How does this go from "I don't like automatics, here's how I want to configure a Nissan pickup," to "I've shown you why automatics are better, look for a car with a manual if you think that makes you a man, you are a close minded moron?"
This is a personal opinion thread and you are trying desperately to convince people that their opinions are wrong.
Why the personal attacks, man?
Appleseed wrote: Why the personal attacks, man?
BMW driver. 
rslifkin wrote:kanaric wrote: The Skyline I have with it's 80s turbo lag would be E36 M3 with an autoQuite the opposite. Laggy turbo setups work nicely with an auto as the torque converter can always give you some extra rpm beyond what your gearing does, especially right off the line. That can help it spool much better.
That is interesting. What about a car where the turbo makes no power below 4000rpm and can make power up to 8000rpm (my current build i'm working on)? That's the main problem with the RB20. Even a small GT28 turbo won't see boost until 4000rpm. If you want to make 400-500whp and go GT30 or 35 it will be more like 5000 lol. I have never drag raced a car with an auto and never was really a 1/4 mile guy to begin with so idk how that works
However the main thing with this car is I know an auto is great for drag racing but this isn't a car for that. A Buick GN is definitely a car I wouldn't manual swap just like with the corvette I mentioned.
In reply to kanaric:
Running out to 8000rpm is somewhere around the range where I wouldn't want to run an automatic. All of the common strong automatics have annoyingly wide gear spacing, which the common way of dealing with is running a loose converter so the car rides the stall speed after a shift. Yes it's fast in a straight line but a 6000rpm stall speed converter is not conducive to an enjoyable driving experience.
I haven't read the entirety of the thread but I have this issue.
A lot of my hangup is I've owned a number of cars a bit lacking in the power department. When coupled with an automatic transmission of the day it became an exercise in frustration to get the car to remain in the powerband. That ended up becoming "Too bad it's an automatic." With a manual it gives me the illusion something is happening which satiates my need to have something happening besides waiting for revs to build.
That said if I need to go somewhere I know there's going to be heavy traffic I take the wife's car since it's the only automatic we own.
Appleseed wrote: "I've shown you why automatics are better,
Where did I ever say automatics are better???? I've only countered BULLE36 M3 reasoning. This started out as an autobashing thread AND IT ONLY GOT WORSE. Why the insults to automatic cars and drivers? Hmmm???? "Oh, automatics have no control and you are only a passenger, barely giving any corrective inputs as you drive along." And that's not berkeleying insulting closed mindedness????? I'm berkeleying tired of the ignorance and crap spewed by people that should KNOW better.
Jesus, your reading comprehension is in the toilet. I've countered ignorance and bullE36 M3 enough. I've said repeatedly that I like and prefer a good manual, and yet you people STILL think that all I've said is that autos are better. berkeley.
Autos won't make you less of a man. You're not a special snowflake because you can row your own. My GRANDMA can shift a manual trans car. There are great cars with manuals and great cars with automatics and if you are having a hard time getting over that "hump" you're being closed minded, pure and simple.
MattW wrote:Appleseed wrote: Why the personal attacks, man?BMW driver.
Yeah, since 6 of my 130 cars have been BMWs (and 4 of those manuals) that must be it. 
Chris_V wrote:MattW wrote:Yeah, since 6 of my 130 cars have been BMWs (and 4 of those manuals) that must be it.Appleseed wrote: Why the personal attacks, man?BMW driver.
Hey, gotta strike while the iron's hot. 
Go ahead, look for your special unicorn to prove you're somehow more of a man.
And:
But, I'm not going to discount a good car with an auto, because I'm not a closed minded moron.
I comprehend that as an attack. The moron quip I understand as you refuted the claims Vracer made, but less of a man because he wants a manual Frontier configured in a certain way?
Where does that come from? You've countered all these slights on slushboxes with venom and smugness. No wonder no one is listening to you.
Appleseed wrote: Go ahead, look for your special unicorn to prove you're somehow more of a man. And: But, I'm not going to discount a good car with an auto, because I'm not a closed minded moron. I comprehend that as an attack. The moron quip I understand as you refuted the claims Vracer made, but less of a man because he wants a manual Frontier configured in a certain way? Where does that come from? You've countered all these slights on slushboxes with venom and smugness. No wonder no one is listening to you.
Dude, you gotta realize by now that you can't change anyone's mind with logic or facts!
This could be the best thread since the hatchback thread.
It's turning into that, isn't it?
Hell, if I said that if I could convert the Cessna I fly to manual, I think people's heads might explode.
Appleseed wrote: It's turning into that, isn't it? Hell, if I said that if I could convert the Cessna I fly to manual, I think people's heads might explode.
That Cessna with an automatic is just an appliance and it must be sapping all the fun out of it! I thought you were a flying enthusiast.
Flying a manual Cessna makes me feel like a real man.
Real men don't need a plane, they flap their own wings.
Appleseed wrote: Go ahead, look for your special unicorn to prove you're somehow more of a man. And: But, I'm not going to discount a good car with an auto, because I'm not a closed minded moron. I comprehend that as an attack. The moron quip I understand as you refuted the claims Vracer made, but less of a man because he wants a manual Frontier configured in a certain way? Where does that come from? You've countered all these slights on slushboxes with venom and smugness. No wonder no one is listening to you.
sigh
Because every goddamn time this type of manual uber alles thread gets started (and it's a damn weekly occurrence on some forums) the same bullE36 M3 gets trotted out and I'm tired of a number of you guys acting like you're superior for ONLY driving stick shift cars and that auto drivers are not drivers, are lazy, and that auto cars are only for passengers. It's TIRING to read it week in and week out. And then certain ones trot out the same misinformation, and easily countered crap every damn time... And yes, that makes me angry and I'll respond with venom to that bullE36 M3 EVERY TIME IT COMES UP.
This thread was started with the smug, insulting premise of "omg, as a car guy, how can I even live with an automatic?" It's EASY. You'll survive, it won't kill you and you won't lose your man card.
My first post in this thread was addressing the mistaken idea that a 150k mile car was just a used up old car and that at 150k miles, an automatic has to be avoided. I didn't call anyone a closed minded moron. I said that I'm not one. There is a difference.
But...then other closed minded statements started to be made. So I responded to those.
Like this statement: "I feel like the car is an extension of myself, versus an appliance that I casually provide inputs to, while it carries me along."
Insulting behavior over a slightly different way of controlling shift points. And I responded to it in kind. And I stand by what I said to him in response. If, for example, you think that's all I'm doing driving a car like that E38, then you're delusional. A good enthusiast car feels like an extension of yourself regardless of what trans it has. But you won't know that unless you try one, and many of you simply won't, and will make up all sorts of excuses why, which is where the closed minded portion comes in. And sorry, it simply is that. It's like a constant competition amongst some of you guys as to who can BE the most closed minded about certain kinds of cars. Which is really maddening on this board in particular, where all sorts of oddball, cool, and cheap cars are revered.
And then some of you read all that and only come away with "you said automatics are better." Which I never said.
Right now I'm looking for a unicorn it seems; want to get a 2010+ Nissan Frontier with the 4L V6, 6spd manual, King Cab, and 4x2 for ~$15k...can find 4x4 manuals, 4x2 Crew cab manuals, or the 4 cylinder 5-spd manual King Cab 4x2... but not what I'm really looking for. Would have to settle for either the automatic or the crew cab, and it ain't going to be the automatic...
This was said by Vracer, yes?
Go ahead, look for your special unicorn to prove you're somehow more of a man.
You replied with this, yes?
Tell me, in his lament that he cannot configure the Nissan in a way that he desires, did he mention, or imply that that makes him a manly man? Or that an automatic will make him less of a man. He likes manuals. How is liking what you like a bad thing?
Datsun310Guy wrote: There's a guy that gets coffee at the local White Castle in the summer. Red Porsche 944, gold BBS era wheels - looks to be all original - mint. Automatic.
There's a guy like that I've shared the track with a couple of times. Like me, he's got a 190E 2.3-16 track car with cage, coilovers, big brakes, and all that good stuff. Only he's got a (very pricey) Bekkers 2.5 L stroker engine. And an automatic. Wha?
Lugnut wrote: That Cessna with an automatic is just an appliance and it must be sapping all the fun out of it! I thought you were a flying enthusiast.
A "manual" aircraft is a helicopter.
depends on the car and engine for me, something low torque like the D series honda and its miserable with an automatic. My 79 capri was a c4 with a shift kit and 2200 rpm stall and it was every bit as fun too me as my 2.3t mustang with a t5. My zephyr is just fine with an automatic but i occasionally find myself pondering a t5 swap because i occasionally miss shifting gears myself.
Just found time to read the 6 pages on my first day off... wow.
Whatever rows your gears or floats your boat.
If you consider other people more or less manly or something based on what they drive, you're insecure about yourself.
If you get upset when insecure people say or imply things about what you drive, you're also insecure about yourself.
Don't be insecure, and enjoy driving what you like, whatever that may be.
STM317 wrote: If you consider other people more or less manly or something based on what they drive, you're insecure about yourself. If you get upset when insecure people say or imply things about what you drive, you're also insecure about yourself. Don't be insecure, and enjoy driving what you like, whatever that may be.
raises coffee mug Well said.
I live in Manhattan where parking costs $400 per month, so I can't really justify having more than one car. My wife spent most of her life in European cities where no one drives, so she's new to cars and isn't comfortable with a manual transmission in city traffic.
So, I bought a 4-door, automatic 335xi as "the family car." (I do have a couple of project cars at a friend's shop in NJ, but hardly get to drive them).
I expected to hate the car. A BMW is supposed to be RWD and manual, right? But I have to say, commuting in dense traffic is pretty nice with the auto. Shifts are quick enough. Seems to work well with the biturbo engine: pretty seamless power delivery.
I took it to the track one time, and it was kind of awful (between AWD and auto, it just didn't want to rotate)...but that's not really the point of the car anyway. As a daily driver, I'm surprised to say I like it. And I don't think a manual would make it any better for what it is.
Well, I'll just jump back in to give you an update from my end. As I said before, for me it's got nothing to do with "being a man" or being superior or anything else. Not even sure how else to describe it beyond just being personal preference. My point in the original post was that I've been offered some great deals on autos by some dealerships trying to move cars off their lots before the end of the year. I'm very, very tempted, but for whatever the reason is, I'm just not sure I will have as much fun with an auto as I do with a manual. The deals are getting even better as the year is coming to a close...
2011 Mustang V6 convertible for $8500.
2008 BMW 128i convertible for $7300.
2006 Infiniti G35 coupe for $5600 (has high miles, but very well kept)
All cars in outstanding condition, but all are autos. I know all three are great cars, and great bargains. I guess I won't know unless I try, and I can see reasons why I may actually like the auto better...given how much time I spend in traffic. Yet, even getting into my Elantra, I just get some level of satisfaction/enjoyment out of shifting it myself.
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