Depressed w/ my purchase of my c4 auto
06-04-2019, 12:16 PM
#41
Advanced
Thread Starter
Are you for real? You make a statement that insinuates that if you are old and rich then you must be lazy because you prefer an auto over a stick. Then you say "it's not meant as an insult to anyone"! I got news for you Hoss - I am one of those "old and rich" guys but can guarantee you I am not FKN lazy! Your statement is an oxymoron anyways, because any of us "old and rich lazy guys" know that the two don't go hand in hand. It is only the Gen X and Millenials that think money and success falls out of the trees.
The following users liked this post:
dizwiz24 (06-04-2019)
06-04-2019, 12:31 PM
#42
Le Mans Master
Shift kit would be helpful. Gears are the only way to make a A4 scoot. 3.07 G92 is the best factory option. If you're not stressing about highway RPM 3.54 -3.73 solves A4 lack.of performance. Once Corvettes price jumped it into an older demographic, those buyers didn't want manuals. They just want to drive. Dealers view it's easier to sell automatics than sticks.
The following users liked this post:
pooled (06-04-2019)
06-04-2019, 12:42 PM
#43
Advanced
Thread Starter
You could put a wild shift kit in it that would light the tires up on 1-2 & 2-3, snap your neck shifts, and include manual only shifting. Put a 3.73 gear behind it and you'll forget all about a third pedal. Torque converter would only need to be changed if you changed out the cam or blow it up.
Here is what I have or will have complete by July, my really only Mods are my complete exaust, I always upgrade exhaust, I love the sound. The other changes (small mods or mainterence) were done because they were free and they cost about $100 total. The stock motor has about 150,000 miles, the short block was bascially rebuilt but all stock parts. Its pretty solid car, I guessing a shift kit would not tear anything up, now a TC probably would after hearing about my brothers 75.
1991, Base model removable top
Long tube hedders
Straight pipe dual to Flowmaster 2 chamber
No catylitic converters ( i live oklahoma, GOP state we dont beleive in global warming or emmisions crap)
stock automatic trans
stock gears
Bypassed TB hot water flow
Installed Air Foil
Removed Air/smog pump
Removed Frisbee
Open Airlid w K&N filter
Installing a fun switch to always run both fans in Oklahoma summer
I am not going to mess with the heads and camshaft until I drive it around for 6 months and decide to keep it or not, if I could find another c4 manual trans car to build then great but seems too rare and Ill end up going back to the mustangs and beefing up the suspension for road racing, I could build a fast mustang with fewer money and theres a lot of coupes sitting in peoples yard that would be happy if I gave them a $100 to take it off their hand.
06-04-2019, 12:46 PM
#44
Advanced
Thread Starter
Shift kit would be helpful. Gears are the only way to make a A4 scoot. 3.07 G92 is the best factory option. If you're not stressing about highway RPM 3.54 -3.73 solves A4 lack.of performance. Once Corvettes price jumped it into an older demographic, those buyers didn't want manuals. They just want to drive. Dealers view it's easier to sell automatics than sticks.
06-04-2019, 01:31 PM
#45
My 90 Vert had 3.45’s 2600 Stall and transgo shift kit BIG difference from the stock trans and 2.59’s it had it was a ROCKET off the line I never “wished” it was a manual after I modded it and that was 20 years ago when I was in my 20’s when I LOVED driving stick I will be doing similar to my 89 vert
06-04-2019, 01:59 PM
#46
Burning Brakes
As someone who has never owned an automatic daily driver, I absolutely murdered NASA ST2 and local SCCA autocross with an automatic trans.
Having a manual trans makes it more of occasion or experience to drive the car. It most certainly doesn't mean it will be faster.
With automatics being faster in a straight line due to better launches, quicker shifts, and a torque converter keeping you at peak power for the duration of your run,
its absurd that people don't think those 3 advantages won't apply to road racing.
Will it cost more? Most likely. You'll need a proper valve body, a well designed torque converter (which may take lots of trial/error), a LARGE cooler (I typically use certain A/C condensers), and a good shifter.
Ratchet shifters work excellent for road racing and autocross.
Having a manual trans makes it more of occasion or experience to drive the car. It most certainly doesn't mean it will be faster.
With automatics being faster in a straight line due to better launches, quicker shifts, and a torque converter keeping you at peak power for the duration of your run,
its absurd that people don't think those 3 advantages won't apply to road racing.
Will it cost more? Most likely. You'll need a proper valve body, a well designed torque converter (which may take lots of trial/error), a LARGE cooler (I typically use certain A/C condensers), and a good shifter.
Ratchet shifters work excellent for road racing and autocross.
Last edited by JoeNova; 06-04-2019 at 01:59 PM.
06-04-2019, 02:12 PM
#47
you can swap the ring and pinion. While in there might as well do the bearings too. Setting up a rear gear requires more than most guys who work on their cars can handle, take it to a shop. Gear set probably around $450, labor another 4-500. Then do the shift kit.
06-04-2019, 03:23 PM
#48
Team Owner
He could have worded it differently, I agree. The fact of the matter is when it comes to corvettes vs mustangs being purchased brand new for say my 1991 was around $40,000 in 2019, that would be around $80,000. If you look at production numbers for mustangs, the manual transmission accounts for about %50 on average yearly, the 1991 corvette 6 speed transmssion accounted for about %22.5 of the trans. Young men in 1991 could not afford the $80K (adjusted for inflation) but they could afford the $15,000 GT Hatchback ($27,000 adjusted inflation..) I spoke with my father and his corvette owner friends about this, the answers were what I thought, generally older gentlement which was who the vette was markerted to and which is who bought them, preferred to cruise, too enjoy the ride, smooth, handling, they were not interested in taking their corvette to the drag strip to get the lowest time possible, modifying it and street racing the vette next to you at a stop light. The younger generration, i was 16 yrs old in 1998 and thats all i did and thought about was modifying my mustang, i took it to the midnight drags every modification, i raced on the street. I needed that 5 speed as It is faster than the automatic thats lined up to me and more fun. Sure i heard some of the older crowed say, yeah its fun for a quick on ramp once in a while but we dont speed as much as you younger guys. So its true, older people prefer automatics, its a fact, If your butt hurt because your one of the few that is older and prefers the manual, fine but it still doesnt change the statistics, So here we are stuck with 23,000 1991 corvettes and 2,000 of them are standards.
I think auto would be an easier sell. I am buying US a Corvette as opposed to buying ME a Corvette. It is a family car now since everyone can use it.
06-04-2019, 04:55 PM
#49
Melting Slicks
I agree, clean it up and put on some lipstick so she sells quick and for high dollar, hopefully. In the meantime, start shopping for a 6-speed, preferably a 1996 LT4 if you can afford it, they typically sell for several thousand over an equivalent LT1 6-speed... although the LT1 is no slouch.
Last edited by DGXR; 06-04-2019 at 04:56 PM.
06-04-2019, 06:48 PM
#50
Safety Car
I got a couple of real helpful people but I get one guy that wants me to kill myself by driving off into a lake, and one wants to slap me. There's quite a few really helpful and nice guys in this club, but there are a lot of just plan jack asses. Its not like sportbike rider club or Mustang groups, where they will stop to help you on the side of the road, some of these 'vette owners would rather run me over.
Okay, who was it that called for some help?
06-04-2019, 08:58 PM
#52
Team Owner
I kinda think that it's more "Buyer's remorse" because they set out with a certain car in mind and get hit by the "Corvette Fever" and settle on something. Or as they say, "Girls look better at closing time". Also this does sound a lot like Meatloaf's Paradise by the Dashboard Light.
06-05-2019, 06:16 PM
#53
This is funny. I willingly bought an auto C4 coupe. Because the autos are reasonably priced. And can be lived with. Not as suitable for the track but certainly good enough for spirited driving as well as cruising. And I'm fairly certain it will be fun at a trackday despite any tendency to shift gears at the least convenient of times.
If you're serious about tracking, perhaps a normal C4 of any type isn't the best choice. But then H-pattern transmissions really are inferior to sequential transmissions and good dct's anyway. You need to get or build yourself a proper racecar. And man up a bit instead of whining on the internet about buying an auto C4 when you knew you needed something with a manual transmission.
If you're serious about tracking, perhaps a normal C4 of any type isn't the best choice. But then H-pattern transmissions really are inferior to sequential transmissions and good dct's anyway. You need to get or build yourself a proper racecar. And man up a bit instead of whining on the internet about buying an auto C4 when you knew you needed something with a manual transmission.
06-05-2019, 07:59 PM
#54
Team Owner
This is funny. I willingly bought an auto C4 coupe. Because the autos are reasonably priced. And can be lived with. Not as suitable for the track but certainly good enough for spirited driving as well as cruising. And I'm fairly certain it will be fun at a trackday despite any tendency to shift gears at the least convenient of times.
If you're serious about tracking, perhaps a normal C4 of any type isn't the best choice. But then H-pattern transmissions really are inferior to sequential transmissions and good dct's anyway. You need to get or build yourself a proper racecar. And man up a bit instead of whining on the internet about buying an auto C4 when you knew you needed something with a manual transmission.
If you're serious about tracking, perhaps a normal C4 of any type isn't the best choice. But then H-pattern transmissions really are inferior to sequential transmissions and good dct's anyway. You need to get or build yourself a proper racecar. And man up a bit instead of whining on the internet about buying an auto C4 when you knew you needed something with a manual transmission.
06-07-2019, 05:27 AM
#55
Drive the car into the lake or over a cliff. Take a poll of what others want you to have so as not to get laughed out of the speedway. It would be nice to have them pay for it too since they should be buying an opinion, right? Or how about you grow a pair and stop worrying about what others want and worry about what works for you? I mean, you are paying for it, right? Shouldn't it be 100% about you and 0% about what others think is cool? Of course, in my case, I don't care about the cool factor and even don't want ANY attention from most of the other ********. I only care about comments from my betters if it pertains to how to improve my car. So if you get a Brittney Force, for instance, I would be glad to hear what she has to say. Some Joe Schmoe who asks or makes a comment on my car? WGAS? Costs me time to thank him for his comment and disengage from him.
Besides cutting the coat to your cloth ($ wise), you also need to worry about what the car is used for. If it is 100% road course, definitely get a stick. IF it is drag, I'd go auto. The rest depends on your situation. Wife doesn't want to drive stick so as part of our fleet, my situation is that she can have that as an option if say her car breaks down. If you are the only one driving and you aren't man enough to stand up to the boys, get a stick. IF she might use it as a backup, see what she feels comfortable with. I drive in the city a lot. I have had a stick car and a manual bike. Sucks in stop and go traffic but if I were more in the country driving and tracking it, I'd go manual if the wife would never drive it. All depends on your situation and not what the other boys have to say.
Besides cutting the coat to your cloth ($ wise), you also need to worry about what the car is used for. If it is 100% road course, definitely get a stick. IF it is drag, I'd go auto. The rest depends on your situation. Wife doesn't want to drive stick so as part of our fleet, my situation is that she can have that as an option if say her car breaks down. If you are the only one driving and you aren't man enough to stand up to the boys, get a stick. IF she might use it as a backup, see what she feels comfortable with. I drive in the city a lot. I have had a stick car and a manual bike. Sucks in stop and go traffic but if I were more in the country driving and tracking it, I'd go manual if the wife would never drive it. All depends on your situation and not what the other boys have to say.
06-07-2019, 05:29 AM
#56
I kinda think that it's more "Buyer's remorse" because they set out with a certain car in mind and get hit by the "Corvette Fever" and settle on something. Or as they say, "Girls look better at closing time". Also this does sound a lot like Meatloaf's Paradise by the Dashboard Light.
Now that is some funny sh#t right there...hahahahaha...love it.
06-13-2019, 09:28 PM
#57
Supporting Vendor
Member Since: Dec 2016
Location: Lookin over Hoover Dam
Posts: 3,513
Received 2,314 Likes
on
990 Posts
I bought my c4 auto, in 2014, I loved the looks of it and since I had sold mustang 5.0 I built for speed a few years back. I decided to I had to have this, I have no clue why I bought an automatic, I hate them, I just bought a bunch of performance parts for it but so far they are sitting unopened, whats the use, I am into road racing at a speedway we have close by, and I can't use an automatic. It cost way too much to convert it. I paid $5500 for the car. I guess my only options are to sell it and try to find a 5-speed so I can still use the new parts. Keep it as a daily driver put on the perf parts, buy another mustang where all the owners bought a manual trans new and try to make the suspension close to a vette which will be tough. WHY DID ALL THESE NEW VETTE PURCHASERS BUY AUTOMATIC, my thoughts are is because they are all older and enjoy cruising. I think back to that moment i bought it and want to slap myself and run and buy a real road racer vette with the right trans.
Last edited by KnightDriveTV; 06-13-2019 at 09:29 PM.
06-14-2019, 12:22 AM
#58
Team Owner
Member Since: Dec 2000
Location: SE NY
Posts: 90,675
Likes: 0
Received 300 Likes
on
274 Posts
Cruise-In II Veteran
Or...you could install a TransGo shift kit and set it up for full manual shifting.
You can easily force the TCC into lockup mode in every gear except 1st with a simple jumper on the ALDL. Of course then you will have to manually shift into 1st to avoid stalling. Or...you could install a switch to enable/disable forced lockup, as I did on my prior 35th Anni.
You can easily force the TCC into lockup mode in every gear except 1st with a simple jumper on the ALDL. Of course then you will have to manually shift into 1st to avoid stalling. Or...you could install a switch to enable/disable forced lockup, as I did on my prior 35th Anni.
