hello all! just a quick question was lookin in to buying a 98 and newer f bod and was curious if the 6 speed was the way to go ?i thought they were easy to miss shift..well thats what i heard anyway,,any advice would be great ,, ty

 

if you learn how to drive you will rarely miss a shift. the t56 is near bullet proof upto around 650hp

look around, do alil SEARCH in the subject. it comes up all the time and is always a war.

 

ty red ,any benefit over the auto?noticably anyway

 

HEAVY traffic its more comfy for some (the weaker in my opinion. i had a kid test drive mine and was wore out when he was done. next week later i saw em driving one and caught up to em, it was an auto)

you can't miss a shift in an auto but in my opinion that takes the fun outta driving.

downside- boring/ 2 times the parts in an auto so everything is smaller and easier to break

m6 for me

 

For Autocross or canyon racing where downshifting is necessary a 6spd will be better.
In drag racing, especially high speeds, it's better to keep both hands on the wheel and dial in your shifts for optimal acceleration and consistency. That's why you don't see many sticks in Pro Drags...
For the street it's a toss up to personal preference, if you like to row around town, or keep a hand free for other things...

 

Here we go again. Ok here is the honest scoop on Manual vs. Automatic.

Manuals are more fun to drive (if your good at shifting that is). Manuals get better gas mileage on the highway. Manuals have a higher trap speed and tend to be a few tenths faster in the ET's stock for stock with a decent driver. The T56 can handle more power then the 4L60E.

Sounds like there is no down side but you also have to consider the other side to this.

Automatics will never miss a shift. There is very little human error eliment with an automatic. There has been a few reports of unexperienced drivers doing the dreaded third to second misshift. That tends to cause severe internal engine damage. But again with the automatic that is not a concern. Automatics are easier in heavy traffic areas. Although some claim to not mind a lot of M6 guys arn't big fans of manuals in bumper to bumper stop and go traffic. That is where the fun factor becomes the annoyance factor.

Automatics are also considered the best for drag racing. Reason is they are consistant (minimal human error factor) and can utilize the technology of torque converters. A high stall torque converter will allow the automatic to launch harder off the line then a similair HP manual. Therefore they can beat the manuals in the 1/4 ET although still trap less. Basically the stalled automatic will jump out in front of the manual gaining a nice lead right off the bat. The manual will start to reel the auto in but not by the 1/4 mile mark. It's common to see a stalled auto run 12.9 @ 105 compared to a similar manual running say 13.1 @ 107.

Last but not least the automatics are far more forgiving on the rear end then manuals are. An automatic can get LT headers, lid, cutout, 3500+ stall TC, various other bolt-ons and still run safely on slicks at the track all day doing mid to low 12's. Give a manual the same mods (minus TC of course) and on slicks they will be sweating bullets wondering if this is gonna be the pass the rear end goes "Boom". Then you gotta invest a few grand in a stronger rear end like a 12 bolt or 9".

But for autox type racing the manual is hands down the better choice for the ability to control downshifts. So it really comes down to this,

Manuals are more fun for leisurely street driving, get better gas milage and are best for road course type racing.

Automatics are better for drag racing and heavy traffic driving. But both are fun IMO because hey LT1/LS1 kicks a$$ regardless of what trans you have.

Hope that helps.

 

thanks for all the replys ,, i shall now cruise the net to find one woohoo!! should be quite a change coming from a F150 4wd personal preference anyone on either an SS or WS6???

 

If you choose to remain near stock HP go with a 6-speed. If you plann for more HP go with an auto. The fun factor that is accociated with 6-speeds will be offset buy HP and a auto. I have near 350RWHP, and auto with a 2800 stall and 2.73. I get sidways easily enough, both hands are on the wheel. Just my .02.

 

There is no HP difference between the two. SS's are more common to see but IMO WS6's look a lot cooler. Just get the one you like the looks of most or you'll regret it later.

Good Luck

 

The SS and WS6 are the same. I like the ls1 WS6's a little bit better. They just look more aggressive.

As for the 6 speed and the auto. The m6 is a lot funner imo then an auto would be. I had a auto Stang GT before going to other cars in manual. I will never go back to a auto. I have to deal with stop and go traffic everyday. It sucks, and a lot of time i wish i had an auto. But once i'm out of the traffic and i'm rowing though the gears, i'm very happy that i went with a manual. Also if your worried about missing gears with a m6, just get a good short throw shifter like the Pro 5.0 shifter. I haven't missed a shift yet with it. It's almost impossible to do so. I didn't miss a shift without the shifter either but it would be really easy to do it though.

 

thanks much for all info ,,shall use it wisely and go with the WS6

 

It's hard to beat an LS1 6spd WS6
Oh yeah, Sunset Orange Metallic...

-Rippin