Rant about manual vs automatic
 

I've been watching the Mecum auctions for over twenty years, and I am just tired of the condescending attitude toward automatic transmissions and how superior the almighty manual is. In my opinion, those archaic manual transmissions were replaced by automatic for a reason.

So, I know many of you here wouldn't settle for anything less than a four-speed, and that's fine since that is what YOU love. You claim that it gives you more connection with the car, (I personally differ on that claim), but to disparage the automatic to the degree that the commentators at the Mecum auctions does is outrageous. I personally believe that they use this platform to drive up prices of manual equipped cars that they personally own'

We are all different in certain respects and to imply that those of us who PREFER automatics are somehow LESS car enthusiasts just rubs me the wrong way.

I learned to drive in my fathers '52 Ford truck back in 1968. Then, in 1974 my dad bought me a 1964 Ford Falcon that my uncle in New York had converted to a '71 Ford 302 and a four-speed. I learned on my own how to change clutches

The next year, I passed the test, at age 16, to drive a school bus with a manual transmission. In 1976, I bought my first GTO, a 1972 with 80k miles, and it was AUTOMATIC. I GAVE the Falcon to my cousin because I was done with it.

I drove that car to Ft Riley, Kansas and traded it in (big mistake), for a 1974 Monte Carlo because it had swivel bucket seats. From that I moved on to a '76 Charger Daytona, (the worse car I have ever owned), and quickly moved on to a '77 Grand Prix SJ, (my favorite car of all time), then in 1980, I ORDERED my very first brand new car, a 1980 Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais. Kept that for three years then traded for a 1983 Grand Prix, two years later traded the GP for '85 Cougar, then traded 85 cougar for '89 Cougar supercharged V6, and had option for a/t or m/t. Chose a/t/. Many other cars in the interim but fast forward to 2004 when I bought my still owned GTO. I chose automatic. Then, among all the M6 hype I ADDED a M6 2005 GTO to my collection and simply found that manual transmission was just not for me and traded it a year later for the A4 2006. All this so called control and connection to the car is just nonsense for me and the automatic transmission was created for a reason.

Hey, I love any kind of vintage automobile as long as it’s an Original Survivor no matter what transmission it came with from the factory.

I’ve owned many 4 speed GTO’s and Automatics including the ST300 2 speed.
I love them all.

I agree with your rant. So many people, including several clowns on this site hate the automatics. They say the autos have no sole and their worth nothing.

I like them just the way General Motors made them …. period.

LOL. Someone said it!! Dude... stick guy my whole life! Bought an auto 3 years ago, at first I thought " i could get used to this". Three years later I love it.

Two great things that go great together. :D

For the first 25 years of driving I owned mostly standards. One day I said to myself, "I don't want to shift any more". Haven't owned one in the last 30+ years and don't miss it.

In 1968 Hot Rod magazine made a reference that a 4 speed added inches to your manhood, LOL I didn't think so then, or today.

When I bought my 2005 GTO new, I was driving an 18 wheeler for a living, After 12 hours of shifting gears, the absolute last thing in the world I wanted to do was drive my own car with a manual transmission. In the road tests the A-4 acceleration 0-60 was the same time as the stick 6 speed.

Since I got my drivers license in 1969 most of my cars were stick shifts and were GTOs and Firebirds, My winter beaters were all Pontiacs, but were B bodies, all being older than 1964, had slim Jims and 4 speed hydramatics, not the best representative for a case for automatic transmissions. I even found a 63 Catalina with a BW T-10 transmission for a winter beater one year.

With the manual transmissions I got to spend a lot of time looking up at the floor pans of my cars due to, blown clutches, blown transmissions, jammed competition plus shifters, twisted driveshafts, blown 8.2 rear axles

In 1973 I found 69 GTO for the mere price of $900, but it had a T 400 in it. Price overrode my desire to only own manual transmission performance Pontiacs, so I bought it. I grew to really like that car, built the engine, installed a Trans Go shift kit in it, and put a 4.33 set of gears in it. I actually got to drive that car a bunch, rather than lying under it fixing the driveline. It was just as quick on the street as any manual transmission Pontiac I had ever owned, beat a ton of Brand X cars also.

In 1975 I bought a pretty rare car off of a local car lot, a 1973 Grand Am 4 speed. Again it was really under priced, and had sat on that lot for nearly 4 months. I drove the car for about 18 months, at about 35,000 miles the clutch was out of it. I pulled the 4 speed setup out, and put a T 400 in it. It was much more pleasurable to drive with the T 400, and my X wife was never very good at driving a stick, could drive it easily too.

In 1975 I built my own oval track Lemans/GTO race car (second picture in my signature pics), I had converted the car when it was street driven from the ST300, to a T 400. All the previous dirt cars I helped build were stick cars, I was going out on a limb by building it as an automatic. It was a huge success, and I won 13 races with it in 2 seasons of competition. The 69 GP (in the third picture) was also a T 400, went on to win with it also. In the background behind the GP dirt car you can see my 69 GTO, black with flames on it.

I see no advantage to having a high performance Pontiac with a manual transmission whatsoever. I guess if you buy into Hot Rod Magazine 1968 statement, and you feel you're inadequate, you might need a stick Pontiac......;)

When I bought my 76 T/A it had to have the 455 and had to be standard. I agree with your statement on the archaic manual transmissions. I rebuilt my B/W super T-10 years ago and starting having issues shifting it. I replaced it with a TKO-600. Best thing I ever did to the car. I've sense installed a hydraulic clutch system to complement the tranny. I love automatic transmissions too, especially the TH400, and the Allison 10 speed. But getting in my 76 and going for a cruise and shifting and driving is hard to beat. I must say after about 2 hours of driving around and shifting though, that I'm glad to be back home and put it away till next time.

OMG,....Really

For me, my daily drivers are automatic, but my fun cars have to be manual. Just my personal preference.
I haven’t had a chance yet to watch Mecum Chicago, but usually they’re just stating the obvious, that manuals bring a higher premiums in muscle cars. I never thought they were disparaging automatics.

The only older autos I like is the TH400-They have their place in trucks, police cars, sedans, and drag cars. No way I would take another 2nd Gen T/A with an auto-even a SD. I had a 73 Formula 455 with a column shifted TH400. It ruined an otherwise nice car.

Everyone to their own choice; cannot agree with yours.

No way would the archaic automatics complete with the archaic manuals in either performance on the street or especially in longevity or fuel economy. On 50 year old vehicles, the manual was good for 30~35 percent better fuel economy on most vehicles, and no one in the family every got more than 140 k miles out of an automatic, but several that did better than 200 k on manuals, and one (my shop truck) did 440 k with no manual issues before it rusted out the third time and we scrapped.

Even the 2021 we have with the 8 speed automatic is objectionable. Yes, the extra gear ratios make it a pocket rocket, but it fosters very aggressive driving at lower speeds; as the (*&^%$#@ thing never knows which gear to select for "normal" driving.

Add to the above issues with an automatic in the winter (ice and snow). Those of us that HAD to get to work in the winter used our manual vehicles to pull the vehicles with automatics out of the ditches.

I don't watch Mecum (once I wasted about 30 minutes on them), so have no knowledge of what their announcers say (when I watched, they were impressed by their own importance, but exhibited very little actual car knowledge), but personally, a collector car with an automatic would not receive a bid from me. The same WOULD be true of newer vehicles, IF I had a choice.

Like I said, everyone to their own opinion. We can agree to disagree.

Jon

Evaluated Stick vs TH400 auto in my teens-20s. Stick for Small engines. TH400 for PMD V8 Street, 1/4mile and AUTOCROSS.

Mecum is in the business of selling cars and maximizing profits, period. They know who their buyers are, their ages, what they have been told for decades, and what rhetoric sells the cars. For 90% of the buyers, the only thing the transmission does is move the car in reverse out of an enclosed trailer. Then shift into 1st to crawl from the trailer parking to the show field. Repeat process until board out of your mind or the prospect for a killing at another auction comes around. For everyone else, choose the transmission that best suits your needs. Muscle cars were produced in large numbers with MANUAL and AUTOMATICS for a reason. Personally, if I am watching a Mecum Auction, I just mute the audio. It's like listening into a middle school shop class circa 1973.

When it comes to a play toy I like a manual. When it comes to a everyday vehicle I like a auto. Probably why someone like mecham guys they say the old muscle car manuals are more desirable and bring more money. The manual back then was the hot setup and fun to drive for most people and that mentality towards old cars is still here today. People like options

QUOTE mgarblik: "For 90% of the buyers, the only thing the transmission does is move the car in reverse out of an enclosed trailer. Then shift into 1st to crawl from the trailer parking to the show field." END QUOTE

VERY TRUE!

When I have the time, I still enjoy driving my toys, and as stated in previous post, daily utility vehicles NEED manual transmissions.

Jon

Automatic done right makes the play machine:

LOL. Why not have both!

REAL muscle cars have 3 pedals!Face facts!Tom

I learned to drive on a stick shift GMC truck. My first car was a 55 2dr Pontiac with auto. 2nd was a 63 GP 4spd,(broke 3 BW 4spds i didnt know strengths) 3rd was a 65 Lemans 3 spd stick. Then came 73 the announcement of the SD. I wanted one. As things worked out Kennametal CU gave me a loan. I priced a 74 SD Formula and SD TA. I pondered color options and trans type. Blue, then trans, big ci engine, high torque went with auto. My 67 F is a 4spd. The 74 ,dated my wife she thought i had money,wedding. I've driven 74 to Norwalk at least 12 times. Showed on Saturday raced on Sunday then drove it home. The memories are invaluable. My good friend has a 68 4spd GTO and a 06 6 spd he bought new. At times he says he wishes the 06 was an auto,we are both 74.