Why all the hype? 4 speeds

[VS29HIB]

Why all the hype about 4 speeds? I have seen comments like "a cuda 340 (originally auto) with a 4 speed conversion is worth just as much as a numbers matching auto car". Surely this can't be true??

My auto cars are so much more fun to drive.

And dont get me started on the hate for vinyl tops!

 

[pschlosser]

you may want to drive one, a 4-speed muscle car, with pistol grip shifter, before you finalize your conclusions. I own a nice auto car, but I would consider trading it for a 4-speed car. they are pretty wild and fun. are they faster? maybe. maybe not, but they are indeed more fun than operating the throttle alone.

 

[340sport]

In general, 4 speeds are fun. The experience of the drive while shifting does it for a lot of folks. Everyone has their own sense of enjoyment.

 

[Katfish]

I agree, never understood the appeal.
I had a 454 4spd Vette, it was a PIA.
And they are not faster, you can't shift faster than an auto.

 

[Chryco Psycho]

Never learned to drive an Auto ...

 

[Avalanche]

Most people drive these cars sparingly, so a 4 speed is great when you do drive them. Theres nothing like going trough the gears. I own a 4 speed and love it. If it was a daily driver, then maybe an auto would be just as nice. Maybe not!
I need to get me an auto and find out (never owned one).

 

[Steve340]

There is nothing like the sound of a V8 powered car going up through the gears of a manual transmission - even when being driven gently.
That is the appeal for me.

 

[Katfish]

Most people drive these cars sparingly, so a 4 speed is great when you do drive them. Theres nothing like going trough the gears. I own a 4 speed and love it. If it was a daily driver, then maybe an auto would be just as nice. Maybe not!
I need to get me an auto and find out (never owned one).

I think you hit the nail square on the head, a 4spd, like a convertible, seems like a good idea until you actually have it.
So I agree, they look great in the garage or at a car show. Everyone loves seeing that huge walking stick Hurst shifter.
But to actually drive it regularly, not so great.

 

[704406]

My 3 cents worth having owned both a 440 auto and a 440 4 speed with 4:10 gears you shift 3 times going across an intersection with a 4 speed and in traffic it’s not much fun
The 4 speed was a lot easier to put sideways however so maybe slightly more fun but long term it’s an auto for me owned mine for 54 years

 

[pschlosser]

like a convertible, seems like a good idea until you actually have it.

I had a love-hate relationship with my 1970 Barracuda convertible. It was great on warm sunny days, with the top up or down, but even with the top up, it's a cold vehicle when it's cold out. It definitely seems a "sunshine state" type of car.

 

[Katfish]

Most valuable car I've owned, 71 454/4spd/AC car, but the least fun to drive.
You'd think a convertible in FL would be great, it was awful 8-10 months of the year when the sun bakes you, drive 30 mins and you needed sun screen.
So it was OK, for the few months when it was cool.

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[Challenger RTA]

Never learned to drive an Auto ...

We really need the humor response again.

 

[Xcudame]

Four speeds are fun when driving on open roads with light to no traffic, but in heavy traffic and hilly conditions (think cities like San Francisco) they really cause your left calf to ache! Another plus is most car thieves have no idea how to drive a manual! But then the same can be said about the pushbutton automatics! I had to drive a friend of mine's 63 Plymouth Fury on the alignment rack, as they had no idea! But at least they gave it a good radial tire alignment!

Automatics can be just as fun if set up a little more aggressive than stock (shift kits)! And I can tell you right now, there's no way I could ever shift as fast as my son's 2015 Challenger Scat Pack with its 8-Speed automatic!

My opinion, which isn't worth too much, is to keep our Mopars with the transmission they came from the factory with! I don't see how any non-numbers matching car could be worth more than a corresponding numbers matching car!

 

[surfnturf]

I've owned 7 classic Mopar's over the past 40+ years (4 Cuda's, 1 Belvedere, 1 New Yorker) with my current one being a 73 Challenger 340 pistol grip 4 speed. My previous mopar's had various engines ranging from 318, 340, 360, 383 and 440 and all were amazing in their own way. But I must admit, I enjoy driving the 4 speed more than I ever imagined. I'm sure it's not any faster, but wow!! It sure feels like it is!

 

[Challenger RTA]

Why all the hype about 4 speeds?

To me 4 gears are better then three. Now there are 6 speeds and 8 speeds or more. An automatic will shift faster, then you pay the price for repairs. You pay for convenance.

A standard you have more control of the power. If you have ever driven it the snow, mud or rough terrain and you get stuck you have a lot better control of the power.
The other is when the clutch goes it can be changed in a few hours. Seen a clutch last 120k. Changed my father's clutch with 200k and still going. He just wanted it to be done.
Now that there are trans with 6 and 8 speeds. Is there more control? Is that the reason?
This is just my opinion and experience. Oh Yeah! I think a standard put more power to the wheel then an auto.

 

[TripleBlk70]

I had a 70 challenger with a 440 and 4spd pistol grip shifter in high school, and since then a variety of other cars including a 2008 Shelby GT500 with 6spd manual trans.

Unless you have driven - and I mean really driven - a manual trans car you can't really compare or understand the feeling. I was fortunate enough to get some track time in the Shelby GT500 and no way an auto trans car would be that much fun.

So yeah, an auto trans will shift faster and maybe more efficiently, but you can't measure "fun"

 

[340challconvert]

Have owned a number of e bodies with 3 speeds, 4 speeds and automatics. 4 speeds are a blast to drive with the visceral feel of slamming through the gears as the car accelerates. Nothing like it. Not great driving one in NYC, which I have done. Driving a stick in the burbs, a better experience. Automatics can be a fun drive too! I had a Challenger RT 440-6 car with an automatic. The slap stick was pretty cool in running the car through the paces with the roar of those open carbs! Keep the trans your car came with and enjoy it for what it is. Every combination of different engine and transmissions in ebodies has its own thrill and enjoyment, each combo feeling a little different! The 3 speed stick in a Challenger convertible with a slant 6 I had years back had its own fun driving experience!