about to buy R33 with Autobox

[chowetime]

Hi new I'm new to this forum sort of have been signed up for nearly two months and have been trying to find some info but not having much success, I have just about sold my Lancer today and before I make up my mind if it is the right thing to do I took a R33 stock auto out for a drive, result: low speed from 0 - 70 seemed sluggish and not as responsive as the Lancer but from 70- 110+klm the speed really hit in very quickly (much faster than the Lancer)

Now the gentleman that is trying to convince me that I should buy the auto because the motor is less likely to have been used for drift or racing - true can understand that and also he believes that the autobox is a stronger unit than the manual....

Now I do much preferre to be driving a car in a spirited manner so how do we make the auto go faster I am guessing that the exhaust could be upgraded to 3" and an Apexi or maybe even a GReddy could help out with a/f ratios as well as a good sized front mount i/c is this going to be enough to get me better low torque and hopefully mid 13 quarters, or am I going to be needing to look at getting a manual and still have to do all of the above to achieve the times that I am wanting

any help here would be very much appriciated

[Wazz]

just buy a manual from the start it'll be cheaper in the long run..

[pkblade]

...took a R33 stock auto out for a drive, result: low speed from 0 - 70 seemed sluggish and not as responsive as the Lancer but from 70- 110+klm the speed really hit in very quickly (much faster than the Lancer)

Im assuming its turbo right??

Its sluggish coz its got many restrictions placed on it (namely exhaust & intake) & these need to be replaced if you want better response. I believe in the auto theres a kick down when you plant your foot down & hit 70-80kms. This is where the trans will kick down to a lower gear, thus the sudden increase in torque.

Now the gentleman that is trying to convince me that I should buy the auto because the motor is less likely to have been used for drift or racing  - true  can understand that and also he believes that the autobox is a stronger unit than the manual.

:bs!: Just coz its stock & auto doesnt mean it hasn't been thrashed around, Id still get an independent mechanic to check it out for you. Im told the auto is strong, but dont expect to last long if you plan to go over 200rwkw - I doubt it will last longer than a manual at those figures.

Now I do much preferre to be driving a car in a spirited manner so how do we make the auto go faster I am guessing that the exhaust could be upgraded to 3" and an Apexi or maybe even a GReddy could help out with a/f ratios as well as a good sized front mount i/c is this going to be enough to get me better low torque and hopefully mid 13 quarters, or am I going to be needing to look at getting a manual and still have to do all of the above to achieve the times that I am wanting  

any help here would be very much appriciated

Well depending on your budget Id still go for the manual. Theres like up to 20% power loss in the auto compared to the manual (correct me if im wrong) :bonk: .

But it really depends on your preference.

Obviously to achieve ETs of 13sec require $$$. You would do the exact mods as a manual would, except instead of a clutch/ fly wheel you would get an upgraded valve body & trans cooler. When you actualy do get a Skyline, come back & im sure everyone will be more than happy to talk specifics.

Cheers

PK

[Slide]

autos are the bomb

that is all

[32vspecII]

its 2.5-3k to convert your auto to a manual down the track and thats pretty much the price difference . I would have thought a stock auto would kill a crappy 1.5/1.8l lancer across the entire rev range but its been a long time since I had a car like that . Perhaps the timing on the r33 you drove was not set up correctly , that is pretty common and saps power .

A full 3 inch exhaust , new pod/panel filter and some boost and your lancer worrys will be over . It wont be super quick but it will give you a nice push in the back .

[chowetime]

thanks for that bit of info - you have confirmed what I had suspected.... this is the first turboed car I have owned and I am not really all that knowledgeable when it comes to boosted cars so I am not sure as to what to expect.... that is why it is a hard choice for me at the moment because I have spent so much time and money on the Lancer (N/A) so this is a very big step up for me so I need it to be the right car to start off with and will then build it up from there - the guy (car salesman ) is also trying to convince me that he can do a converssion on the box which all sounds good but how good will it be (finished job) or rather how good should I expect it to be ?

anyway thanks again if anyone has any other advice I would love to hear it need all the help I can get

[chowetime]

My Lancer is pretty much one of a kind I hate to think how much money has been spent on the car it has 137hp at the wheels and will do a quarter mile in 15.6 with traction issues but the top end lets it down and also the gear ratios are only stock which are fine for the 1st 2nd and maybe 3rd but 4th is just a cruise gear along with 5th

[predator]

well thankfully a stock auto R33 should be able to reach that ET quite easily, probably before you even start modifying things. 4 cylinders can be deceptive in that they feel faster than they actually are, because they make a lot more noise and revs to get to the same speeds.

I stepped from a fair modified (not fully modified) R33 manual, back into a stock as auto R32 recently.. and there is a huge difference between a stock car and one with even a few mods. And the auto can seem very slow at first.. But I always was going to convert it to manual.

There are a few people getting good 13 second times from an R33 auto without upgrading the turbo, just with good tyre and suspension setup and basics things like u are talking about with the exhaust, intercooler, etc.

you have to ask yourself, what do *you* really want - a manual or auto. Because you should probably go with what you are really after to start with, even if it costs a little more. Are you going to be driving the car in traffic every day? to work? for long drives, in the mountains, a racetrack one day, etc, etc.

An auto conversion can be un-noticeable from a factory manual if done correctly.. it just may not be too cheap, and its always a pain knowing that you have to not have the car on the road for a week or two whilst its done.

[32vspecII]

for 3k you would get a proper job done at a reputable performance workshop and it would be identical to the manual , except the clutch would be brand new and it wouldnt if you got a manual 2nd hand .

[DivHunter]

I am buying a R33 GTS-T auto as well and I did notice they have a higher 'hey I'm going fast' point than most cars I drove. Manual is not really an option for me, I'm too lazy to be shifting all the time in the mountains here :wassup:

[paulr33]

the manual gearbox is stronger. forget the trashed vs non trasher, just get a good workshop to check the car out for you and do tests etc. manual is more fun and more powerful to drive. with a boosted car to get most benefit you need to drive the car throught the boost range. that is rev it and control the revs, and youll get the best on boost response and output. going a bit slow? manual shift down and boost comes on

[lukits01]

I bought my 96 R33 SII a couple of years ago and the salesman used the same argument but the car was in great condition compared to some of the manual cars he had in the yard. I wouldnt trust odometer readings and I'd get the car checked thoroughly. just a note, after I bought the car dead stock it did 15 flat down the 1/4 on shitty 205 kumho ecstas so I have no idea what you're talking about it being slower than a lancers. however I did lose to a new gen celica by like few thousandth of a second ahahha

as for mid 13s passes, its definitely doable with stock turbo and 200rwKw so far my autobox is holding up fine, hoping to go a bit more so i installed a valvebody and transcooler which will with a bit of luck, let it live pass 250rwKw

[4door_Sleeper]

Dont believe everything they say about autos. Mine is good for high 12 second passes (i have done a 13.08, but with hard suspension and a stuffed diff). I havve over 200rwkw and its not a problem for the auto.

PKBLADES estimate of a 20% loss in power compared to a manual is a myth.

PAULR33 I have seen more manuals give up at 200rwkw than autos, and if you factor in the number of clutches they burn, the autos are way ahead.

I would listen to PREDITOR, its more a preference. In love the auto in city traffic, and its not been a problem for me on the strip or hills runs, but on a track I agree it would show its flaws.

There are some great advantages to installing a new valve body (Check out the group buy section) and a torque converter if you are looking at quick 1/4 mile times.

Another advantage of the auto is their price, a replacement auto is a lot cheaper than a clutch, and should last a lot longer.

[chowetime]

I bought my 96 R33 SII a couple of years ago and the salesman used the same argument but the car was in great condition compared to some of the manual cars he had in the yard. I wouldnt trust odometer readings and I'd get the car checked thoroughly. just a note, after I bought the car dead stock it did 15 flat down the 1/4 on shitty 205 kumho ecstas so I have no idea what you're talking about it being slower than a lancers. however I did lose to a new gen celica by like few thousandth of a second ahahha

as for mid 13s passes, its definitely doable with stock turbo and 200rwKw so far my autobox is holding up fine, hoping to go a bit more so i installed a valvebody and transcooler which will with a bit of luck, let it live pass 250rwKw

Sorry for the miss understanding about the Lancer being faster than a Skyline, my Lancer is no way as fast as a Skyline, at the end of the 1/4 mile the Skyline would of kicked my butt, but having said that the Lancer has a lot of low end torque and is able to get a reasonable half track lead on a Skyline but after that it is all over I am just a distant blurr in a Skyline rear view mirror lol....

I have just located another Skyline it sounds like what I am after not too concerned about how many klms as the are usually incorrect but I do believe that there is a way to check the correct reading via the gearbox or diff reading??? Just need to find out as to how true this is and also find a place that can do it I think the people that recalibrate speedometers can do it for a very moderate fee

The car is a 1997 series 2 GTS T 5speed manual is almost stock just has a Apexi pod filter (unsure as to how well they flow ) and that is it apart from the usual light bodykit, 17" rims Laserline Car alarm and stereo gear.... is there anything that I should be looking at in particular when inspecting this car...

[32vspecII]

theres no way to verify kms apart from the overall condition of the car , I work on the law of average , 10000km per year in japan and 20000km per year after it was complied into australia . so assuming its a new import it should have about 80000km , more if it was complied a few years back

take it to a performance workshop and get it inspected .