fake

Went to a Corvette show today out of ten cars all automatics, also C3 were the same! One C7 owner said they do not make standards any more,who sold him this can of goods?

bogus

First off, the sale rate is about 15%. Even for C7s... and yes, the 7spd manual is still available.

The C8 is rumoured to only be a 7 spd dual clutch set up.

Interestingly, when asked at the Corvette Corral at the Sebring 12 Hours, those in attendance, I would say was nearly 70% manual. The true believers.

65Z01

My '89 has one of them...about 46k units sold between '89 and '96.

DGXR

I agree, the production numbers are pretty easily available. And that guy at the car show who said manuals aren't made anymore, he was probably trying to justify the abundance of automatics at that show.
Automatics are the rule and manuals are the exception, which is sad considering the manual was a free option on the build sheet (for the C4 at least). And generally, manuals are definitely on their way out of production. Just a matter of time before the clutch pedal is a nostalgic conversation piece. DCTs and traditional automatics are getting more efficient and more reliable, and the straight-line performance is now actually better than a manual. Plus in many designs, you can select and hold gears as long as you want. But their major downfall is they don't allow the driver to selectively skip gears, up or down. Some autos/DCTs skip gears for you (by holding the shift paddle, for example) but the computer decides which gears are skipped, not the driver.
Also, does anyone know how to bump start an automatic? Can it be done?

64Scout

Probably, if you had an accumulator plumbed in to apply pressure to the clutch packs, and a switch to lock the converter.

dizwiz24

93 c4 vert 6spd

95LT1ZF

I've got one and won't own a Corvette that isn't. They are getting more rare on most cars though, which sucks.

Space387

My 90 Z51 has a ZF6 but not a surprise there.

Total production of Corvettes with a ZF6 -
Engine Total Avg/yr
L98 + MN6 - 12,995 4332
LT1 + MN6 - 19,767 4942
LT4 + MN6 - 6359 6359
LT5 + MN6 - 6939 1388 ( sales in 92 where 502 units and 93-95 448 units per year)


For the more visual description. All C4 corvettes with a manual

A link to this chart for greater detail

vetteLT193

The manual option is interesting... you have to think of the buyer of the car when it was new and you get a pretty good picture. Most manuals were built in coupes. The color distribution is even more fascinating to me... Finding a manual in say, black, is pretty easy. Finding a manual in Turquoise is darn near impossible because such a low percentage of the build came with them. So the when it was new thing comes into play. The person buying the car new, with a manual, was likely a dude... and a dude's dude... and the color selections and body style follows suit.

1993C4LT1

96 lt4 zf6 car here. Royal pita to bleed the hydraulic clutch. Love it otherwise.

Barrier

!993 Convertible 6 Speed, Polo Green with Saddle Interior and a Hard Top. This is my 5th, Two were 4 spds, Two 6 spds and one Auto.
The Manuals have it!
Barrier

M1917

I have a 90 triple black vert. Only reason I bought it was because it was a manual. My opinion why have a sports car with an auto? Just personal preference I suppose. But, manual transmissions are an endangered species. Just read that no manual trans option for the 2020 Mustang. I want to teach my kids to drive with a clutch before such cars no longer exist

BLUE1972

my 85 has a 6 speed, Richmond

ghoastrider1

to answer the push start with an automatic. I cant speak for the later model Power glides, but I do know you can push start a 1953 chevy 2 speed power glide to start it. You have to get the darn thing up to about 35 mph before it will kick off tho. Lol, you should hear same chevy jump started from a 24 volt military jeep. Thank the kind Lord my daddy never found out the stuff we put his 53 chevy work car thru back in 66, My butt would still be red.. and thanks to some very kind G.I.s on Ft. Benning.Georgia.

Ranger72

95 with a ZF6 here.

dizwiz24

My impression of autos dates back to a high school buddy (in 1993) who had a 1989 mustang gt auto


when getting on it, the auto would hesistate (for what seemed like forever) and then suddenly shift hard , esp at the 1-2 shift.

he would lose to stick cars bc of that

STL94LT1

ZF6 and 4.10 gears here!!

Tom400CFI

^This^...although, you wouldn't need to lock the converter...just engage a forward clutch/band combo for one of the forward gears. 2nd or 3rd, ideally.



Early automatics had the hydraulic pump (one of two, often times) on the output shaft of the trans. This could/would enable a roll-start as vehicle speed could build enough hydraulic pressure to engage a clutch pack...and enough speed (~35 mph, apparently) would drive the engine through the converter.

Moder auto trans' though...since the '60's or so, have all had a single hydraulic pump in the front of the trans, driven by the converter housing. So....no matter how fast you go...you ain't never gonna roll-start an automatic car w/a 700R4. No way.


EDIT: HERE is a fantastic read about early GM Hydromatics.


.

auburn2

How do you get started in Drive if there is no hydraulic pressure to engage the 1st gear clutches?

Tom400CFI

For real?