I have a love of both. the winding thru gears in a hard shifting B&M Hydro-Stick is also a joy I've had 6 rigs with the early 331 Cads and loved them all. but I always wanted a stick behind one. My current Shop Truck build is a chopped, channeled and sectioned 54 GMC running a 55 331 Cad. hooked to a truck 4 speed. It is in great shape and shifts like melted butter, but I have laying right next to it a rebuilt 12 volt 3 speed GM overdrive transmission that would be even cooler. My problem is I'm 6 years into a 6 month project. I've overcome all previous problems and am just about to put the Cab back on the chassis and get it on the road. I'll never have a better chance to install the 3 speed. except it would require a new Cross member, drive shaft, shifter and a higher gear ratio 3 member. the shoe on my other foot is My Hot Rod 48 ford 3 window coupe in my avatar running a 54 Lincoln with a B&M Hydro stick. so I guess my answer to the stick or auto question is Stick daily driver. Auto in my Hot Rod
3 pedals in the avatar--I'm waffling on my 34 pu build though. I WANT 3 pedals, but not sure I can WORK 3 pedals in a chopped and channeled PU. options are de-chanel or A/T. tough call--still not sure
Stick all day, every day. Working on my 3rd auto to stick conversion. Whenever I see a nice car, my heart sinks when I see an auto. Whenever I consider buying another, if it is driveable, the first thing I think of is how to convert it.
Same here. All my stuff is automatic now except my big truck. If I get the urge to bang some gears, a friend of mine has a 4.0 Ranger pickup with a 5 speed that I borrow for a while. After a day or two, I 've had my fill of gear shifting for a while, so I'll take it back and get my automatic back....
newer auto's have come along way as far as shifting when i want them to but older stuff ill take stick any day
I have automatics in both my Deuces,,but my wife's wagon she has a stick shift 5 speed and I can drive it but it's not comfortable. Old age & physical limitations has a lot to do with reasons to go with automatics. HRP
I think it depends on what you're building. In my '51 Merc Kustom, I have an automatic. In my future project Model A, it would be a stick. If I had a 63-65 Riviera, it would have an automatic. If I had a '33-'33 Ford, it would be a stick. If I had a '40 Zephyr, it would probably be an automatic If I had a '28-'64 truck, it would probably be a stick.
My '64 Studebaker Daytona is an original 4-speed car and I'm leaving it that way. My '64 Studebaker Commander is a 3-speed stick but I'm changing the drivetrain to a blown GM V6 with an overdrive transmission.
This. Living in a high traffic area sucks to be constantly shifting. I've gotten so sick of shifting the 5 speed in my truck, that the 47 is now my daily driver.
Have autos in my cars by default. I would prefer a 4 speed, but Bay Area traffic generally delegates the use of an auto - besides, when I fiend for shifting, I take out my OT truck. 4 sticks coming through the floor. Gets it out of the system real fast!
Well not to sound hypocritical 'cause I am currently running a "glide" but there were several old school four speed cars running the H.A.M.B Drags this year. I have to say it put a big smile on my face listening to them running through the gears.
Additional note however...I heard a story about Big Daddy. In the early 1960s the factory delivered a wedge motor car to him. He was supposed to make a few passes with it as a promotional gig in the Super Stock class at several National Events. When he hopped inside and the first thing he noticed was a push button auto. Apparently the factory couldn't find a clutch pack to get the big horse MOPAR's power to the ground. He called them and said he couldn't drive this automatic at a drag strip, he would get laughed out of the place. The factory simple said you might want to drive it first! I know it ran in the high 11s from the factory but not sure how Big Daddy felt about it.
Sat in stop and go traffic for 2 hours today. I will never have another manual transmission. I'll throw a shift kit in an auto and be plenty happy. BTW, in Big Daddy's book he said he though the auto was nice. Not worrying about a clutch explosion, you know.
Im in so California here its not the miles to a place its the time. In the stop and go traffic im automatic all the way
Unless you could afford a new car in the '50's, early '60's, by the time you got a used car with an automatic, (unless with less than 70,000 miles), it was used up and bound to crap out soon. Detroit did not come out with a reliable Auto until mid-60's: Torqueflyte, TH350/400. They usually ran for well over 100K. My '51 still has 3 on the tree and I'm good with that. Now it is a novelty !
All my vehicles have a stick including the hot rod. I even put a "suicide shift" on my softtail Harley...love bangin' gears!!!
i have one automatic its in my mini van. i like three pedals and a big stick. i have a g-force five speed in the coupe. a m-21 in the 66 chevelle and a 833 in the super bee. the 3500 diesel dodge is a stick to.
In all honesty, it depends on how much I can get a working transmision for, and whats available at the time. Two pedal cars stay two pedal, and 3 pedal cars stay 3 pedal in a perfect world.
I drove mainly sticks for 50 years, and have 3 rods with early Fords stick transmissions. I thought I would try one auto for cruising Woodward, and Telegraph. Well holding back a 400 horse Hemi, kills my left hip a lot quicker than a competition clutch.
I put a 700R4 in my coupe and it has been fine . But here in Maine I never am in traffic for more than a few minutes. So I want to convert to a 5 speed to have a little fun.
I've read this 3 times and still can't understand what you are saying or maybe its what you are doing? Best I can guess is you drive a hemi powered automatic, You drive it with 2 feet The idle is too high and the converter is too tight. And It's hard to hold the brakes ? I have a headache.
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