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Old 03-11-2020, 02:53 PM
Colin70TA Colin70TA is offline
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Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 192
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sirrotica View Post
3 pedals, much more room for operator error, broken driveline parts much more frequently, missed gears, jammed shifters, been there done that, not my idea of fun. If you want to win, you have to have all the advantages in your favor.

2 pedals, almost no room for operator error, and dead consistent, never break a transmission or clutch, no shifter to jam, much easier to be able to judiciously modulate power to the wheels, (spinning ain't winning, in any form of motorsports). If winning races is boring, I'll take boring every time.

I've tried it both ways, and would never go back to a stick because of the need for consistency and reliability. This isn't drag racing the OP is talking about, it's closed circuit racing, totally different animal than running for 10 seconds in a straight line.

You have to ask yourself, why Jim Hall, one of the most successful engineers, innovators, and builders of the Chaparral sports cars, used a T400 in his road race cars, and was super consistent, won scores of races with his cars. Hard to argue with the success Jim Hall had using a T400 in his race cars for years.

I drove semi for 7 years, I've probably shifted a stick more times than many people on here. There is no pleasure from rowing gears for me whatsoever, in a race, street car, or a truck. It's monotonous, and there is no reason to subject myself to it.

When I was young, everything I owned had to be a stick shift, as I got older, and more experienced, nothing I owned had a stick shift in it. I do curently own an IH wrecker that has a 5 speed in it, if I could have gotten a truck with an Allison in it, for what I paid for the 5 speed truck, I would have bought a truck with an Allison.

Oh I get that an auto will be faster but I am just as much about having fun and a 4 speed is more fun. The more I have to work with the car to perform the more I'll learn and will be a better driver because of it.

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1970 Trans Am, numbers matching, White, Auto, A/C, Owned since I was 15.
1973 Trans Am, numbers matching, Brewster Green, Saddle interior...Sold :-(
1978 Trans Am 400-4spd, non-numbers matching 400, Low compression daily driver, 9.66@73.5mph 1/8 mile....Sold :-(