SST - "Slap Shift"

[jerrym3]

Re: SST - "Slap Shift"

When I feel the need to shift, I drive the Shelby. I've had my Birds for over 7 years, and nothing will change my mind about the "fake" shifting. I'll take the heavy-duty clutch and the 6-speed of Venomous over the SST any day!

Not trying to change your mind, but if you enjoy shifting the Stang and your controlling the gears rather than some chip, why wouldn't you like to use the SST on occasion?

I don't use mine constantly. Using the SST function on every standing start and brake down, to me, is overkill. And, during engine braking with SST, I never drop all the way to 1st. (Seems to pull the car down too much. Even when I had standard shift cars, I very rarely dropped to 1st while still moving. You old timers, like me, remember double clutching to drop a non syncro trans into 1st?)

But, there are times, based on driving/road conditions, when I trust my judgement more as to which gear I should be in as opposed to some software programmer way back when.

And, it's fun.

[islandtime]

Re: SST - "Slap Shift"

Not trying to change your mind, but if you enjoy shifting the Stang and your controlling the gears rather than some chip, why wouldn't you like to use the SST on occasion?

Because having driven a standard tranny since I learned how to drive in 1962, it's second nature to me for the hand/foot coordination between the stick and the clutch. Not much point in slamming your left foot on the floor in a car without a clutch. My Birds are what they are...boulevard cruisers, not muscle cars.

[jerrym3]

Re: SST - "Slap Shift"

Because having driven a standard tranny since I learned how to drive in 1962, it's second nature to me for the hand/foot coordination between the stick and the clutch. Not much point in slamming your left foot on the floor in a car without a clutch. My Birds are what they are...boulevard cruisers, not muscle cars.

I learned to drive a standard shift when I was 15 (1958), a 1952 Plymouth station wagon.

My first car (legal driving age 1960) was a 53 Ford flathead, three speed.

I've owned other standard shift cars since then.

54 Olds 88, 57 BelAir, 65 Vette, 54 Chev, 68 Cyclone GT, and an 85 TurboCoupe, and I still like the idea of controlling my car when I feel like it, even while my left foot is resting.

I never sald I use SST for speed purposes, far from it, and I'll bet you don't power shift your Mustang, either.

It's not for the sake of speed. These cars are not Corvettes. I have no interest in making my car a 1/4 mile competitor.

There are just times when I like to take a little bit more control, and drive rather than just pointing and steering.

(I use the SST feature much more in my LS than my retro. Can be a lot of fun on winding, twisty roads.)

[Leroy]

Re: SST - "Slap Shift"

In 1959 we had drivers training in High School. The School got two new 59 Chevys a 3 spd manual and an auto. You had to learn both.

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[Rondor]

Re: SST - "Slap Shift"

Because having driven a standard tranny since I learned how to drive in 1962, it's second nature to me for the hand/foot coordination between the stick and the clutch. Not much point in slamming your left foot on the floor in a car without a clutch. My Birds are what they are...boulevard cruisers, not muscle cars.

I can relate to what you say and I too feel a little strange not using the left foot. Amaizing how that sticks with you, for me it's been years. I am still surprised that the SST is as posative as it is.
My first rude awakening was at the Drag strip in 1963 when two identical mopars ran, each other one a auto one a 4 speed. Off the line it was the 4 speed but at 1/4 mile the auto by more than a car length
That began a huge drops in stick shift at the strip.
Oh yea,,,,, I was in the automatic

[jerrym3]

Re: SST - "Slap Shift"

I can relate to what you say and I too feel a little strange not using the left foot. Amaizing how that sticks with you, for me it's been years. I am still surprised that the SST is as posative as it is.
My first rude awakening was at the Drag strip in 1963 when two identical mopars ran, each other one a auto one a 4 speed. Off the line it was the 4 speed but at 1/4 mile the auto by more than a car length
That began a huge drops in stick shift at the strip.
Oh yea,,,,, I was in the automatic

That's very interesting.

In 1963, the car that couldn't be beat off the line or at the end of the quarter at the Englishtown, NJ, strip (purestock) was a Plymouth 413 wedge automatic.

With that Torqeflight, getting off the line was much easier than racing the engine and trying to balance clutch release and rpms and wheelspin.

Not even the 409 Impalas or 406 Fords could stay with that Plymouth. (This is pre-musclecar era.)

Got really interesting when the pros would lock the front brakes on their cars, leave the car in Drive, slowly give it the gas, and the back wheels would start to rotate, but the car didn't move until the brakes were relesed.