I got my tC last august and I love it but I have a little regret. I bought it knowing I would want to mod it, and I love to go fast so naturally I like to race(when it is warranted... ie-hondas). But when it comes to performance it seems like there is a stigma attached to automatics.
Someone please make me feel better about my purchase...

 

I know exactly how you feel. Everytime I drive my car or before i go to sleep, I always tell myself that I should of gotten manual. I really regret it because my friends told me to get manual and my parents convinced me to getting an auto. I was really close to getting manual.

 

well with an auto you dont have to worry about burning up a clutch and you have to do less shifting when you drive around (big plus if your stuck in traffic). If you turbo the car you wont lose boost when you shift with an auto since you can keep your foot on the gas the whole time.

 

Blues, thats exactly what happened with me. A close friend co-signed for me, who is kinda like my second father, and he convinced me. He also thinks im stupid for putting money into mods for my car. Hes more of the american muscle type. I cant help it , something draws me to that import power. The idea of making something big out of something small. I just hope that these companies come out with upgrades for A/T trannies and dont look over those of us who messed up that day at the dealership...

 

check out sciondad his daughter has an a/t with zpi turbo in it

 

There's nothing wrong with an automatic. There are only 3 problems with an automatic that I see:
1. They add more weight
2. You can't launch as hard as a manual
3. You can't control the RPMs as easily if you are auto-Xing or just spirited driving through curvy roads

What you gain by having an automatic:
1. In many cases above 20 MPH the auto will be faster than a manual because most people can't outshift an auto
2. Higher resale value
3. Better for just cruising around or heavy traffic
4. When you get married you can let your wife have it and you get the new car. If she can't drive a manual, she gets the new car.

 

Nothing to worry abouut. It all depends on what you want to do and how you want to spend your time driving. The automatic has several advantages over a manual transmission and vice versa.

A properly built auto can certainly take an equally built manual in a 1/4 mile run. Once you get to a certain level of torque the problem becomes wheel spin for both types. The advantage however quickly shifts to the automatic. Once the auto spools boost, it stays in boost, while the manual dumps boost during shift, etc.. With a proper stall torque converter, the power transferred to the wheels is shifted and constant all the way to a locked out final gear. Not likely a manual tC can shift and keep up with that. However, it has not been an easy road finding the necessary kit to help our stock transmission. But it is only a matter of time. It's a new car line.

Having said that, manuals do have the advantage of controlling the gears thru turns and corners much better, keeping the rpms where they want. Automatic however, have gained in serious leaps in dealing with this and you see it in higher end new car electronic transmissions.

This is something hopefully available for the TC soon. Several companies looking at it.

In the mean time, drink a soda, talk on your phone and just cruise around in your ride. Or, drink a soda, talk on your phone and still make a real nice pass in the fast lane with a little boost.

 

Thanx fellas that makes me feel a little better. Well a lot better now I know Im not the only one with an auto and performance on the brain. Sciondad have You experienced any problems with your automatic transmission running a turbo.

 

Thanx fellas that makes me feel a little better. Well a lot better now I know Im not the only one with an auto and performance on the brain. Sciondad have You experienced any problems with your automatic transmission running a turbo. By the way did I mention I envy you....

 

Oops, double-post, sorry guys Im new here...lol

 

are there any legal turbos for the tC? cause i live in cali.

 

They're illegal in cali? And I think there is only one kit fitted for the auto anyway...the zpi stage 0

 

I gave up and am selling all of my bolt ons. I got a Yamaha R1 to quench my need for speed and keep my TC Auto for cruising, the auto is not worth much else. You can do the Sciondad thing, but be ready for an investment.
Until the auto develops a good torque converter and valve body, spend your money on things you know will make a big difference.
I know it is just me but I spent 8 grand on a low mileage bike that does 0-60 in two seconds, and I can hide it in my den if I need to.
Best of Luck to you, as a previous 11sec Mustang owner (all motor) with a JW C-4 tranny, I think reality kicked in for me almost immediately after spending $1,000 on updrades for the Scion.
When realiable auto upgrades are available, I will sell the R1 and get a Stage 1 ZPI turbo - until then I'll be cruisin' ...

 

Thanks RAMROD. I dont really want to trade my tC in right now but I know that in the future I will probably grow out of it and want more power. so Im kinda just takin it slow now and keepin it N/A. I know that it will never really be a true beast but I have some kind of hope. Plus they're great cars IMO. Of course Im slightly biased though. I just like the idea of one day having a 12 second 4 banger and pulling up next to a cocky someone at a light with for ex. a mustang...and beating the brakes of of em... or at least hangin with em. I wanna see the look on their face.lol

 

man autos are great i live in houston...i wouldnt have it any other way we spend 47.8 hours of our lives in traffic here in houston(herd it on the radio the other week). In the long run the a/t will beat the m/t on the 1/4 mile....im working with a compnay right now to see about upgrading to withstand more power. you did good some people will complain and the m/t will always dog on you but just let them be the true racers will have respect for an auo. And listen to scion dad he's pushin close if not over 300whp and its an a/t.

 

I thought the stock block on the tC could only withstand 300 hp?

 

well scion speed(losers) went 400 whp on theres and hit 12.1 on the 1/4.....zpi went over 400whp before they blew thiers.....so it can take a descent amount the reason an a/t hasnt gone over 300 is because no one knows if the tranny can support it. SO scion dad is going to be the first one to test it hes supposd to be upgrading to the zpi stage 1 kit soon.

 

I thought Scion Dad said it was rated for 220whp.

 

That sounds about right, those kits arent rated for more than 230. I think and it would be even less with the auto tranny.

 

the base stage 0 yes. but he has upgraded his and i believe is running 7-8psi instead of the stock 6 thats its supposd to be.