ok, i don't understand how an auto works to the full degree or what tricking one out involves, but i thought the power losses from an auto are from it's fundamental design;

i.e. transmitting kinetic energy using shear force of liquid (as opposed to a manual that is essential direct connection)

i dont see that tricking one out is going to reduce power loss significantly? if fact all your doing is reducing shift time, is that right?

but reducing shift time when you are losing 20% power, it's like spending $3000 porting your head when you have a stock exhaust

Hazza- I agree the A14 is better with first gear in a light body but I still could manage to take off better in 2nd with the A15 where 1st ran out instantly. I didnt like 2nd gear either but annoyed at the first gear thats all I had left.

Race cars are a different story with peppy higher revving engines hence they never leave a t50 untouched for example if you look at Billzilla 4ag threads youll see his 400kg race car has some serious t50 box mods to get some decent ratio spread with the suzuki engine. Im sure you know the car or heard of his obsessive feats :)

Mike shortening the slippage on the auto reduces the rev drop between gear changes so you can stay in the torque zone to the point where you can almost chirp the tyres easily. A Torque converter engaging at the right rpm also helps by acting like a big flywheel full of energy ready to engage but the question was never about the efficiency of an auto but that it could be made to work out for performance driving over a weaker 60 series and be more enjoyable taking off than a bad spread of ratios like T50s have.

If my Amr500 can make 100 lbs ate + 125hp ate with a single 1.75 inch or 2 inch SU, H2O, good ignition with a stock H89 Id be happy I think with the slightly tricked auto.

Absolutely brilliant post Jmac! A real pleasure to read. I still need to track down an Aussie one cent piece for the Borgy in my charger. (Which coincidentally, is about the same as what a bw35 is worth) However, the 35 will only be a short term thing, as I have a w50 squirreled away for it. (Even if they do have a stupidly short 1st)

D, If you wanna drop a CA18det into your 1K, move to NZ.. If your mounts are safe, and the car steers and stops, you could legally bolt a blown 426 into a 1k.

Also, can I ask why you're so enamoured with the SU carb for your set up? They deliver suprb response, and terriffic economy on an NA engine. But what (Besides perhaps underhood clearance?) is the attraction?

EDIT,
Jmac, the how-to for the "1 cent shift kit revisited" at MM forums has a broken link. And chance of sending me some pics etc? (bartman@nzdatsun.com)

Funnily enough the BW35 was available for the early 1k and would prefer it over the Jatco due to the lighter weight, remember somewhere around 34kg for the BW35 compared to 40kg for the stronger Jatco.

After seen a suzuki mightyboy with a 1.5 inch su on an inferior 4 cyl 796cc 8v engine pulling 87 kws atw - it just put the writing on the wall, the SU just works.

Id love to move to New Zealand and have a 1k powered by a TA Performance V6 and supercharger weighing the same as an A15 :) all the parts are so cheap from commonwhores besides the initial block price.
http://www.taperformance.com/proddetail.asp?prod=TA_V3800

I'd be happy to - though there are some big updates going on for that one. I've been 'meaning' to do it for some time, and have about 90% of the writing done, but I haven't got all the pics I want. The 'final' version of this contains the basic mod, but it also details all the stuff to do (which is easy to do mind you) to incorporate most of the ford internals. I was hoping to take pics of a trans I was going to put together for the 13s for $1300 that another mopar guy was entering, but he ended up having massive flooding back then so the thing is on hold.

To get back on topic (sorta) - David - the tricked up auto will actually INCREASE the rpm drop on upshifts. If it grabs hard it yanks the motor right down to the lower rpm. IF it slips a little the motor isn't pulled down to as low an rpm and it will increase the roadspeed (to some small extent) as it 'grabs' fully. A bit like how if you don't let the clutch pedal up quickly on an upshift, and increase the throttle/accelerator pedal input, the motor will flare up, or not be yanked down as low, not the reverse of that.

D are you sure it was a bw35? For some reason I had it in my head that it 'was' a bw auto, but something earlier - possibly even a 2 speed that went in some early datsuns, but I know nothing of it in terms of design, spec, parts interchangeability etc.

Auto's suck for small carburetted engines. When you're talking TH400's you're not talking about a A series power plant.

Will see how much they suck, today made some progress started on the manifold which is the tricky bit, have the dual crank pulley made by Simon, got another serpentine pulley to match for the rear of alternator just need the front pulley keyway moded to fit a twin pulley unit and some brackets later for the engine mount to support the SC from underneath. Flanges almost finished for SU also.

Im sure the early autos are BW35 as in one of my books and I remember them clearly an inferior auto to the jatco but Im after weight reduction if possible and would you know Jmac if you can trick up the bw35 valvebody for manual shifts? eg. http://www.calaisturbo.com.au/showthread.php?t=234133

Quote:

that doesn't sound like any sort of fun to me. at all.

the massive gap between 1st and 2nd will suck for drifting. Even if it does have the grunt to turn that 2nd gear - which I don't think it will. To make it go any good will need such a low diff ratio that it will suck for street driving. You'd be far better off spending that $1300 on a 63a 5spd

Have you had a 1000 with supercharger and tricked auto to make that statement?

The auto is going to cost me halve what a cheap 63a goes for and 1300 is cheap considering if its any good.

I don't want to sound negative, so I'll just play devils advocate.
I must have missed the power figures that Harry has quited above.
I've got no experience of the AMR chargers, But they put out 500cc's per rev yeah?
My set up is pretty lowtech and crude. But I'm making those power figures with a blower that pushes 1400cc per rev. (@1:1 drive)
Whats the max speed an AMR can spin to?

Also Jmac, I'd be happy with just a picture of where to stick the once cent piece. (And the diamentions of an Aussie 1c)