Other than Off Road, What do you drive/ride??

BlackMagic KJ wrote:

Very nice pontiac! i dont own any muscle cars, but thats my other hobby. i love looking at them and would love to own one someday. My dream muscle car is an old school chevy or pontiac muscle car with a blown motor.. you know classic hot rod or new school hot rod would be a shelby supersnake (850+ HP street legal race mustang )

Hope you enjoy the pontiac.. keep us updated if you do anything to it.

Thanks

So far I have just done the simple bolt on stuff.... exhaust, intake, and tune. When funds allow, I want to do a full long tube header system. In the very distant future, maybe a cam swap. I just don't want to completely void my warranty just yet. Two more years of waiting

I'll post a sound clip up after the 7 day wait.

It would be neat to take a old school muscle car, and drop in a modern LS3 between the frame rails. You get the best of both worlds. Classic looks, but modern performance.

Nice ride!

WOW guys!!! OMG Ken...you know it makes my heart swell to see an Xterra!!! Beautiful!!!

Fantastic Pontiac!!!! Looks bad (and that's Goooooood!)

alextremetj wrote:

That's probably why his was somewhat doggish. He had the 4 speed auto. I don't recall what all he had done to it, I know it's wasn't stock though. Didn't the manuals have less power stock then the slushboxes?

The engine's power is the same regardless of whether it is a manual or automatic. What makes the difference is that with a manual you control when the shift occurs, and you can keep the engine in its power band longer. By staying the power band more, you improve performance.

Also, off-road, a manual does not shift when you don't want it to shift. On the Xterra, first gear in low range is lower on a manual than an automatic. That help keep me out of trouble one time when was going down a hill and brake line failed.

k_enn

k_enn wrote:

alextremetj wrote:

That's probably why his was somewhat doggish. He had the 4 speed auto. I don't recall what all he had done to it, I know it's wasn't stock though. Didn't the manuals have less power stock then the slushboxes?

The engine's power is the same regardless of whether it is a manual or automatic. What makes the difference is that with a manual you control when the shift occurs, and you can keep the engine in its power band longer. By staying the power band more, you improve performance.

Also, off-road, a manual does not shift when you don't want it to shift. On the Xterra, first gear in low range is lower on a manual than an automatic. That help keep me out of trouble one time when was going down a hill and brake line failed.

k_enn

It's funny you made the comment about using a manual off-road. I just finished swapping a XJ AW-4 into my 97 TJ. I love driving a stick, but the auto is so nice in the rocks!

alextremetj wrote:

…I love driving a stick, but the auto is so nice in the rocks!

Amen brother! Unless you have a throttle grip shifter like JeeperX had

& I’ve found that low 1 with my gear ratio will get me down a hill with little or no braking.

I can understand about the auto on the rocks -- especially if you get stuck climbing an obstacle. But the stick is not bad once you get used to it. You just need to be in the right gear and approach at the right speed (and don't stop half way through). I like the fact that with a stick power is applied to the wheels without any delay when you get on the gas, which can come in real handy at times. Sometimes that almost infinitesimal lag from an auto can mess you up.

k_enn

After the 7 day grace period....without further ado...

k_enn wrote:

I can understand about the auto on the rocks -- especially if you get stuck climbing an obstacle. But the stick is not bad once you get used to it. You just need to be in the right gear and approach at the right speed (and don't stop half way through). I like the fact that with a stick power is applied to the wheels without any delay when you get on the gas, which can come in real handy at times. Sometimes that almost infinitesimal lag from an auto can mess you up.

k_enn

I'm with Ken on this one. Nothing beats going down a hill and letting the engine do the work instead of hitting the brakes all the time. Plus with the right gearing sometimes I have to hit the gas to go down a hill and can let the clutch out on a hill and still be holding the brake so I don't go backwards. better control

JeeperX wrote:

k_enn wrote:

I can understand about the auto on the rocks -- especially if you get stuck climbing an obstacle. But the stick is not bad once you get used to it. You just need to be in the right gear and approach at the right speed (and don't stop half way through). I like the fact that with a stick power is applied to the wheels without any delay when you get on the gas, which can come in real handy at times. Sometimes that almost infinitesimal lag from an auto can mess you up.

k_enn

I'm with Ken on this one. Nothing beats going down a hill and letting the engine do the work instead of hitting the brakes all the time. Plus with the right gearing sometimes I have to hit the gas to go down a hill and can let the clutch out on a hill and still be holding the brake so I don't go backwards. better control

Amen. You may remember that time at Rausch Creek, when we were coming that real steep, winding, and loose descent from Trail J-1 down to the valley floor when my brake line gave out. I was real thankful I had a stick and was in first-low that time.