Auto Dori

[S13_Steve]

ok some of u guys know that im getting a 240sx and now i am...the thing is my rents are paying for the car and they wont let me get stick soo im going to have to resort to auto which im very dissapointed....... what i need to know are the advantages and disadvantages.... i could always use the E brake... but ill be stuck with an auto for awhile...... im prob going to invest in suspension mods once the car is mine...just gimme some insight....thanx....yeah i know it sucks... fuxor...and fuk rents!

[DoriAltis]

Yo,

it's possible to drift with an auto, I just don't know how safe it is for the transmission. I'm in the same situation, my folks got me an auto corolla s, it was suppose to be the second family car, but I've gotten sideways before. I can't speak for an FR, but in my case, lots of e brake is needed. Anyway, just stick to small stuff, you don't want to fry anything. Take it easy

[sidebyslide]

there is drifting and there is sliding yes you can slide with an auto but the fact that it changes and stays at higher gears prevents it from losing traction. Just save up and maybe you can do a manny coversion and throw in an SR as well.

[PearlWhiteMike]

i dunno i dont think theyll let him do a manual conversion and SR swap if they wont let him buy a 5 speed to begin with

pulling the ebrake in an FR automatic car is only going to be very bad for your drivetrain. when pulling the ebrake in a RWD car you're supposed to depress the clutch simultaneously, this will help prevent damage to your braking system, differential, driveshaft, transmission, motor etc

[CrazyHawaiian]

I drift with a 4 speed auto and it works out fine. I totally agree that yanking the handbrake is bad for your car. Same thing with a clutch kick though. When it comes down to it, drifting in general is bad for your car. But we do it anyway so we might as well go for broke!! (no pun intended) The auto will work fine if you set it up right. I dont know what you can do to a Nissan auto tranny, but for domestics there are quite a few mods you can do that will help out. Installing a shift kit will make shifts more firm (faster transition between shifts). Installing a manual valve body will keep the tranny in whatever gear you have selected (effectively eliminates computer controlled gear selection). An auto tranny is sort of like a manual tranny, except that shifts are done automatically. Inside the auto tranny are a bunch of smaller clutches that do all the work. So you are right that its not good for the tranny, but honestly its not any better when you use a manual tranny (its hard on all transmissions). Of course the downside is that you dont have as many techniques available (no clutch techniques), but you can still drift. You just need to learn different techniques. There are also advantages though. Automatic transmission have a torque converter that effectively multiples torque. This can be very usefull when drifting (but requires timing). This will give you the same effect as dumping the clutch at a higher RPM on a manual car. I'm not saying an auto is better or anything, but it can be done. For me the auto is just temporary, but its still working out great. I have an insane plan in the works.

[TP | sil-beer]

auto is fine

a auto will work fine ive seen a lot of aristos that are auto and *Censored**Censored**Censored**Censored*in buck out like no other

[SHIFT_SR20DET]

Auto's Suck at Drifting.

Im not saying its umpossible, but not fun and not very demanding on the driver. Its basicly throw the car and mash the throttle hoping your tranny will kick down at the right time. Timing is key.

[DriftGirl]

Fuk rents? you could always pay for your own car

Till then, it's really not a problem using your auto. im sure you'll break it tho...... and then maybe you can get them to pay for a stick



I've done it with extensive work to my Lexus' tranny (Electrical & Mechanical) and went thru a few before we got it 'right'.

[SHIFT_SR20DET]

I use to drift the fa-shizy outta my Step Mom's Automatic GS300.

Check it out at

http://www.sequence-garage.com/videos/driftfarm.avi

*Right Click and Save As*

[Sideways_In_SD]

Learn to do your own tranny services!!

I'd recommend a pan drop every month or two if you plan on drifting alot. If not at least change the fluid out.

I recommend your first mod be a Diff, before you do anything else, otherwise you're not going to have any fun at all. Or you'll spin in to something trying real hard.

Don't worry about what most of these clowns say about drifting an auto. You can drift ANYTHING, if you can drive , and know what you're doing.

Good Luck, have fun, and don't wreck (it's expensive)

[SHIFT_SR20DET]

Oh and the GS was open diff too

[[)rifterS13]

on the contrary...

PRND21 Drifting (as I put it) is and can be done just as well as 5-speed drifting... I totally agree with "CrazyHawaiin's" post up above regarding automatic (tranny) drifting.

It's not just all about "mashing" the pedal to the ground and waiting for it to automatically kick into the lower gears to lose traction. This may sound awkward and even funny to some but the way I drift (and the way, I am sure, some auto-drifters do so also) is to initially hit the e-brake (of course this depends on the situation- meaning ppl who know how to drift don't necessarily always use the e-brake to initially lose traction i.e. feint drift) actually switch the gear selector stick into either first gear (# "1" or depending on the car) or second (# "2", again depending on the vehicle), then I control the drift by steering input as well as throttle input by pumping the gas pedal, then shifting back up to either "D" (Drive) or "2"....

The electronically controlled automatic tranny on my '92 Nissan 240sx is fairly smart, as it also is on the '91/93/'94 models (NOT SURE if it'd be the same on the earlier '89-'90 models or even on the '95-'98 S14's although these particular models also came with the KA motors OR on any other kind of car for that matter). For example, as I have discovered if and when you speed up to about 50-60mph (again being in a '91-'94 S13), and you shift even all the way down to "1" the computer will tell the tranny to actually compensate for the speed you are travelling at and ONLY downshift (per se) to the next lowest gearing below the one you are currently in and WHEN your speed is actually slow enough to go into "1" it will do so.... this is eloquently decided by the car's computer so as to not blow out your entire transmission.

Different techniques are used for auto-drifting though probably not as much as manual drifting, but my point is- it is accomplished with no major tranny problems~ at least I have not encountered any since the past yr. I've been "PRND21" drifting my S13.

2 cents,
SilviaDrifterS13

[VRDjr]

Wow...you HATE your transmission.

[[)rifterS13]

fun-e...

Originally posted by VRDjr
Wow...you HATE your transmission.

hahaha.. naw, I LOVE it! KA trannys are super strong; well at least for the time being... we'll see how long this stock one fairs~

[hachiroku-fc3s]

Crazy Hawaiian, youre driftin auto? Id have never guessed. Ummmm....driftin an auto sucks. I hate driving an auto. The thing is, you need a manual or reverse manual valvebody to drift properly. Leaving it in D will rarely work, you will shift in the middle of the drift, and...well...I hope you have been drifting...so you probably know what that is like. Not pleasant. But even with a valve body swap. You are not gunna get the quick shift you want or need. Big problem as drifting has a lot to do with timing. I don't know if you have been doing the 1 to 2 to D any in your car, but try it. The shifts are nothing like in a manual trannied car. And also the whole, no clutch thing. Soo....Id have to say feinting is the best if not only way to drift an automatic. But seeing as drifting is so much about car control, and you wont even be driving a standard...sadly Id have to say give it up. Well not give up, just steal a car, borrow your friends', something, youre just not gunna be able to get a good drifting experience out of an auto car. I dd an auto and take it sideways when good driving calls for it. Its just not nearly as fun as driving my 5 spd. FC. -my ddr. Sorry.