Advice On Power
Well..if that does happen....you can bet I will send you the $$ for that kit faster than you can post it up for sale 
.
I wasn't planning on boosting until mid next year....buuuttt...if you happen to sell it, I would love to give it a good home.
/threadjack
Sorry OP!
.I wasn't planning on boosting until mid next year....buuuttt...if you happen to sell it, I would love to give it a good home.
/threadjack
Sorry OP!
/threadjack
Sorry OP.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
SL Member
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 102
From: Griffith, Indiana
Wanna race my auto XB? Drag, autoX, road course, wherever. 
You're being a MT snob, don't do that. There's nothing wrong with adding some power to an auto trans car. My auto XB started out 1/2 second slower to 60 and 1/4 mile than a stock MT TC but now it's 2 seconds faster in both and a very fun car even with the AT.
To the OP: You should consider a good CAI. It will add almost 10whp/wtq, enough to feel and it also sounds great. You might also double-check just how tough your state's emission testing is. I passed with a header, CAI and axle-back installed the first time and last year with a turbo, 3" LOUD exhaust and no cats. In MD they simply plug into the OBD2 port and check for codes. No codes and you pass. They don't even lift the hood or look under the car here. YMMV.
You're being a MT snob, don't do that. There's nothing wrong with adding some power to an auto trans car. My auto XB started out 1/2 second slower to 60 and 1/4 mile than a stock MT TC but now it's 2 seconds faster in both and a very fun car even with the AT.
To the OP: You should consider a good CAI. It will add almost 10whp/wtq, enough to feel and it also sounds great. You might also double-check just how tough your state's emission testing is. I passed with a header, CAI and axle-back installed the first time and last year with a turbo, 3" LOUD exhaust and no cats. In MD they simply plug into the OBD2 port and check for codes. No codes and you pass. They don't even lift the hood or look under the car here. YMMV.
My main reason for going 5 speed was actually drivability, and the ability to run an LSD in the winter. Not so much about power.
There are PLENTY of fast automatics, I didn't mean to make it sound like I was saying there weren't.
There are PLENTY of fast automatics, I didn't mean to make it sound like I was saying there weren't.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
SL Member
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 102
From: Griffith, Indiana
I wasn't calling you out. There are some people out there though who think driving a manual means that their car is automatically fast. Manual cars in my opinion are the way to go if you want an early or late 90's car. These days the automatic cars are generally just as fast if not faster than the manuals and get the same EPA rated gas mileage. The only thing that benefits from buying a manual transmisson car is you save an extra 1k sometimes more depending an vehicle. When I go to autocross events you would be suprised how many automatics are racing. I know in the pro scene that automatic Corvette's dominate. Automatic's are also popular in drag racing. To be more specific bracket style drag racing. Reason for this is because automatics run more consistent times because you have driver error involved with manual transmissions.
Finally someone who has an automatic chimes in. The only reason I don't go turbo is because I'm afraid of blowing my transmission like so many others have. Plus if I did go turbo I would be afraid to mash on the gas so it's almost pointless to even consider going that route unless someone came up with a bulletproof way to not blow the transmission. For all the others who say that the automatic transmission is holding me back...... well I have owned fast automatics. The car I traded in for my tC was a 350z automatic. I loved the car but I was daily driving it and the gas mileage sucked, insurance was through the roof for someone with a clean record, impossible to drive in snow, major blind spots, in my opinion the only thing going for that car is the looks and the power. I'm not looking to make the tC a super fast car. I just wanna some extra power for when I wanna have fun. As far as emissions go I have only seen them check for codes under look under the car with a mirror. I'm afraid of a header because I'm not sure if it will throw codes or not. For all those who say I need a manual. I still have my 94 Mazda Miata thats a manual. I just don't like daily driving manuals. Call me lazy but I'm just not as hardcore as others so don't hate on automatics.
IMO you could turbocharge and as long as you stay under 250hp/tq, install a good ATF cooler and don't beat on it daily, the trans will hold up for a long time. However, I've only gone 30k miles and made 50 or so all-out 1/4 miles passes so far so I can't make any "bullet-proof" guarantees on the trans. A CAI is the best bang-buck upgrade you can make, followed by a header. You can add either or both and never trip a CEL. You just need a good "CEL eliminator" pipe on the 2nd O2 sensor. I'm boosted with no cats and still don't trip any CELs. It can be done.
In the go-fast game a MT definitely has advantages but just because some of us choose an auto for whatever reasons, that doesn't mean that we can't make our cars faster and more fun. So what if we can't make them as fast as we could with a MT? We also have our own advantages such as better traction, less drivetrain shock and better consistency. Besides, getting traction with a 350whp FWD car no small task. There are good reasons why most car reviewers choose the relatively slow GTI over the faster WRX, Ralliart, MS3 and Cobalt SS time and time again.
Good luck whatever you decide. Auto trans FTW!
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SL Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 774
Learn how to make your car handle. Take a performance driving class.
I instruct at our local SCCA autocross class. One of my students drives an auto RS 5.0. I drive a manual. My car is faster with less mods.
On a similar note, with training, in my 160hp tC, I can beat a 200hp RSX Type S because
1) my car is better prepared
2) I am a more experienced driver
Work on the nut behind the wheel
Dont live and die based on what you've read.
Power on FWD=torque steer
But don't take my word for it. Drive a Mazdaspeed 3. A very fast car, but hold on to the wheel!
I instruct at our local SCCA autocross class. One of my students drives an auto RS 5.0. I drive a manual. My car is faster with less mods.
On a similar note, with training, in my 160hp tC, I can beat a 200hp RSX Type S because
1) my car is better prepared
2) I am a more experienced driver
Work on the nut behind the wheel
Dont live and die based on what you've read.
Power on FWD=torque steer
But don't take my word for it. Drive a Mazdaspeed 3. A very fast car, but hold on to the wheel!
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