<VV> more PG vs 4spd thoughts

[Ray R. (aka Grymm)]

While this topic is on the table,

     I really don't have a problem with PG cars but I go for a muscle car 
kinda look (wide wheels and tires and an aggresive stance) and a manual 
trans makes more sense for that.  I also prefer the manual transmission for 
fun spirited driving just because it is more interactive and feels more 
responsive.. its all about that seat of the pants feel.  On the other hand 
since I do use my Corvair as my daily driver there are times I wish it was 
an auto... mostly stop and go traffic.  The clutch pedal is light enough 
that it's  not too big a deal for me... I got stuck in 2 hours of stop and 
go traffic on the way home from Texas in my 68' vette back in 2001 and my 
left leg was cramped for the next 10 hours... which helped keep me awake for 
the 20 hour drive!

     The only thing that has always bothered me about my automatic cars was 
that I do a lot of highway cruising and felt the PG cars were too wound up 
at 70mph...  I haven't driven an auto vair since my first drive in a manual 
trans car a while back so I'm not sure if there is really much difference 
anymore... how do you guys feel about 70mph cruising with a PG?  I'm sure I 
can get a black and white answer by googleing the ratio's.  I know my 66' 
Corsa runs about 3600RPM at 70mph in top gear.. thats where I cruise.   I 
wish I could cruise at lower RPM but I don't want to change the final drive 
ratio, especially since I'm running a 280 Isky cam and 2.5 inch exhaust so 
my power peak is way too high anyway!.. but it sounds the way I want which 
is more important to me at this point.

     Also on that note I would like to mention that I live in the Pocono 
mountains and have to climb a 3 mile long rather steep hill to go just about 
anywhere... and I find the 280 cam perfectly driveable... sure it takes a 
lot more shifting than my stock 140... and the stock 140 actually feels much 
more powerful unless I wind out the "hot rod" 140 which I rarely do... but I 
don't find it to be a problem... I think its sorta like driving a 95hp car 
LOL.


Ray "Grymm" Rodriguez III
Lake Ariel, PA
CORSA member
66' Corsa 140/4 coupe
65' Corsa 140/4 coupe (under construction and almost done!)