<VV> PG - Further opinions

[Sethracer at aol.com]

Maybe I better elaborate on why dissed the PG for performance driving.  PG 
cars are fine for everyday driving, with no special requirements. That is 
the  reason Automatics are so commonplace in every car line these days. If 
there are  NO special requirements, the low-tech automatic is fine. And for 
some very  special requirements, the Automatic can be fine as well. In Drag 
racing, the  only thing that matters is launch off the line and pulling power. 
Throttle  response, strangely, doesn't matter much, you are almost always at 
full  throttle. In some autocross classes, where the car has an abundance 
of power and  great brakes, a driver can learn left-foot braking and overcome 
the inherent  drawbacks of an automatic, poor throttle response from off 
throttle and limited  - or no - engine braking. But in true performance 
driving, where the throttle is  used to position the car and load or unload the 
suspension, the  low-tech automatic fails. Only the stick/clutch systems 
provide the driver  with the instant feedback and response needed to perform, 
consistently, right at  the limit. If you try to use the throttle on a PG 
equipped car to help position  the car in the middle of a corner, you will be 
sorely disappointed. Even  the most learned automatics, ones that hold off 
upshifts if in a corner,  match RPMs on downshifts, cannot match the lap times 
of the properly driven  stick - over the long haul. Now, I must admit, there 
is a new breed of  automatic, these twin disc clutch systems which can shift 
as fast and as  sure as a clutch (I am still excluding F1 technology and 
other upper echelon  racing here -that is a whole other world). But those 
systems are  not available to us low-tech Corvair  folks. We can barely get the 
PG  to shift smoothly and not shed E-clips behind our backs. Some of the 
drag-racing  tricks, such as high stall converters and extra clutch packs for 
high load, have  been adapted to the Corvair PG, but those put the trans in 
an even more  specialized, highly strung position. That same equivalent is 
there for the  sticks, close- ratio transmissions and lightened clutches and 
flywheels will  make that car a pain to drive - except in a very specialized 
activity. I  actually agree with Mark, that the best use for the automatic 
will be to assure  that he will still be able to drive his Corvair, even when 
his clutch  actuation days are over. And if you want to drag-race 
consistently, check with  Ken Arnold and Billy Bruce, their PG equipped Vairs can run 
fast all day. 
 
Enjoy!
 
Seth Emerson