[V8] Recent V8 seat time - long post

[Tony and Lillie]

V8'ers,

I've had the opportunity to drive a number of 5-speed V8's recently. The first was Dave C's 4.2 converted '91. What a beautiful car!! Definitely the nicest example I've laid eyes on so far. And, with a replacement cost of probably $15K or more, I didn't exactly drive it hard!! But, I did take off pretty aggressive once, till probably 4000 RPM or so in first. And, it was pretty impressive. Very quiet, though, with a stock exhaust. The other thing, I don't know what suspension he has, but it's lowered, and on big brakes. This suspension is smoother and more comfortable than the stock, other than reduced upward travel. And, I did bottom it out pretty hard once (Sorry Dave).

The second was a completely stock blue '91 3.6L. This car ran well above 4000, but exhibited the O2 surging. It also had very bad tires, a bad alignment, and a host of other small issues. I'll have to say, I spent quite a bit of time (about 40 hours) in this car. This car, without a doubt, changed the way I think of V8's. With a manual trans, the car is completely transformed! The sound (rear muffler delete), the feel, the power, an entirely different animal than the auto's I've driven. The one downside was the powerband. It was reasonably strong at lower RPM's, but didn't really come on till 4000RPM. My auto, and the others I've driven come on closer to 3400.

The third was Ingo Rautenberg's Pearl '91 5-speed. This car has ported heads, cams, 2.5" exhaust, and a chip. Also, big reds, 17" wheels, lowering springs, and bilsteins. I had a ton of fun in his car. Much smoother and more linear power delivery. VERY fast!!!! Oh, and sliding sideways at 7600 RPM in first is a TON of fun! The suspension is a bit stiff for my personal tastes, but this car is driven on the track quite a bit, and I'm quite sure it's performance there is stellar.

There are a couple of observations I made along the way. The first, 5th is lower than 4th in the auto. I'd like lower RPM's than the auto on the highway, so this was worse for my personal preference. The UFO's have so much better feel than the G60's, I can't even describe the difference. The 5-speed has a much easier tip in than the auto. The clutch is surprisingly light for a 240 hp manual car.

At the end of the day, I'll say it was a very enlightening experience. I'll have to admit I still prefer the feel of a much lighter car. That said, Ingo's car, and from my limited time, Dave's car, prove that a V8 can be made to be quite a spectacular car. From a few others on the list, I'm sure there are probably a few auto cars that exceed the factory performance very nicely. I know Sean is working on one right now.

I believe the manual will outpull the auto with the manual in third and the auto in second, even though the auto has the gearing advantage there. Anyone with two stock examples willing to try it? From driving them both, I wonder just how much power that automatic transmission absorbs from the V8. It sure seems like quite a bit.

What I find most interesting is this, I'm a manual trans guy. I like the V8 manual. Yet, after that much time in the seat, and that much better performance, I was left scratching my head. Does the auto trans not fit the car better? I think so. Much like a 928, the auto is certainly more fun, but at the end of the day, I'd prefer an auto if I had one. I'm still undecided on the V8, though. However, I know I'd prefer a 4.2 auto daily to a 3.6. When I'm driving a V8, I'm not so concerned with gas milage anyhow ;-)

Tony Hoffman