The '70 has an M22, the '71 has an ST-10. I always have ,and most likely always will, prefer the four speed. I'll never build a car with an automatic in it. I just don't think they are any fun. I'd much rather bang gears then just drop it in drive.

Actually, I guess my above sentence was a bit of a fib. The '70 has the ST-10 in it temporarily (the M22 is out being rebuilt) and the '71 has a TH400 in it. The '71 won't ever be driven with the automatic, it is just acting as a place holder to keep the engine from falling back.

 

All depends on what you are looking to do/what you preffer.
I have a Tremec TKO-600 5 speed
Reasons:
-Its good up to 600ft/lbs of torque
-Overdrive
-I can scare old people and children without having to shift into Neutral
-Just preffer a manual vs auto

 

do you like to shift or not

 

You can still shift an "automatic" transmission manually... There's just no clutch pedal needed...

I love to shift manually, both up and down, and I usually shift for myself (when in my Chevelle)... Never been a problem manual shifting my automatics. I have never broke or burned one up by manually shifting, and I am hard on cars (or used to be)....

I prefer the automatic in mine, although I wish it had OverDrive... Its kind of like the best of both worlds: shift when I want but can do it automatically when I am tired and lazy. :thumbsup:

My driveway is also short and relatively steep with a shallow stall where the Chevelle goes. I'd hate to be burning up the clutch trying to get it into the garage every time I drove it...

The only drawback I see, is I am stuck with a limited amount of stall speed...

Of course, my '70 came with an automatic already, and it has enough power to scare people (it will smoke the tires from a 20+ MPH roll).

After the 5-speed in my convertible, I was tired of shifting (mainly tired of the clutch pedal)... Also harder to launch (IMO), and much harsher on parts (dropped a few driveshafts, etc over the years)...

My other Chevelle is a factory 4-speed (not running)...

 

If you live in the city, see a lot of stop and go traffic and use the car as more of a daily driver/ commuter car, then an auto may not be a bad way to go.

But, if you drive the car and can open it up a bit and be able to get out of second gear, and the car is more for fun, then I would definitely recommend the manual. Usually a 13 second manual shift, feels more fun than comparable 12 second auto car.:yes:

 

Ok, here's the deal. I found a 454 out of an old panel truck with approx. 70,000 miles on it. I went to the local salvage yard to hunt for a 4 speed to put in the car. The owner of the salvage yard spent 1/2 an hour telling me how I was wasting my time with a 4 spd - bbc. He insits that I would have a much better driving experience with an automatic backed small block. This through me for a loop. So I decided to ask the public their opinion.

Personally, I kind of think that shifting a decently built 454 must be awesome. I was hoping to hear it from other people.

 

All my Muscle cars had 4spd's. There's nothing like rowing gears, and the day I get tired of shifting is the day I sell my car.:yes: By the way a warmed over sbc is very fun to drive with a stick.

 

I love having a manual in an old muscle car. I have an M20 behind my big block and wouldn't want it any other way, plus it just looks cooler

 

It's all a matter of oppinion I suppose. I love every aspect of driving a stick. I guess it gets kind of old in stop and go traffic. But all things considered I would not trade a stick shift for an automatic in a million years.

 

This poll is probably going to swing close to 50/50.For me,it's simple,I started out with stick cars in the 60's when 99% of the hot cars were sticks.Some guys changed,some didn't including me.Times have changed,lots of automatic guys have never owned sticks.Everything I drive is a stick from my semi,to my farm tractors,to my pickup and my hotrods.To me an automatic is boring,just my choice.I'm sure they're are just as many that feel the opposite of what I do.I don't think anyone can make up your mind for you,you just have to try each and decide for yourself.:thumbsup:

 

real hotrods have three pedals:thumbsup: no realy no one can decide for you for me i allways take the auto out and put in sticks.

 

I am now commited to a 4 speed. I can't afford the "M-22 rock crusher", so I am planning to find an M-20 or M-21. They seem to be a little cheaper. I am really enjoying the responses that have been posted. people are so diverse and the knowledge to be gained is awesome.

 

You can purchase brand new M22 gears for around $550 or so. You get yourself a cheap Muncie that may have broken gears ,but is sound other wise, you can pick up a set of M22 gears and be in business. You may even be able to find osme used gears that are in good shape. I'd thoroughly check the gears for wear before buying used ones.

That's what I want to do as soon as I have lower gears out back. A 2.20 first gear would be terrible with 2.73's.

 

Have driven automatics for daily drivers and toy cars for 30 years.

For track use an auto is the way to go.

But my daily driver is now a 5 speed. Love the fun of having gears to play with.

For a street toy, go manual. And overdrive is highly recommended. I cannot stand to drive my 4.10 geared toy more than ten miles. Even the Chevelle with 3 something gears is not enjoyable on the interstate.

 

Unless you race your car seriously and et's are your main consideration, I wouldn't consider an auto. I drive a 60's muscle car and all of them had 4 speeds in their glory days. The only cars with autos that got any respect back then were Mopars. When I see an auto, it ruins a muscle car for me. Even worse a column shift. I realize they are faster on the track, but they aren't nearly as much fun to drive. You can go thru the gears with an auto, but nothing like shifting a manual trans.

Of course with the auto your grandma can the drive the car, too, when she needs to go buy a gallon of milk!

4 sp, bucket seats and a console!

 

LOL!!!!
My grandma is 5' 5" and Italian. I love it when she flips people off for bad driving.

 

I was planning to change my powerglide to a 5-speed TKO or T45R, but then I developed medical issues which prevent me from working a clutch. So even for my commuter 4-cylinder I had to get an automatic. Sucks, cuz I love driving stick.

 

I was planning to change my powerglide to a 5-speed TKO or T45R, but then I developed medical issues which prevent me from working a clutch. So even for my commuter 4-cylinder I had to get an automatic. Sucks, cuz I love driving stick.

Hand operated clutch...

http://forums.makezine.com/comments.php?DiscussionID=123

 

I wanted a 5-spd manual in my pick-up truck and was a kick to drive, until the day I got caught in traffic and it took me 4 hours to drive about 9 miles. It was murderous.

 

7 current cars on the property
only the Windstar is an automatic (recently replaced trans)

Since I started driving, only one car that I owned survived it's whole life without an AT failure of some sort----That would be my 97 T-Bird. NONE of my other cars made very long at all w/o AT crapping somewhere.

On the other hand----I have only killed one clutch----much less costly than an AT rebuild.

If I get too tired of shifting----I pick a gear and stay in it.
In heavy traffic that is stop an go
1st gear in the old Dodge truck
2nd gear in the ranger
3rd gear in the 79 C-10>>>>>good from zero to 70mph

 

For me I just have to have a stick car. My pickup is great with an auto but not a play toy. I think a lot of people including myself look at a car with a stick and just know it is gonna be faster and more fun to drive. JMO