Okay, if you had the choice which would you prefer.

Getrag 6spd:

6 Speeds. 3.83 2.36 1.69 1.31 1.00 0.79
Good to 700rwhpish.
Solid.
Fun to drive.
Slow shifts.
Not the best for 1/4 mile since you dump boost on shifts.


TH400 with GearVendors

6 speeds. 2.48 1.93 1.48 1.15 1.00 0.78
Good to 1200rwhpish.
Solid.
Fun to drive.
Lightning quick shifts.
Better for 1/4 mile time since shifts are instant. No boost dump.
Manually shifted automatic.

 

Hermosa, I will move this here for more views.

 

You know the answer TH400 all the way.

Although I hope you only plan on drag racing and never auto-xing or road racing, because with manual valve bodied th400s when you downshift the trans just freespins and doesn't engage.

-Ethan

 

If money is no object, then yes, everyone will choose the TH400

 

How bad is the downshifting really? It never engages at all? Does this depend on who built it up? The trans is also a locking one. Will that help? I want the car to do all sorts of things and not just a 1/4 miler.

 

Basically when you downshift if you want it to engage you have to gently rev it up until it reaches the RPM it would be at in that specific gear to equal the speed of your drive wheels. You can't downshift and have it engage immediately, and you also can't downshift and just floor it to get it to engage quick because if you did that you would break things eventually.

It never bothered me for driving around or anything, but if you wanted to road race or auto-x, or just spirited driving in twisty roads it would probably not be all the much fun.

It shouldn't matter who builds it or whether it is lockup or not... My understanding is that if it is manual valvebody this is how it works on them all.

Like I said, it never bothered me, but my car was just for driving around town at normal speeds, or racing in a straight line at silly speeds

-Ethan

 

Woops... Forgot to add... The lockup converters don't seem to hold as much power as the non lockups. If you don't plan on making more than 750ish it shouldn't be a problem though... Just don't lock it up under WOT!

We have all had better luck reliability wise with the non lockups.

-Ethan

 

"with manual valve bodied th400s when you downshift the trans just freespins and doesn't engage."

Hmmm...6 speed for me. It's fun to blast through corners too.

 

Manumatic has my vote!

 

I had a th-400 in my last car and loved it!!!!!!!!! It was great @ the track and driving around town wasn't bad either.I did not have the gear vendors though, just too much $$$ for me.

 

Thus why I have a hatred for automatics.. Theyre more effective in slowing a car downt hen a 500 lb gorrilla in the trunk when it comes to autocross or roadcourse.

6-speed for me any day of the week.