Re: Automatic shifting troubles

["Harold McElraft" <hmcelraft@xxxx>]

Now wait a minute here - Preference is one thing but facts are 
another.

Having owned 2 5 speed Ds and put over 100,000 on then (combined) 
and now owning an automatic in which I have put over 40,000 miles, I 
think I can compare both in depth. First, for the first 100 yards a 
properly tuned auto is quicker than a 5 speed. The auto is great in 
traffic. Zipping around is much easier in an auto and the response 
time can be much shorter in timing maneuvers because there is no 
clutch-shift action to mess with. Highway driving in an auto though 
is not quite as enjoyable to me because, at 80-85 miles an hour, 
you're looking at 4,000 rpm. For me that is just too high for 
sustained driving on cruse. 3,000 to 3,400 rpm is better in my mind 
so, on cruse, I stay at 70-75. Third gear in an auto is 1:00 ratio 
while 4th gear in a 5 speed is 1.057 to give you a comparison and, 
there is the torque converter slippage which adds to the rpm some.

As for reliability, well that can be an issue. However, I believe 
there is enough intelligence and know-how out there that most of 
those issues are solved. We can fix the governors and the oils 
leaks. It constantly amazes me the know-how and persistence 
demonstrated on this forum. I have use that know-how and added my 
own thing as most of us like to do and I am quite confident in the 
reliability of the auto. BTW, mine does not leak.

Of course it always comes down to preference and the type of driving 
you do. If the auto had one more gear or maybe a lockup torque 
converter? Something to keep my mind busy with.

Harold McElraft - 3354





--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, jordan rubin <nuttenschleuder@xxxx> 
wrote:
> I have to put my two cents in here because I too have
> been blessed/cursed with an automatic.
> 
> Flame away at will
> 
> There werent many options available for me at the
> time of purchase considering that my car was in near
> perfect condition, with no major problems and no frame
> rust. That being said, I have come to the conclusion
> that the only delorean folks who would really enjoy an
> automatic (best suited for them) would be.
> 
> 1. People who cant drive stick, naturally
> 
> 2. Daily driver folks who drive the belt parkway from
> staten island to brooklyn daily
> 
> 3. Those occasional drivers who are so worried about
> driving the car that having an automatic is less to
> focus on while driving.
> 
> 
> Those in the group may remember back in may that i
> was considering a transmission swapout for the 5 speed
> and was urged not to do it because of the volume of
> work required and modification to the frame. That
> being said I could see no reason to destroy an
> original perfectly good car to swap out a working
> transmission.
> 
> If I could find a delorean that was at the same
> quality as mine and a 5 speed id trade it tommorrow,
> because at the end of the day, even though it works,
> its an automatic, its less powerfull and less economic
> than the 5 speed, and quite frankly less fun to drive.
> Elvis ruined me when he threw me the keys to his 81 5
> speed 2 weeks ago at my house.
> 
> Speaking of Elvis, he rebuilds the AT gov and would be
> a good person to speak to if your having AT computer
> problems in Europe. He had showed me his lab setup to
> test at fix these modules.
> 
> I love owning and driving my delorean but no matter
> how good the car is, or how it looks, or engine
> condition etc. It will always be inferior to a
> 5speed plain and simple.
> 
> BTW, Ill be damned if I will ever fix all of the
> leaks on that thing, im almost half tempted to RTV the
> auto pan seal to stop that beast from leaking.
> 
> AAAHHHH NOOO dont clog the Transmission filter with
> RTV, yeah I know.
> 
> 
> Anyway, that my thoughts and im stickin to it.
> 
> thanx
> 
> Jordan 11613 auto
> 
>