Thread: The change to Autos?

I think everyone should learn on a manual so they know how to drive one, but most driving is done in urban traffic where autos are easier. Autos are very good now.

Slugomatics bore me to tears... Every car in the yard here is a manual Having said that, Ballarat is NO capital city peak hour traffic, a manual would drive me insane creeping alone centimeters at a time for hours on end.

automated manuals are nothing new. I've driven several 1956 Citroen DS19's. You still change the gears ( with a "wand" that sticks up verticle out of the steering columns). hydraulics do the donkey work of dis-engaging the clutch, moving the gearbox selectors and re-engaging they clutch. They even had two idle circuits in the carby. high idle would allow it to "creep" like a slugomatic, by slightly riding the clutch ( in gear, your foot off the brake pedal). Low speed idle no creep is in gear, foot on the brake pedal.

We owned a Citroen C4 EGS .... skitzodrive .. or whatever they called the thing. Not my cup of tea at all. Also a manual, but with electro-solenoids doing the donkey work. Gimme a proper manual gearbox anyday of the week. ( EDIT: Unless of course you have a 1950's DS19 for sale ... I'd kill for one of them !!).

seeya,
Shane L.

I have a 74 2 door that has had the same 350 since I bought some time ago.

Can comment on both types of trans in the same car with the same motor

It originally had a LT95 behind it, was ok.... bit trucklike, but ok.

I had to do a body swap and the donor came with a Ritters C9 / LT95 TC which I have had now for about 140,000 kms.

Sure it is only a 3 speed, but you don't really need 9 gears with a 350.

A full bulletproofing rebuild cost $850 for the C9.

They are American made, simple, with no electronics. They get line pressure from a vacuum tube, not from some cable adjustment. (or an ECU... much laughter)

It is mated to one of the two strongest LR TC's ever made, the LT 230 is the other.

The auto transformed this (daily driver) thing. Would never go back.

In the city it can match pretty much anything from the lights due to the torque multiplying effect of the torque convertor.

In the bush it will crawl downhill in 1st or 2nd in low range just like a manual.

In the slop you can have one foot just touching the brake pedal and the other on the loud pedal to make something made in the 70's think it has traction control.

Both my tractors and the ute are manual, don't have a problem with manuals in those apps.



DL