Anybody here mod car with automatic transmission?

[Jliao]

It seems to me that it's pointless to mod car that are auto. Simply because you can't feel the changes you did except for hp gain. I personally have driven my friend's mod civic Si, and everytime I switch gear I can feel the difference from stock car.
Anybody have opinion on this?

Thanks

 

[pshaw34]

yeah i know there are people with auto p5's on teh boards

 

[alexlitov]

well if you put a turbo or NOS you can still feel the changes. some cars are betting auto while some cars aren't.

 

[keyserscott]

I have an auto w/ sportshift MP5. Right now I am running an Injen CAI and a Thermal exhaust. Yes, you can feel the difference. I figure between the 2 mods I see a 10 hp total improvement. A lot of the improvment comes in after 3K rpm. But, there is some improvement in overall throttle response at low end too. BTW I am looking to get another 10hp out of it, any suggestions. Forget turbo for now, I don't have 3500 dollars.

 

[rmedoc]

I have an auto with an Ebay intake and MS Exhaust, and the little gains that they give you you can still feel. I am thinking turbo at a later time, but now with the accident I had, and my new baby I got told about yesterday, I may have to wait a little while longer.

 

[MugenSilverSiR]

I have an auto w/ sportshift MP5. Right now I am running an Injen CAI and a Thermal exhaust. Yes, you can feel the difference. I figure between the 2 mods I see a 10 hp total improvement. A lot of the improvment comes in after 3K rpm. But, there is some improvement in overall throttle response at low end too. BTW I am looking to get another 10hp out of it, any suggestions. Forget turbo for now, I don't have 3500 dollars.

I am not sure if you are getting an extra 10HP unless you were to dyno it. I am sure by doing these mods you have increased the fun factor. The car sounds a bit louder when it revs and its fun to hear it growl hehe

 

[hambone35]

I'm modding an automatic (with sportshift) P5 too. Granted that the increases in HP aren't as direct as with a manual, but there still is a difference, particulary when it's in manual mode.

 

[Mazdacub]

I have a auto and I have noticed a difference in power. I have a AEM intake that I modified and Magnaflow muffler and also a Magnaflow resonator. I removed the second cat from the car and you can feel the difference. Im going to soon remove the other cat and put headers on it. To many people think you cant get more form a auto but they are wrong.

Mazdacub

 

[azeli73]

Congratulations on the news of the baby! That's great.

I have an auto with an Ebay intake and MS Exhaust, and the little gains that they give you you can still feel. I am thinking turbo at a later time, but now with the accident I had, and my new baby I got told about yesterday, I may have to wait a little while longer.

 

[PatrickP5]

I've got an Auto (sportmatic) P5 that I just put an Injen CAI in and I can feel the difference even though all I've put in so far is the CAI.


Patrick

 

[keyserscott]

To clarify my earlier post. I have no idea whether or not I get about 10 hp increase with the Injen CAI and Thermal exhaust. It's an estimate based on what other people have acheived with the 2 mods, posts from others, and feedback from people I have spoken to. Personally, I use the butt dyno. It is very accurate.

 

[NRRfrogmanP5]

I have the auto P5 with the sport shifter as well and all i haev done to the engine so far is the injen c.a.i. and well i can feel the difference....i say mod away man and enjoy the car!

 

[Jliao]

Thanks for all the opinion guys! <3 all!

 

[good0177]

I have an auto w/ sportshifting P5 and I put an Injen CAI and HKS axle-back. Though I do feel gains, I am sure these are not as noticable as the same mods done to a manual. A turbo would be nice, but I heard of some trouble with turbo kits and auto trannys. I know the FM kit is still trying to work out problems with installing their kit on an auto tranny, something about rerouting the FMIC piping, I don't know? Level 10 sells a bulletproof auto tranny for about 3.5K! Pretty tight set-up with a Level 10 tranny and FM turbo kit (or spool) if you have 7K to burn. I don't, so I just enjoy the sound of my P5 while everyone else flys by me. Do what you do. Peace.

 

[andy_guerriero]

I wouldn't say it's pointless to modify a car with an automatic transmission, but a simple fact endures:

Most auto enthusiasts who are serious about their cars and modifications to their cars purchase manual transmissions because the control they provide over your car is dramatically greater than with an automatic transmission.

For example, take a turbocharged car. Say your turbo spools at around 2500 rpm. With a manual transmission, you can control exactly when and how your engine hits that RPM. With an automatic, you can only flip your silly foot around on the throttle and hope the transmission doesn't shift up or down when you're trying to impress your girlfriend.

 

[digitalpro5]

What about if you have the sport shift...cause so far I haven't seen a limit to where it will automatically shift. What I mean is...is that I have full control of shifting gears up. I've had it on 1st gear all the way up to 5000 RPM (noisy and crazy, and wouldn't recommend that).

If you are all bent out to get a lot out of an auto tranny, do it...I'm sure all of us who do have auto's would like to know. You still wouldn't beat the same modification on a manual tranny, though.

 

[Stealth5]

sport shift is the s***, heh. the only thing it does without being prompted is to downshift to first a few seconds after you stop. i mean, you can keep it in first and peg the fuel cutoff for an hour, it wont stop you

 

[AndrewSilverMP5]

I've redlined several times, using the sport shift (2thumbs) Sometimes, unintentionally! I forget I have it on, heheh.

 

[kidkorrupt]

its not pointless.

some people just find stick not practical enough as a daily driver.

my girl sucks ass at even driving auto. i tried teaching her stick but she stalled like 5 times in 10 minutes so i told her to scat. She wants a lan evo for her next ride and if she gets it, it WILL be an auto.

you can still fix up auto's to be different but just dont ride one trying to pose like its a stick =D

 

[jrodhotrod]

I have a cat-back Racing Beat and Injen CAI on my auto P5 and you can feel a small difference, although I am sure not as much as it would make with a stick. I have Sparkco plug wires and may do some small things here and there but I think it's mostly gonna be appearance or suspension things from here on out. I should have bought a 5 speed to begin with, I have a serious case of buyers regret for buying the auto, never knew a car could be this much fun to drive after driving really boring cars for all my life before this.

Yes you can turbo an auto P5 as others have mentioned, but for me the $3,500-$4,000 for turbo and $2,000-$3,500 for factory or level 10 auto tranny after the first one gets blown is too much for me. Would rather save that $7,000 and put it towards another car. For me that other car will be a MazdaSpeed RX-8 provided things work out.