Why so many classic automatics?

one reason is the AT was far more of a "high tech gadget" than a standard tranny in those days. Keep in mind that good AT transmission had only started to appear around 10 years earlier. Also, a lot pf people were tired of shifting and wanted the comfort of being able to drive without having to shift

Answer: Then as now, most cars were sold with automatics.

As for "wimpy" automatics, it's automatics that win drag races.. just ask around.

Now if you want to row your own, I can appreciate that. I converted my 95GT to an automatic. It's more fun for ME to drive but I dont kid myself.. a built automatic with a high stall torque converter would be faster.

LJH

If I remember correctly, drag racing is often scored by consistancy. Of course an automatic is more consistant. I would think that the point of judging consistancy would be to make the driver more of a factor, the AT just counteracts that.

You have to remember that the original Mustangs were not muscle cars. They were Pony cars. Designed to be cheap and fun, and for the average young driver. Late 60's cars became muscle cars, but they were still purchased by the same drivers who wanted the convenience of the auto. Also, back in the 60's drag racing was king, and the auto is the king of the drags. Autocross wasn't invented yet, and NASCAR was still young and looking for a sponsor.

Andrew wrote

The cars were standard with a 3-spd stick. Autos were extra cost options. Assuming for the sake of argument that the majority of '60's Mustangs were autos, the fact that the majority of buyers were willing to pay extra means that an auto was more desirable to them than a stick.

It seems so strange to me that

That's where you're wrong. The '60's Stangs were built to move units. They were not built for a certain type of driving. They were merely rebodied Falcons. They only looked sporty. The looks and the vibe stayed the same, regardless of the tranny.

So, why is this so? What is the

You don't have to shift the gears yourself.

Not difficult. You can get almost all the parts as reproductions, and the rest from the junkyard.

Yrs 180 TS 28

Simple, supply and demand for a certain target audience.

bill S.

Andrew wrote:

It's more than cosistency. An automatic with the right torque converter is able to keep the engine at or very near its peak power much more of the time than a manual transmission. Add to that the huge torgue multiplication on launce its a hard combination to beat. The vast majority of really quick drag racers use automatics.. and not just bracket racers.

LJH

Doesn't that make it more of a best machine contest rather than a driver skill contest?

Sort of. The joke around the Wednesday brackets is that a soccer mom in an SUV can win, and it's been done. Consistency is the trick. My wife has forbidden me from taking our Trailblazer EXT down to Infineon, but I will sneak it out in the spring and work on dialing in my reaction time.

Dana

Not quite. You've got to stage and launch correctly. And most important, you have to keep it going straight under all kinds of conditions (including catastrophic mechanical failure). Plus you have to avoid the guy in the next lane in case he can't keep it going straight.

Now if you're talking your standard production car, it's pretty easy. But if you're packing BIG hp, all this "easy" stuff can get real hairy.

LJH

I was wondering the opposite. In my recent search for a 67, I have come across a few sticks but I want an auto. Is the conversion to auto that difficult?

Weird thing is that for these 60's cars, I would prefer an automatic, and in a fox body or newer 5.0, I would only want a 5 speed.

Bob

It is easier to go to an auto than the other way around. But don't bother. There are many more auto cars around so you should be able to find the car you want with out the hassle. Look for your car in CA for AZ. There are lots of nearly rust free cars that are still being used as daily drivers out here. The price of a one way airline ticket and a few hotel bills will still be waaaaaaaaay cheaper than doing rust repair on a midwest rust farm.

From the ads I see, it is easier today to find a Mustang with a 4 speed than it was when I first went shopping back in 1977. After a couple of months of searching(felt like an eternity) I bought a one owner car with 289 and 3 speed stick. I really wanted a 4 speed car but the one or two I saw were completely thrashed. I swapped in a toploader and that car is still in my garage 25 years later.

Erich

What's a 67 coupe, 289, auto going for out there in classifieds?

$1,500-$3,800

Bill S.

p> What's a 67 coupe, 289, auto going for out there in classifieds? >

Bill, as you and I have shared, I have not seen any in that price range in this neck of the woods (NH), unless they already have one wheel in the grave.

Methinks a trip west with the family may be a nice idea for next summer. "Gee honey, look what I found and couldn't pass up..."

Bob

The original poster gave no mention of condition, originality, mileage, or anything else for that matter.................I just figured it was clapped out and in need of restoration.............

Bill S.

p> Bill, as you and I have shared, I have not seen any in that price range in

Sorry for the laaaate reply ...

If memory serves (I did this swap in 1980), it was a no-brainer on my '65 V-8 if all the right parts are on hand. I had a C-4, and swapped in a Toploader 4-speed. Here's what I remember:

- the driveshaft needed no mods - tranny mount crossmember needed no mods either - no hump hammering, and the shifter hole was in the right place - there was already a knockout in the firewall for the cluth rod - hanging the clutch pedal was the biggest pain, but still a bolt-in

Essentially, a pure bolt-in. Feel free to ask more specific questions.

That said, if I had to do this swap again today, I wouldn't. Unless you're a stickler for authenticity, a 4-speed just doesn't cut it any more. IIRC, Hotrod Magazine did a 5-speed swap into a gen 1 Mustang a long time ago. It might be worth tracking down that issue before you make up your mind.

Cheers!

zëkë

not real difficult. i'd use the ford 4-spd toploader simply because they hold up better than a t-5. i've seen too many t-5's trashed with stock motors. the old 4's were designed to be used with the big blocks also. they are pricey when you find them though. there's a place in NC called dan's toploaders that sells them. Chip