Stick shift racers?

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doogievlg

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I have always enjoyed watching the stick shift races and am considering doing a stick shift car down the road. My main question is how much more expensive is it then auto stuff and what trans is everyone using?
 
A run-of-the-mill manual swap in these cars is twice or three times as much as an auto. If your gonna swap make it worth the time, or just manual shift. :thumbup:
 
This will hopefully be a different car. I don't intend on making my dart into a race car. I'll be in the market for a project car this winter and hopefully I'll find a 4 speed car.
 
So you're only planning on 500hp or so. A standard 23 spline 833 would hold up just fine. Just use a billet flywheel and a good twin disc clutch. I run a 18 spline 833 with 750hp on the street and the track and haven't broke it yet...
 
I'm thinking of going Dana instead of a 8 3/4. I am surprised no one has chimed in that is running a Jericho or liberty!! I have the up most respect for stick shift guys and I am blown away that there aren't many replying to this. Unless there just really isn't that many around?
 
I couldn't tell you how much more a stick is than an auto since I've never bought an auto. A jerico DR4-4 is about $4500 (w/shifter and slip yoke). Slipper clutch would be about $1200. Flywheel (steel about 300, aluminum about 450). I'd stay w/steel since there is less maintenance. Bell housing about $600 these days.
The jerico maintenance is pretty light. Change the oil a few times a year (about 1 to 1.5 quarts) because you get some metal in the oil. I get about 400 passes out of a set of dog rings (150). Other than that the clutch disk will likely last 100 to 200 passes depending on your power and setup. Its a lot of work until you get it dialed in, and then its nothing but fun.
I can't tell you about liberty or gforce from personal experience. I can only suggest that if you're going to race then the jerico shifts fast and reliably.
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4jDLKwd9Gs"]1st Round ECNSSA - YouTube[/ame]
Vid is barracuda/jerico

Good luck
 
Personally I wouldn't have anything but a stick. But that's me. There really is no better feeling than slamming gears while the guy behind you has both hands on the wheel and his foot to the floor ....... I run a jerico DR-4 clutch assisted with 3.08 , 1.94, 1.34, 1:1. Gearing. It's behind a fairly healthy small block 408 and rolls with an 8 3/4 rear. I can't say the build was cheap, but if it's what you want, you will find a way to do it. There was not a lot of modification for the jerico, my biggest battle was figuring out the clutch, which again was easy to do ....lots of good info out there . If you have any questions Inbox me. Im no super stock car builder by any means, for me it was fair to moderately easy to accomplish , a little bit of floor modification for shift rods and shifter, a little bit of crossmember work, drive shaft with good yokes and your there.
 
Most of us OLD guys did nothing but race with our 4 speeds back in the day. I still remember bloody knuckles from hitting the dashboard going to third.
 
Man this thread got brought back from the dead. I had a dream last night I went to look at a stick shift car for sale actually and got on here this morning and saw this!

No car yet! I ended up spending a little too much during the holidays so my bank account is struggling.
 
I've been racing for 6 years and I've only had a stick car. Started with a 400hp 340 and 23 spline 833 with center force dual friction disc for the first 3 years and after the first year I built a dana and new drive shaft with 1350's. The next year I bought a jerico and a softloc clutch. Its been a blast,stick cars rule:burnout:
 
I've raced both and in my opinion a 4 speed is cheaper to maintain and more fun. You don't have to go super expensive with either but to get the most out of an automatic it is gonna cost you more.With that said I suppose it is because I can do my own 4 speed tranny work and had to pay to have my auto built.My setup was purchased new years ago when things were a lot cheaper for example: Anson scattersheild with block plate new was only $175.00
My tranny was new from Ma Mopar and only $375 (A833 short tail shaft) and my shifter is a Hurst Verti-gate inline shifter for $125.00 with reinforced shift rods(called monster rods back then) the flywheel is a recent purchase for $100 from 440 source and the clutch is a 3800# Zoom setup that I bought and never used till now for $150-160.
 
I've raced both and in my opinion a 4 speed is cheaper to maintain and more fun. You don't have to go super expensive with either but to get the most out of an automatic it is gonna cost you more.With that said I suppose it is because I can do my own 4 speed tranny work and had to pay to have my auto built.My setup was purchased new years ago when things were a lot cheaper for example: Anson scattersheild with block plate new was only $175.00
My tranny was new from Ma Mopar and only $375 (A833 short tail shaft) and my shifter is a Hurst Verti-gate inline shifter for $125.00 with reinforced shift rods(called monster rods back then) the flywheel is a recent purchase for $100 from 440 source and the clutch is a 3800# Zoom setup that I bought and never used till now for $150-160.

There's a old timer around here that can probably build a a833 in his sleep. I might go talk to him and see if I can get some tips and maybe walk me through a rebuild.

I always go to stick shift races when they are close and have a friend building a vega with a lenco. Ever since I went to my first race I was hooked. It makes driving a auto look boring!
 
Auto cars are so common. It's kinda nice to be a little different at the track for conversation. Everyone is interested in seeing a stick car run if you like them or not .
 
Mine is a 416 sm block with a Jerico DR4(3.04,2.00,1.38,1to1) and a Mcleod soft-loc and Quicktime bell with a 4.10 Dana 60 rear. I run an older Hurst ramrod vertigate with a homemade mount plate and heim joint shift rods to center the shifter in the stock 4 spd hole in the floor and homemade trans crossmember and miner messaging of the tunnel for trans fitment. Even a bad day of rowing gears is more fun then a good day with a matic.
 
hi, should go watch NHRA or IHRA stock and super stock stick cars run. they are very impressive, wheels up and out , very fast. most use the jerico trans.
 
hi, should go watch NHRA or IHRA stock and super stock stick cars run. they are very impressive, wheels up and out , very fast. most use the jerico trans.

I always make sure to check then out at Indy when I go. Sadly the class isn't as big as our local umtr races.
 
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