My girl did herself proud today! First time out with the Z to the 1/4 mile and I am very pleased w/the results.
I began w/times in the 14.7 @ 96mph area and worked down from there. That was followed w/14.602, 14.573, and finally, my best of the day @ 14.102 @ 99.461mph. There was another touring there, but w/6MT and he could not get out of the 14.6 area. Needless to say, I am VERY happy in view of the poor (incorrect?) dyno of 218 hp I ran a few weeks ago. Regards, Jim

 

Excellent job, hopefully that will quite down some of the manual only fanatics but I doubt it.

 

i new it



having a manual and knowing how to use it are too different stories.

i cant wait till spring so i can hit the track

 

Great Times! I'll post mine when I go next month.

 

Your Dyno numbers are probably correct. I expect to see the 5AT's do better in the quarter than the 6MT's even if they put 20 extra horses to the ground.

 

not to bad for a six cylinder.

 

ouch.

anyway, good times. got a real good run in there. I had great ease muscling my way into the low 14s, but beyond that was stuck on the launch which was tough for me to improve on. was traction good? run quarter tank? remove any weight? what was temperature out there?

 

Yes, I ran 1/4 tank of 91 which is all we can get here. Tire and jack (only) were removed and I went down to 28 lbs hot to try and get some grip. The 6MT was really experiencing a lot of wheel hop, but my 5AT had no wheel hop whatsoever. My launches (after the first one) were all done at only 1500 rpm. If I had to classify this strip, I would say it was on the slick/slippery side. Interesting note, I waited in line for quite some time before starting the car and moving up and as a result, I forgot to turn off the TCS. My time was 20/100 slower on that run, but I never noticed the TCS cutting things off. Pschy'd I guess!
It was 74 degrees trackside. and the track is @ 1800 ft. Jim

 

awesome, I want to go back on a day like that, and run my car in the same state that yours was.

I also get wheel hop. you just gotta be careful not to peel basicly... cause it wont just smoke, it bounces. it really annoys me too.

13s in a stock Z will be mine.

 

Yep, I was soooo close to 13 that I could taste it! I am so pleased to run 14.1 @ 1800 feet with the auto that I can hardly stand it. I will be going back out in the coming weeks to try and improve on those times and I just kind of feel I can hit a 13 if all the conditions are right and the planets are aligned
Who would have thought that the 5AT could get this kind of time, especially after a dyno run of 218hp and 216 torque?
I do know that the AT launched so much smoother/faster than the MT did today and never a missed shift. My 60' of 2.106 indicates that the auto is launching pretty good. I would like to see a 2.0 flat, but not sure if the driver is up to that!
I am curious if the ECU would try to compensate (cutting performance) if I removed the air filter on a run. I meant to do so, but forgot it in the heat of competition. Next time, perhaps. Jim

 

Great times, Jim. I knew the 5AT was quicker tha most people here thought. Wonderful to see it validated.

Boomer

 

A tribute to the excellent 350Z Auto Transmission.

 

Absolutely damn right, Intrepid.

 

remove the filter, and go for it. but be sure the box is super clean, no leaves in there that were stopped by the filter. the computer wont notice that quickly.

 

Boomer, I am in the process of preparing to change out the ring and pinion and put in the set from the 6MT equipped car as it is slightly lower (higher numerically) geared differential. I do feel the 5AT is just a little too high for my taste. I won't get this done for another couple of weeks, but I think it will be enough to get me into the 13's and that will satisfy me (for awhile!). I am going to run a few more times before the change to see if I can improve on my times while bone stock, but mainly looking to have a little quicker street auto car and I think I have a good platform to work from. I want to play w/tire pressure and pull the air filter, but I am not sure if that is enough to get me into the 13's or not. BTW, I am in awe of the guy posting that his base Z got into the 13.88 area w/o LSD!! I know how hard it was to launch yesterday with my LSD equipped auto and cannot imagine a one wheel drive manual trying to overcome the wheel hop and loss of traction I saw on the 6MT (with LSD!) I witnessed yesterday. Maybe he was at sea level?
I have to admit, I have always allowed a bit of respect to go out to the 6MT's as I "sorta knew" they would hand mine to me on the street, but after yesterday, I'm not quite as leery. In fact the 6MT was running 14.6 and 14.7's all day long. He was running for time only and had many runs. I told him I wanted to run him, but I was stuck in my line for street trophy and finally, he gave up and left before I finished street trophy. I think the difference is in the launch of the auto vs. the 6MT. You also have to be on your toes in the 6MT to shift as fast as the 5AT too. The percieved advantage of the manual over the auto is often found in the speed shifting performance of the manual. Your revs rise somewhat between a good speedshift and when the clutch locks up again you get a pretty good jump at that point whereas the auto smoothly moves to the next gear. I think the street racers prefer the tire screaming smoking launch to the quieter auto launch too and take from that the idea the manual is somehow "better/faster."
I replied to another members advice the other day that said " Be a MAN and get the 6MT!" to someone asking which tranny to get. Incredible logic, eh?
There will always be those who will say the guy with the 6MT yesterday simply couldn't drive the manual, but all the more reason why I prefer the auto as it will take out those shifting variables and inconsistencies such as the launch and possible missed shifts and overheated/slipping clutch.
I guess in the end, the 5AT is best for me AND it can hold its head high in the performance area. IOW, those that proclaim the manual is just plain better (more manly, etc!), take it to the track and get out in front of a lot of people watching you and work the lights and work the launch and so forth and then tell me how much better the manual is over the auto.
Okay, end of semi-rant! Boomer, Intrepid, et al, get those 5AT Z's out on the highway and enjoy! Regards, Jim

 

We been trying to tell them all along to at least try the 5AT. Finding out the ATs speed on the track is music to our ears, Jim. Keep up the good work and let us know about any other gains.

Boomer

 

Were you in auto or manual mode?

 

I stayed in the full auto mode as it is better getting to redline and shifting vs. me watching the tach and trying to hit optimal shift points. I use manual around town as I can really make the exhaust "talk" when in manual. I also use it in the mountains exclusively. Regards, Jim

 

Right on Jim!

us auto owners needed a bit of vindication on this issue... I'm glad to see our tranny's can deliver the performance MT owners insist we don't have.

sweet!

 

Very good times. Especially the 60 ft.

Did you power brake? or neutral drop? I remember another 5AT owner saying that the Z didn't allow him to power brake.