4 speed in your opinion?

[Chryco69]

I have stumbled across another good deal on a complete 4 speed setup for my 1969 Dodge Coronet. I have never owned a 4 speed before, and I do not know anyone who run's a 4 speed race wise. I do understand it is 2014, but after purchasing heavy *** Cragar wheels, I wonder if a 4 speed would be pretty sweet. It is hard to say no to a 4 speed after watching Two-Lane Black Top and Dick Landy racing videos inside the car camera views on Youtube.

This Coronet is in the works of a street strip project. I would like to run into the high 10's on pump gas.

In your opinion, should I stick with a built automatic, or is my goal realistic with a 4 speed?

Pros? cons?

 

[tallhair]

A 4 speed will be so much fun on the street but the auto will be more consistent and probably quicker on the strip unless you are Ronnie Sox LOL

 

[NJRR]

I'm converting my 70 RR from an auto to a 4 speed in the spring. My car is perfect, except for the automatic. Yes, the 4 speed is "harder" to drive. You have to actually do something to drive instead of just move your foot a few inches. But there's nothing like a 4 speed with all that power behind it !!!!!!! Chryco, if you don't buy that setup, I would be interested, as I'm sure others on the forum would be too.

 

[Cranky]

A 4 speed will be so much fun on the street but the auto will be more consistent and probably quicker on the strip unless you are Ronnie Sox LOL

I do not agree with that one bit lol. Really now. Yeah, automatics have come a long ways in 30 years (or have they) but a buddy and I ran a Super Street car in the early 80's using a Hemi box and he cut consistent lights and ET with it. The key is to use a good clutch and shifter and know how to shift it. That being said, the transmission needs to be in good shape too but the stock stuff doesn't like launching at 6000 rpm and power shifting. Aftermarket transmissions will give longer service in the 10 second zone. I drove the car some but never in competition but still ran it all out and was really surprised at how easy it was to run it and how smooth it shifted. One bit of advice and do NOT side step the clutch and learn to be smooth with it. Another thing I like about sticks is that you can adjust your 'stall' to whatever the track condition is

 

[tallhair]

A 4 speed will be so much fun on the street but the auto will be more consistent and probably quicker on the strip unless you are Ronnie Sox or Cranky LOL

I do not agree with that one bit lol. Really now. Yeah, automatics have come a long ways in 30 years (or have they) but a buddy and I ran a Super Street car in the early 80's using a Hemi box and he cut consistent lights and ET with it. The key is to use a good clutch and shifter and know how to shift it. That being said, the transmission needs to be in good shape too but the stock stuff doesn't like launching at 6000 rpm and power shifting. Aftermarket transmissions will give longer service in the 10 second zone. I drove the car some but never in competition but still ran it all out and was really surprised at how easy it was to run it and how smooth it shifted. One bit of advice and do NOT side step the clutch and learn to be smooth with it. Another thing I like about sticks is that you can adjust your 'stall' to whatever the track condition is

There I fixed it Cranky

 

[Hemi Rebel]

Man trans! If you have never had one then I say do it. If it doesnt suit you then switch back. But ya gotta do it once at least. Its a bucket list item. 4 speed mopar, check.

 

[Cranky]

Ya know, Ronnie Sox was pretty damn good rowing a 4 speed but he wasn't the only one that could make a stick car sound like an automatic

 

[bobtile]

I don't know a lot about a lot of things, but I have had a couple 4 speed cars and a few autos. You have to be a special driver to make a 4 speed quicker than a modern automatic. The days of the old slushboxes are long gone.

- - - Updated - - -

Ya know, Ronnie Sox was pretty damn good rowing a 4 speed but he wasn't the only one that could make a stick car should like an automatic

Herb Mccandless was another.

 

[dvw]

Do you want the maintenance? Good axles, Dana or a modified 9" Ford rear end, Scatter shield, aftermaket flywheel, good clutch. Now that we have all those parts lets talk transmissions. A stock 23 spline 4 speed won't go long in a 10 second 3700 lb car even an 18 spline will bust eventually. I raced a 4 speed for a year. Had very little problem shifting. Consistency and R/T were another story. I did get the R/T better by using a clutch stop. It was fun but if you want to win it won't be with low buck stock stuff.
Doug

 

[tallhair]

Ya know, Ronnie Sox was pretty damn good rowing a 4 speed but he wasn't the only one that could make a stick car should like an automatic

Cranky it was a joke/comparison to mean someone who can shift a standard trans well in a drag race with the recognized (but not only) expert called out as an example.

Chryco has never driven a manual before, as I read it, so the auto would be more consistent and a little quicker as a result unless he does quite a bit of driving it in race mode i.e. getting traction and shifting to maximize advantage of the available power and can be more consistent and quicker than an auto.

I suggested and still suggest he goes 4 speed which will be way more fun and as far as driving a stick or anything else goes .. you learn by doing.

How's this? The auto will be more consistent and probably quicker on the strip (result of consistent) unless you (delete are Ronnie Sox) can shift to maximize performance, every or most (consistent part again) of the time.

 

[Hemi Rebel]

Sox and the like were working with modified stuff too. Special built "slick shift" crash boxs.

 

[Dennis H]

God Bless Ronnie Sox. As a 4 speed/(now 5 speed Tremec), Dana owner: If I had an automatic I would leave it alone. Point and stab. I too love to watch those Landy clips in that Challenger. Can't believe he didn't break it just warming up on the way to the starting line. If you have not seen the clips, find and watch.

 

[1969 Hemi RTs]

For me MAN'S trans all the way!!!

 

[Budnicks]

The parts wear & tear let alone any consistency at all on a 4 speed, clutch & flywheel, universals/driveline, rear yoke & gears will be an issue running in the 10's on a consistent basis, especially with a stock-ish type 4 speed, especially a 23 spline, if it's a 18 spline trans at-least it can live a little longer, depends on what your willing to sacrifice, what your willing to spend on up-grades & maintenance, just to make the 833 last, then there's the actual winning & consistency or the dreaded parts breakages, wear & tear on many parts... But yes, It can be done, stock or near stock type stuff won't last in a 10 second car, for very long thou... Budget ??, SFI certs & Scatter shields, Blowout plate, forged flywheel, quality hardware, hardened/stronger shifter rods/linkages, better shifter forks {both that won't bend under hard shifting}, cut gears for fast shifts & reliability, a "really good clutch" {not just some $150 parts store clutch a real racing clutch}, really good short throw shifter & a really good driver some really good axles & diff./locker/spool too... I know there will be some that will argue that it can work great with cheap crap {been here before}, but I've been there done that, they won't & won't be very reliable & not for very long either... but to each their own, it can be done, spend enough money in the right places... I ran clutches & manual cars allot faster than 10's too...

 

[Cranky]

Yup, stock stuff doesn't hold up for very long but there were still not many options available unless you spent big bucks so we stuck it out using the Hemi transmissions and yeah, we went through a few. Were they slick shifted? Nope. Then we found a Doug Nash 5 speed for a decent price and that went in. Also, did you know that a stock Dana 60 axle will hold up to the abuse!? After breaking a couple of 8 3/4's (shaved the ring gears) we stuck in a 60 for the following year and ran it with the stock axles for over 6 months before a new tech spotted them and told us not to come back with it like that. The axles showed no signs of twist when pulled. The car was running 10.70 at that point but only weighed 3100.

 

[Albert Spangler]

The four speed is definitely more fun to drive but I would go with the automatic in a 10 second car. I rebuilt the 23 spline trans in my sport satellite over 20 years ago and have been running it behind a 440 with a six pack with no issues but there is a big difference between my low 14's and your high 10's.

 

[ironside]

When I started we ran a hemi box and various cuts up to the last being the face plated setup by liberty. I have cryo'd entire units, mikronited and whatever else. They shift smoother but ultimately still break. This was in a 3300lb 68 Cuda running mid tens.

As always with a stick just as important as the trans is the clutch. For a dedicated drag car sintered iron and adjustable PP are the norm.

Right now in my Cuda I run a gf4a g force four speed and a Ram clutch. It got to the point between breakage with stock pieces and availability it just wasnt worth it. I've put 500+ passes on this setup and its been great. Best pass of 9.93

It'll be a cold day in hell before I run an auto. The clutch setup at first takes a little learning but is not rocket science and most any four speed guys are always willing to help.

You can put a complete setup in a car for 3500-4000. Used Jerico, new clutch etc. I see tons of posts by auto guys and it just seems they have tons of money in converters and always pulling stuff apart. Just my two cents though.

Here's an in car of mine last year, first pass of the year, I was a little off on pushing the clutch for third-but damn its fun.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=imAv4xFWnY4

 

[GTX MATT]

I went 4 speed in my car because its a street/strip car. If the car is more street than strip go 4 speed. The auto guys will try to talk you into an automatic because its "cheaper." Yeah sure. It may be less expensive but it ain't cheap.

You want to run mid 10s? To be safe you should have a billet front drum in any 727 you put behind an engine like that (400 bucks). You should have an SFI approved flex plate. You're gonna need an 800 custom converter from Frank Lupo. Or buy a cheaper one that makes your car slower and slips alot of the street, making you wish you had that 4 speed.

 

[wedge69]

4 Speed is my ONLY choice ! If I went with a slush box the wife would want to take it to the store ! LOL!!

 

[Cranky]

In recent times I helped a buddy build an Indy top end stroker with an auto behind it and I don't know how much he spent on the trans but he was always having issues getting the right converter. I lost count of how many times he had it apart. It ran high 9's on motor and low 9's with a small shot of the funny gas. We used to argue a lot about the + vs - between a stick car and auto especially when he was pulling it again lol