Stick vs. Auto

[Bullet_side]

Hey to all of the ratsun group.

 

Hey I have been looking for a king cab 78-79 and I have found one with an auto trans. Are the automatics slower then the stick shift Datsun trannys and if so by how much? I really don't mind driving an auto I just believe I heard they were gutless.

But what better guys to ask but the Datsun pro's.

 

Thanks

[DRIVEN]

I've never personally driven an auto 620. I have driven several other auto Datsuns though. They definitely feel slower. Nice to have if you do a lot of in-town commuting. They are pretty well built and trouble free so I wouldn't worry much about durability.

[MicroMachinery]

The autos definitely feel slower, because the gearing is different in the transmissions and sometimes in the differentials. One thing about getting an Auto, however, is that you know it hasn't been beaten on like a Manual could have been. Auto to Manual swaps aren't that hard, either.

[bananahamuck]

I think guttless is a relative term ,, the 620 pick-up is no rocket in stock configuration..I don`t know about the 620 in perticular, ,,,but the 70 510 my brother drives,, i drove around for about a year and a half before switching it to a 4speed ,,and it did just fine..The 4speed does give a more spirited feel to the driving experience but im not sure it`s all that much " faster" really..

[Bullet_side]

I plan to build up the engine a bit, (street racer not track). But I don't think I will pass it by because it has an auto. These are all great responses thanks.

[DRIVEN]

I think an auto would be kinda cool in a truck just because it's not very common. Micro makes a good point that auto equipped cars don't usually get flogged as hard. Only drawback I can think of would be if you planned to do alot of heavy towing -- which isn't really advisable anyway.

[dat521gatherer]

I would love a 620 auto as the 521 wasn't offered with auto. They are getting harder to find seeing that most people swap the auto out for the standard.

[Dirttrack510]

I don't have an Auto 620, but yes, my Auto in my 510 is slower than my manual 510, but who cares? It's my daily, not my hotrod and like it was already stated... I think it's kinda cool to have a classic auto, as almost all the old Datto's are stick shifts, and if it goes out it's not that hard to do an Auto to Manual swap. :P

[ggzilla]

Just as fast, automatic might even have a higher top speed.

 

Automatic accelerates more slowly however.

[MicroMachinery]

... automatic might even have a higher top speed.

 

He's right; the ECU doesn't have the rev limiter that the manual does.

[Tristin]

I have an auto in my 4dr. It's a pretty shitty acceleration but I attribute that to bad gear ratios and crappy fluid mostly. I really enjoy it... So much that I have stopped considering anything over than a built L16/18 to keep my auto column shift. Its my first auto car in like 8 yrs and I love it... Im not a racer anymore so it's fun to just cruise.

[HRH]

If you're going to beat on it, DON'T get an auto.

 

Other big disadvantages of an auto:

 

You can't push start it.

If the transmission "breaks", you can't just hold it in gear and limp it home. Generally when an auto gives up the ghost, it's holy fucked until rebuild.

You have extra fluid to change, maintain, and keep from getting too hot in conjunction with regular oil changes.

Weak acceleration, especially OLD automatics. New ones are actually pretty well built and don't rob nearly as much power to operate.

No clutch pedal, thus trying to disengage the drivetrain when sliding on ice and snow is not easily done.

Can't do burnouts, at least not with a stock L motor.

Can't pick your shift points.

They are evil and promote laziness. ;)

 

HOWEVER, if you do long haul it's nice to have a car to not have to shift. And if you're handicapped or your knees don't work well, they're very necessary.

[Digi7al Trauma]

He's right; the ECU doesn't have the rev limiter that the manual does.

 

lol what? a rev what and a ec- what on a 78-79 620?

 

 

the closest thing to a rev limiter in a manual 79 620 is the floor underneath the fuel pedal..... and the valve train exploding....

 

 

Edit.... i am kinnda curious how youd wire a ecu/ecm to a su/webber/hitachi....

[DISLEXICDIME]

all my auto l series have busted except for the one in my old 68 510 and from what i heard the auto broke a couple month's after i sold it

[ggzilla]

I had an automatic 510 and beat on it. It never broke, very tough transmission.

[Dat Lurka]

Had an auto 620. Trans is kinda like a Mercedes 3 speed. Shifts a bit hard but built strong. And I think it might be faster than the 5 speed. Doesn't accelerate as fast but I've seen it hit the middle of the speedometer .

[72240z]

Ya I think most datsun autos were pretty strong actually. My friends s30 is auto for now. We added lucas stop slip just for kicks (get it? lol). When you pop it into gear is like slams, but it pulls hard and hasnt shown any signs of breaking yet.

 

That said I hate autos, daily or not. they offer nothing but down sides, even the ease of driving one to me is a downside.

My truck X and Z are both manual and I wouldnt have it any other way.

[MicroMachinery]

lol what? a rev what and a ec- what on a 78-79 620?

 

 

the closest thing to a rev limiter in a manual 79 620 is the floor underneath the fuel pedal..... and the valve train exploding....

 

 

Edit.... i am kinnda curious how youd wire a ecu/ecm to a su/webber/hitachi..

[Digi7al Trauma]

[RedBanner]

Get both!

[datzenmike]

He's right; the ECU doesn't have the rev limiter that the manual does.

 

Ignore this comment.

 

If you're going to beat on it, DON'T get an auto.

 

Other big disadvantages of an auto:

 

You can't push start it.

If the transmission "breaks", you can't just hold it in gear and limp it home. Generally when an auto gives up the ghost, it's holy fucked until rebuild.

You have extra fluid to change, maintain, and keep from getting too hot in conjunction with regular oil changes.

Weak acceleration, especially OLD automatics. New ones are actually pretty well built and don't rob nearly as much power to operate.

No clutch pedal, thus trying to disengage the drivetrain when sliding on ice and snow is not easily done.

Can't do burnouts, at least not with a stock L motor.

Can't pick your shift points.

They are evil and promote laziness. ;)

 

HOWEVER, if you do long haul it's nice to have a car to not have to shift. And if you're handicapped or your knees don't work well, they're very necessary.

 

No extra fluid to change. Manual and auto should be changed every 48 Mo. or 30K miles.

You can get an automatic out of gear just as fast as a standard and easier. Just slap the shift lever forward into neutral. It is designed to not go past neutral into reverse or park... try it!

Shift points are designed into the automatic to maximize torque and power. Shift points are adjusted and modified by the governor and the the modulator valve which monitors manifold vacuum and internal RPMs. The manifold vacuum is a good indicator of engine load.The automatic does this way better than a human.

They ARE evil though. :lol:

 

 

I have driven an auto 620 and the shifts are not very soft... shrug. My '74 sedan 710 L18 is and automatic and coming home from Canby two years ago I hit 90 MPH. This is with a 13" tires and a 4.11 rear end. The shifts in it are 'crisp'... specially so if you manually shift it which is a waste of time. After hearing all the negative things said about Nissan automatics, I was very impressed with how it runs after having driven a standard 620 for 13 years. About the only down side is they aren't much fun to drive.

 

Seems like most of the comments are for standards but not with the usual auto bashing of before. I'm glad to see this.

 

A disadvantage of a standard is that it doesn't stop with just the transmission but includes the hydraulic clutch system and even the flywheel.

 

I would love to get an '83 and up 720 auto with the locking torque converter and put an L bell on it and try in the 710.

[ggzilla]

If we wanted an automatic, we woulda bought a stinking corvette ...

[Bullet_side]

So Mike you are saying that the automatic is just as fast (if not faster) as an stick! I am not going to tow much of anything I just want something that i can speed up and make look good.

Should I get a shift kit or change/alter the valve body? (of coarse if I get an auto).

[Dat Lurka]

So Mike you are saying that the automatic is just as fast (if not faster) as an stick! I am not going to tow much of anything I just want something that i can speed up and make look good.

Should I get a shift kit or change/alter the valve body? (of coarse if I get an auto).

 

You can accelerate faster with a 5 speed. To my understanding the auto has a higher top speed. It shifts strong and hard like a mercedes (probably because it's a mercedes rip off like everything else in a datsun) Keep it lubed and drive it.

[MicroMachinery]

Hey, guess I've been on a roll today. Girlfriend's just rolling her eyes at all the "funny" stuff I'm laughing at...

 

The rev limiter "joke" was about in a KA, where the ECU for a manual transmission has a rev limiter, where the automatic one does not. It was stated that the Automatic may be faster than the Manual in a stock 620(has NO ECU..), which is true, but I decided to be "clever(or so I thought)", and make a lame joke out of it. :no:

 

I apologize for throwing that nonsense into an otherwise helpful thread... hope that clears up any confusion.