automatic to manual automatic conversion...

[Jeff_in_Atl]

I have been wondering something for a while and since I haven't seen anything I thought I would come here and ask if anyone else had seen anything.

A lot of newer cars are coming from the factory with automatics that have a manual mode to shifting. Corvettes have the paddle shifters. Chryslers do it with the shifter handle like in the commercial with Smoke On The Water. My wife's BMW calls it steptronics. GM has been using a computer controlled trans since 1994 in the Fbody. I was just wondering if anybody had seen a kit to retro fit the F-body or Vettes with the electronic trans control? It doesn't seem like that would be too hard to do. (I'm not talking about a full time manual valve body.)

[Steel2686]

That's an interesting question. I have it in my TL, which Acura simply calls it Tiptronic SportShift. All it really does is holds the gear longer. I use it mainly when traveling longer distances with little to no stopping.

Seeing one in an f-body would be a very cool mod.

[Rhode Island Red]

There was a guy with a blue 69 Camaro that had paddle shifting put in his car by a company in AZ. He lives on So Cal so it is possible .

[94Z/28]

My uncle has a 69 with a 4L65E built by Art Carr that is controlled by a CompuShift module, it can be switched between manual and auto mode. In manual mode you have full control of up and down shifts. Mat the gas in manual mode(no downshifting) in 2nd gear from a 45 roll and its leaves 2 335 streaks, cammed LS7's with long tubes pull hard. I need to post some pics I think you guys would like it.

[Jeff_in_Atl]

My uncle has a 69 with a 4L65E built by Art Carr that is controlled by a CompuShift module, it can be switched between manual and auto mode. In manual mode you have full control of up and down shifts. Mat the gas in manual mode(no downshifting) in 2nd gear from a 45 roll and its leaves 2 335 streaks, cammed LS7's with long tubes pull hard. I need to post some pics I think you guys would like it.

http://www.compushift.com/

[ConElite]

Farrari I think mastered the paddle shifting. Yeah All these cars with "TipTronic" shifting is the same as manually shifting down in an automatic.

[FroSSty]

My father-in-law has an 01 Eclipse with the 3.0 v6 and the "manumatic" auto trans. These engine/trans combos were also used in some Dodge products... ahem...Stratus...

The shifts aren't crisp at all. It takes at least a second after you hit it to actually shift. It would suck on road courses. I suppose you could get used to it after a while just like anything else, but it seems so unnatural. Maybe it just needs a better torque converter and a shift kit...

[Joshu]

My father-in-law has an 01 Eclipse with the 3.0 v6 and the "manumatic" auto trans. These engine/trans combos were also used in some Dodge products... ahem...Stratus...

The shifts aren't crisp at all. It takes at least a second after you hit it to actually shift. It would suck on road courses. I suppose you could get used to it after a while just like anything else, but it seems so unnatural. Maybe it just needs a better torque converter and a shift kit...

My parent's have an 03' Stratus R/T. It's got a nice peppy engine with the manumatic thingy or whatever they call it. There is a definite delay, but I got used to it after a while.

[Christopherrr]

Wouldn't that be like just rowing your tranny from D,3,2,1? Like linear shifting...except with bottons/paddles.

[Jeff_in_Atl]

Wouldn't that be like just rowing your tranny from D,3,2,1? Like linear shifting...except with bottons/paddles.

Not completely. You can put yours in second and it will start off in first. In these it acts like a manual trans. It will work the same pulling it down in gears but not up. You can't short shift your car. It will shift when the computer wants it to shift.

Chrysler for some stupid reason that nobody can understand makes their shifters go from 1st to 3rd to OD. You can not select 2nd gear. It really sucks when your in the mountains and you want to pull it down into second so you don't ride your brakes and burn them up like we did in the mini van 2 years ago.

[Nightrage]

Out of all of the cars that I've driven with the manumatic transmissions, the only one that responded instantaneously was the Nissan Altima. The G35 has a slight delay, but nothing in comparison to just about every other car out there. It doesn't feel very "manual" to me. Still feels like I'm driving an auto.

[FroSSty]

My parent's have an 03' Stratus R/T. It's got a nice peppy engine with the manumatic thingy or whatever they call it. There is a definite delay, but I got used to it after a while.

yep...same engine/tranny combo...

eta:they are a good package imho. his Eclipse has 230K+ on all original equipment(cept for brakes and tires)

[Jeff_in_Atl]

Has anyone driven a Vette with the paddle shifters? How does it shift with the buttons?

[Christopherrr]

Has anyone driven a Vette with the paddle shifters? How does it shift with the buttons?

When I was working for Hendrick, I sold a few of them...thumbs were upshift and depressing the paddle on the back the wheel down shift. I wonder why they did that...? I'd program right paddle to upshift and left paddle to downshift.

It was pretty intutitive, but slow to react at partial throttle; even at full throttle upshifts were cautious and not really neck snapping. I guess they didn't want to step the rear out on a 1-2 upshift. I heard they really refined the program now...but can't test it out since I don't work there anymore. Never really liked it...sorta a gimmick to me for people to lazy to put their clutch pedal down.

[Steel2686]

The reason for paddle shifters started in F1. The driver doesn't have to pull his hands off the wheel for any reason. Ferrari took their F1 technology and applied it to their road cars. They have it so perfected, even the fastest person able to shift with a clutch/floor shifter can't come close to the quick shifts of the paddle.

That is a manual, however.

My car has a slight delay... Maybe 2/10 of a second. Barely noticeable, but going from a stick to that, you'd probably feel it for a few shifts. I love having it, for the very reasons Jeff mentioned... Engine breaking. I live at the bottom of a hill. I go into 2nd everytime I go home as soon as I hit my road.