Manual Transmissions are Nearly Gone (Page 4/4)
hyperv6 MAY 28, 12:47 PM

quote
Originally posted by cvxjet:

The new C8 Vette weighs 3700 lbs....even worse, though, is that it's weight distribution is like a 911 porsche- 40-60.....The reason for the butt-heaviness, is due to the twin-clutch transmission....It weighs (Are you sitting down..?) 350 POUNDS!!!

If they would just sell a version of the C8 with a manual trans, they could take 200+ lbs of the azz-end...

Benefit of more equal weight distribution; Car & Drivel magazine does a test of cars at Virginia raceway every year....One year they were testing a 911 Carrera and a Boxster/Cayman....the 911 had a much better Power-to-weight ratio, but after lapping the two cars, they came back with the same lap times...so 3 other drivers took the 911 out and tried to better the lap time- but they could not; While the 47/53% Box-Cay was just willing to do whatever the driver wanted, the (God's greatest!!!!!) 911 Carrera (40/60%) was always trying to KILL the driver (DTO- Snap-oversteer)



The Corvette may be more rear bias but being a manual would not change much.

Also keep in mind most of the Corvettes weight is near the center of the car more so than a 911 or many other cars.

Front and rear weight balance is one thing but how close that weight is to the center line of the car is another. When we race we can have a perfect 50/50 balance but if the weight is near the ends of the car we get too much polar movment. If we keep the weigh to the center of the car even in a 40/60 balance it is much better for handing. There is more to it than some statistics. True physics are in play.
hyperv6 MAY 28, 12:55 PM
The bottom line is emissions and MPG is why we have what we have. Also consumers are more into texting and driving than shifting.

I get it. On a weekend I love rowing gears but in stop and go traffic like I saw on Santa Monic BLVD. I loved the Auto I had in that mess.

Also the advent of cable shifted transmissions including the Fiero are horrible. Is it first or third? Also most FWD cars today are not cheap or easy to replace an they do not hold up like the old transmissions of old

If you have old hurst and Muncie they were easy to deal with. Not like todays cars where you have to drop the engine to get to the clutch in many cases.

My old 911 is fun but it also is a car you have to think when you shift, the 915 box is tough to sift cold and it is notchy even warm. It is old school Euro transmission. Great for weekends but not for daily commutes. Also they need rebuild before many autos need rebuilt. Sycros go..
pmbrunelle MAY 29, 11:29 AM

quote
Originally posted by hyperv6:
Also the advent of cable shifted transmissions including the Fiero are horrible. Is it first or third?



There is a big difference in the left-right select feel between Fiero 4-speed and 5-speed transmissions.

With the 5-speed setups, the springing to center when in Neutral is done in the transmission, so you feel the looseness in the linkage.

With the 4-speed setup, the springing is done at the shifter in the cabin, so the select feeling is more direct (though still not the same as a transmission-mounted shifter).
hyperv6 MAY 29, 06:40 PM

quote
Originally posted by pmbrunelle:


There is a big difference in the left-right select feel between Fiero 4-speed and 5-speed transmissions.

With the 5-speed setups, the springing to center when in Neutral is done in the transmission, so you feel the looseness in the linkage.

With the 4-speed setup, the springing is done at the shifter in the cabin, so the select feeling is more direct (though still not the same as a transmission-mounted shifter).



My point is that it was never good compared to the good transmissions like. A Tremic or even a good Muncie with a good Hurst shifter.

But even some of the great cars had bad shifting shifters. My 911 shifts Likeca old 50’s race car. Cold it his hard to shift. Warm it gets better but you need to know where the gates are. It takes about an hour to get used to it if you never have driven one.

My old Chevelle SS was great. I could just slap the shifter and it just went into gear. No muss no fuss. It was also very adjustable. I staggered the gate to let 2-3 was inline for the motion.
hobbywrench JUN 01, 12:16 PM
Long ago the Muncie 4-speed oem in my 85 GT lost 4th synchro even with mild use. Replaced it with a Beretta 5 speed still working fine. The Getrag 5 speed is "clunky" just like my WRX. The smoothest 5 speed presently is my MR 2 Spyder , but it was weak and required new bearings after purchase. I "rebuilt" a Getrag with synchro kit in 2000. The kit (synchros/bearings) cost $350. After the attempt I did not use the transmission because it seemed to require excess neutral turn over torque (measured 1 ft lb vs inch pounds on the used Beretta- my bad?). BTW without tooling ( I mocked up in wood) the Getrag was very difficult to close due to the shifter mechanism mating. I still have the "rebuild."

Germany has some great autos (GM dna?). We had a C63 AMG for a while and that 7 speed was superb-just seamless. Recently I did a dive into BMW 128I used market which is attractive at first glance. The vast majority of these cars are autos and beware... Unless carefully maintained the auto trannies are trouble (even then described as cheap). The "mechatronics" unit ( lots of orifices and holes plus computer) will gum up and/or plug up. Replacements can cost the used price of the 128i car. In the dual turbo version of the car , 135i, a 7 speed is offered which is even more risky, and very heavy weight. I backed away from the impulse to buy. The rule of price I developed for these cars is that likely repair cost of PARTS (not labor) is now equal to the used market value now running around $ 7-8K for early 128i and $15K for the 135i. The stick versions of the 128i carry a typical premium of $3-$5K, but the trannys seem reliable. Who knows how tariffs will affect parts prices.
Jake_Dragon JUN 03, 02:49 PM
After replacing/rebuilding the transmission in my 72 Dodge over 3 years I hate autos.
My Corvette had a modern auto (at the time) and it caused more issues.

At some point my knee will dictate what transmission I have a lot sooner than the automotive industry.
Raydar JUN 03, 10:17 PM
So... the only time that I can think of, that I'd wished I'd had an automatic instead of a manual, happened about ten days ago.
I took my Jeep out on the trails, and had a blast. But I was walking up hill to help "rescue" one of the folks in our group who had gotten stuck (a common occurrence that day, it seemed) when my foot slipped off a rock, and collected a sprain. Pushing in the clutch became rather painful, for the duration. Fortunately, that was late in the day, and my "co-pilot" was kind enough to drive us home from the trails.
I ended up driving my automatic Ram for a day or three, and quickly got back into the Jeep as soon as my foot recovered a bit. There's no hope for some of us.

Here's a pic of the offending vehicle...

[This message has been edited by Raydar (edited 06-03-2025).]