Don't you have one o' them there Defecta tunes? Is he gonna take you out back of the woodshed with the GM 'faulty harness' upgrade? Maybe if I attend said throwdown, I can pick up some bonus parts.

 

Ha Ha that is exactly what I have. Weather is good enough for a few logs, maybe he will get it right on the 8th try, one can only hope, I suspect my money spent just fine.

 

Jeff foxworthy- "yes I would like the extra insurance, because you've got a Ford festiva that's about to see more airtime then a skateboard at the X games"

Hey ss fan, nothing wrong with a little airtime, as long as its a rental.

 

Auto may win straight line tuned to same specs as a manual, never saw any mention though of an even playing field tune and part-wise and drivetrain loss being factored in.

Have fun with the ratio's in a short auto-x course as well, I still love my manual. A clutch and then a transmission later, I wouldn't change my mind today if I could .

Added manual pro: the woman can't drive it, nor has no desire to

 

Don't forget to ask them what is in front of that tranny and what wheels are being powered. Bet none will say it's a 4 banger and FWD...

Yep, that picture shows it all.

 

You know some drag bags would help you out to keep that front end from lifting that much. You could be a bet quicker of the line.

 

I drag race an auto z24 cavalier, and daily drive my 5 speed HHR.

Drag racing, an auto, will win 9 time out of ten with the exact same mods...or as close as it realistically can be.

Manuals are still a lot more fun to drive....


My HHR is very hard to launch, but it is a L61 "2.2l" F23 "5-speed". I either bog or wheel hop. I really have to feather the clutch to get it to launch well.

 

"wrong wheel drive" is 100% correct....fwd cars are the biggest PITA to launch for a reason...during a launch, all the weight shifts towards the back. leaving no downforce on the front tires.... the SS's are even worse because even the 2.2l can spin the tires...add boost and you can just roast them...then everyone wonders why they are lighting them up

 

Slicks are best bet to go fast in a stick and auto. I did drag bags in the rear to keep from going down which work pretty good the car didn't lift on the launch. It takes more skill to drag race a stick then a auto. I think as soon I do the driver mod and sticky tires I should be able pull a better time.

 

Without trying to sound too techincal or a know it all, the key components in this debate would be the clutch in a manual, and a torque convertor in a auto, in a HHR-SS, on a dragstrip.
In a manual, the cluch is the sole engagement ,of power and torque to the drivetrain, and then the tires. The clutch is designed to engage with no slippage, and it does so ,very abruptly at the launch. This in turn shocks the drivetrain, then the tires, and makes traction harder, to hook the tires. End result: hard to control wheelspin.
A auto using a torque convertor, by design, is made to allow for some slippage, which does'nt shock the tires as hard, and is a little easier to control the traction. End result: Much easier to launch the car.
All things being fairly equal[H.P.-torque-tires-driver reaction time], the auto has the edge at the launch and first hundred feet or so.
The launch and the first hundred feet at the strip, will either make or break a good E.T. or 60' time, and you will lose more often than not, if you don't get it right, every time.
Slicks will help on both manual and auto for traction. But...too much H.P.-torque, and too much traction, will lead to other driveline parts breakage.
Only feed the animal, what it can eat, or it will puke.
No secret that wheelspin is a problem on our platforms, manual or auto. "Moon"