my choice. I have the auto and don't regret not getting the stick...I personally have no preference one way or the other, but feel that this auto is slick-shifting enough that I'm not concerned about any time I might lose racing from light to light....The stuff about the car driving you is pretty far fetched in my opinion, and I have certainly done enough driving in mine already to know that it does what I want when I want it to. I don't feel I've lost any "connection" to my car because of it. I too love manuals, and had one in my '69 fastback that I enjoyed very much. The thing is that I love driving this auto JUST as much, and it's less work for me when driving....I have seen a bunch of info on the autos outrunning the manuals in the 1/8th mile for sure, and that's about as far as I normally run someone on the street anyway...I had also planned the 4.10 gear swap prior to buying the car and didn't want to have to constantly shift it through the quick first-second-third all the time. The much improved 5 speed auto allowed me the luxury of great E.T's and less labor to achieve them...win-win situation for me personally...I think we all got what we wanted and I hope everyone is happy with their choice...if ya look over at a light someday, and see a smiling guy in an '05 redfire GT take you off the line and up through 80 mph w/o shifting manually to do it, you'll know ya ran against THE Swingle007, and an automatic tranny that deserves a little more credit.....happy driving everybody!!

2005RedGT

Yes, you can. You can take off in 1st or 2nd or 3rd (and it takes off in that gear) - or you can put it in drive.

-Bryan

2005RedGT

I too have had both sticks and autos - I have favored the autos becuase it is impossible to out shift the auto when it has been tuned for hard/fast shifts. Much like John, I also had plans for 4:10 gears when I bought mine, so the stick would have made too much shifting for me. With that said, If I was NOT married - I would have gone with a stick.

This is only because I am lucky enough for this to only be a toy for me.

-Bryan

rayainsw

Since you own one, and I do not (yet), I will defer to you.
As I read the gearing charts and numbers, I suppose this means that, in 3rd gear, you could accelerate from 0 - (close to) 100 mph without a shift.
Interesting.
Never seen one that worked that way . . .
- Ray
Always reserving the right to be wrong . . .

2005RedGT

Since you own one, and I do not (yet), I will defer to you.
As I read the gearing charts and numbers, I suppose this means that, in 3rd gear, you could accelerate from 0 - (close to) 100 mph without a shift.
Interesting.
Never seen one that worked that way . . .
- Ray
Always reserving the right to be wrong . . . [/b][/quote]
yuk! lol

Yes that is true, you could take off in 3rd and never shi - but it would drive like poo lol


-Bryan

69stang351w

Auto or Manual,
It's your choice! I've had both and ordered an auto. Gone are my days of changing clutch and rearend gears. (do my own repairs and pull alot of them!)
With a 300hp 5sp. auto. it will still have alot of ZOOM!!
Driven manual daily for last 5yrs. in traffic and said to myself it's over, gone are the days of power shifting, banging gears. I'll leave it to the next generation of Mustang whipper snappers.
Been driving and racing Mustangs since 1966. A Mustang is a Mustang! V6,V8, auto, manual,
Gone are the days of power delete, heater delete, no air. no power brakes. power steering and windows! Man my cars use to ride like a truck.
It really is yours and your choice only!
Happy Trails!!