FAUEE

Just curious. I've been looking for a C4 for autocross, and it really seems like 80% of them are automatics.

I know that the obvious joke is that only people without manuals want to sell, but it's seriously like a 6 to 1 ratio of automatics for sale to manuals.

I had really wanted a z51 manual for autocross, but I may end up having to do a automatic if I can't find a stick car. Not that I'm opposed to automatics (my C6 is an automatic), but I kinda wanted to have a track toy that was stick.

Out of curiosity, anyone know roughly what the % was for manuals to automatics?

RollaMo-LT4

Because that is what the customers who purchased them brand new wanted.
Same applies to the C5 and C6

Automatics outsell manual transmissions.

BGZQ8

80% is a 4 to 1 ratio.

PLRX

I have both. Betty Boop is auto, and The Ghost is manual. Both have their great qualities. Betty Boop is great to cruise and chill, it is hard to do that with The Ghost because it is too much fun to drive. On traffic the clutch on the ZF is a bitch, few times I've stepped out of it with sharp pain on my left knee.

kimmer

One reason was so they could meet emission requirements in some states and the majority had to be autos to have the correct ratio.

mnstrlt1

It's kind of disappointment to me too. 6-speed cars are tough to find, I suppose a true daily-driver oriented corvette would be best in an automatic. Then again a dedicated drag strip car would also benefit from an automatic. I don't have a hectic commute, so I'm not stuck in rush hour with a stick. But that would likely be the most irritating aspect of owning a manual.

JimGnitecki

Another reason is that the 4+3 manual in the first few years of the C4 was kind of Mickey Mouse, and also rather fragile. That created an aversion to the manual, which then carried over even after the 6-speed was introduced. The 6-speed also had that stupid CAGS setup, and it took time to get the CAGS eliminator out there and known. So, all in all, I'm not surprised that most buyers just bought the automatic.

By the way, now that I have been driving my 1992 convertible with a 3.54 ring and pinion replacing the 2.73 factory "performance ratio", for about 2 weeks, I can tell you: This is a GREAT mod that really wakes up the automatic tranny car. It feels soooo much better, like it has shed several hundred pounds!

It also makes the car feel more like a manual trans car, as the combinaiton of 3.54 gear and the locking torque converter clutch give you actual engine braking on deceleration, and snappier response at highway speed.

Jim G

ucfsaxman

When I was looking there were none and I didn't really have a choice. I was most concerned with getting a good deal but now that I have had my auto car for about 1 1/2 years. I wouldn't have it any other way. I daily drive my car and go to a college with about 60,000 people it takes me 35 min in the morning to go about 10 miles with 50 mph speed limits. There are too many people in central florida I have had a stick car in the past (porsche 944) and right now in my life where I live and for my needs a manual would be a nightmare and very frustrating.

FAUEE

Traffic in Orlando was a nightmare 5 years ago. That was back when UCF was still "kinda small". Now it's absurdly huge. I don't think I'd want to drive anywhere near there. In fact, I'm going to have to plan a good way to get from Gainesville back over to I-95 that avoids Orlando to get back to WPB.

Cygnus

Seems like we have this topic come up every few months. Automatics have outsold sticks for quite some time now and Chevy doesn't sell a lot of vettes to begin with. Making more with manual transmissions would limit those numbers considerably.

ucfsaxman

Yes!! I'm glad somebody knows exactly what I'm talking about. I-95 is the way to go I'm not sure how to get there coming from gainesville without having to deal with either 1-4 or 408 maybe the turnpike? But yes UCF is getting crazy when I was there for my Bachelor's degree from 03-07 I had to get there by 10 or else there was absolutely no parking until about 5. Now for my Master's parking is better but more people more traffic and they drive like maniacs around there on Alafaya and University.

corvette1992coupe

I have a 6 speed , cars in good shape tried to sell it couldnt get any one to ofter me any for it , so i was just going to trade it in and all the dealer would give me is 4000 , but now it stop running for some electrical problem , dont want to put a lot of money in it , its not worth it , guess it worth more as parts

QCVette

I was curious too and decided to crunch the numbers.

Your estimate of about 80% automatic is pretty close. I took the data from the Corvette Black Book and the total for C4's is:
78.36% Automatic
21.64% Manual.

The breakdown by years is shown below.

Year...# cars...# manual....% manual
1984......51547......6443......12.50%
1985......39729......9576......24.10%
1986......35109......6835......19.47%
1987......30632......4298......14.03%
1988......22789......4282......18.79%
1989......26412......4113......15.57%
1990......23646......8101......34.26%
1991......20639......5875......28.47%
1992......20479......5487......26.79%
1993......21590......5330......24.69%
1994......23330......6012......25.77%
1995......20742......4784......23.06%
1996......21536......6359......29.53%
Total....358180.....77495......21.64%

JimGnitecki

Notice how the percentage of manuals got much higher right after GM switched from the 4+3 to the 6-speed?

THAT is an accurate representation of how much better the 6-speed is versus the 4+3.

Jim G

Netfly

All you had to do was disconnect a one wire plug next to the tranny.
I ordered a new 89 Z51 stick. The 6spd was a big jump over the 4+3, but they were not making many at the time and the adjustable suspension and sport seats were ever rarer. So it was about a 12 week wait to get one my way, loaded.

corvetteronw

In 1984 my Army Reserve transportation unit switched from the off-road tractors to the M915 tractors. They had 400 hp Cummins turbodiesels and came with a 5 speed auto tranny that evidently was being used in the Greyhound busses.
The US Army instructors that visited to help with the transition stated that almost all US military vehicles were being ordered with automatic transmissions due to fact the US schools were only using automatic equipped vehicles for drivers training. Thus, the new recruits did not know how to drive stick shifts.
Kind of sad as having your Dad, older brother or uncle teach you to drive a stick shift used to be a rite of passage. I suspect that most drivers today order automatics because no one taught them how to drive a stick.
I love 6-speeds but the 91 I have now came with the A4 tranny. I loved the Steel Blue Metallic color so ended up buying it anyway.
The '01 Z06 I drove recently of course had the 6-speed. The clutch was surprisingly easy to operate and it shifted very smooth. It was a joy to drive even in traffic.

TractionControlOff

It's also the same time the ZR-1 came out. That helps too.

JimGnitecki

Yes but there were realistically too few ZR-1s to affect the numbers much.

Jim G

RollaMo-LT4

I don't buy that at all.
On the order sheet you could pick automatic or manual.
There were no restrictions as to how many of each could be sold.

The simple fact was, more people preferred automatic transmissions.

That same holds true today.

I really don't think CAGS had much to do with it.
The people that choose an automatic just don't want to bother with the clutch.

My opinion is that most buying the car for use as a daily driver choose automatic.
The ones buying a weekend toy are more apt to choose manual.

By the way, GM still uses CAGS today on the Corvette and Camaro.

NuckinFutz93

Also, must people that could afford to buy a new Vette, were older and just bought it to nail younger hotter chicks,at least most the guys I knew that had one when I was growing up.

Then you have people like my dad, has bought over 30 new Vettes and has never owned or driven an auto car, in any gen.