[carbking]

Originally Posted by 78w72

ok i gotta ask about #1 & #2.

why is installing an electric choke on an automatic car just plain stupid? lots of auto cars have electric chokes & they work great. i have 2.

& how does a 69 toyota corona with all of 90-108hp beat a 301T when its running right? or even a NA301? specs i saw for the corona show 90mph top speed, half the HP of a 301t & quarter mile times of 19-20 seconds... most basically stock 301t's run at 16.5 et, my mostly stock 81 tta with the boost set at the designed 9-10psi runs mid to upper 14's.

On older cars with automatic transmission, the transmission REQUIRES the engine to be completely to operating temperature before the choke completely relaxes. At the first stop sign, choke was completely off, engine stalled, and would not restart as the choke was completely off. Wife walked home. Of course, when I got home, choke was completely closed, and engine started normally. The worst thing was I did not initially figure out the problem, and didn't fix it; figured just a fluke. Same thing happened the next day! That night, wife said fix it, or buy me a different car! That was a Friday. Saturday, after testing, fabricated a new choke stove and reinstalled the hot air choke cover. We put another 200,000 miles on that car!

As far as the Toyota versus the TransAm: never tried to run them at top speed, so don't know; neither one was awe-inspiring after maybe 80. The Toyota needed a sway bar, don't know what the T/A needed. The Toyota, with a full tank of gasoline, weighed about 2150. The TransAm, with a full tank of gasoline weighed about 3900. Before the turbo, I could spot the TransAm first second gears in the 1/4. After the turbo, could only spot the TransAm first gear. TransAm had a dogmatic transmission.

Modifications to the Toyota: 1967 (pre-smog, but same engine) cylinder head and distributor; plus someone breathed on the carburetor. 4-speed was swapped out for a 5-speed, but gear ratios were the same, except for the 5th gear overdrive. This was purchased before I was bit by the "buy American" bug.

I don't care what the magazines said; we had both cars.

EDIT: had a telephone call, and quit before finishing. I don't know enough about torque converters and automatic transmissions to know why the newer automatics don't require the long warm-ups like the old ones did. Have had LOTS of customers of older cars in the last 25 years that didn't want to repair the heat tube in the intake manifold exhaust cross-over, put on an electric choke, and basically made the car not driveable until it warmed up. I used to tell customers to either fix it right, or go back in the house AFTER starting the car, and drink a second (maybe a third) cup of coffee. Once the engine is to normal operating temperature, no problem. Had my wife known to pump the footfeed several times and then start the car at half throttle, it would have worked; but she didn't know that. Personally, on my own drivers, I replace ALL automatic chokes AND automatic transmissions with manual ones.

Jon