A couple of questions

[volospian]

I'm still researching the possibility of a V8 Scimitar and have a couple of general questions that I'd like opinions on.

First, what sort of hassle is aftermarket air conditioning?

The car will be totally stripped, so there's no problems getting to areas with regards to fitting, but is aftermarket aircon any good? has anybody ever used it?

Second, manual or auto for high power?
It looks like, if I do this, I will almost certainly blow the V8, so there will be upwards of 500hp. I was thinking that you don't really see manual boxes on high powered cars. Is auto the only way to go? I'm thinking that manual would be more of a hinderance at that level of power, but I also prefer manual systems.

Answers (and opinions) on a post please

 

[Oracle]

I'm still researching the possibility of a V8 Scimitar and have a couple of general questions that I'd like opinions on.

First, what sort of hassle is aftermarket air conditioning?

The car will be totally stripped, so there's no problems getting to areas with regards to fitting, but is aftermarket aircon any good? has anybody ever used it?

Second, manual or auto for high power?
It looks like, if I do this, I will almost certainly blow the V8, so there will be upwards of 500hp. I was thinking that you don't really see manual boxes on high powered cars. Is auto the only way to go? I'm thinking that manual would be more of a hinderance at that level of power, but I also prefer manual systems.

Answers (and opinions) on a post please

I dont think thats true regarding GBs. If you are referring to Mercedes for instance you have to pay MORE for a manual box. Historically, manual boxes handle more torque than autoboxes and therefore are better for larger powered engines.

Retrofitting or installing aircon can be a pain. It depends really on the company you are getting to install it. U'll need enough room in the engine bay possibly for a second fan etc. If the car is completely stripped (by you) the cost involved could be worth considering, but I reckon you wont know until you contact some companies for an on sight quote....

 

[JRS]

I dont think thats true regarding GBs. If you are referring to Mercedes for instance you have to pay MORE for a manual box. Historically, manual boxes handle more torque than autoboxes and therefore are better for larger powered engines.

There are exceptions of course. A great many American auto 'boxes can cope with ludicrous amounts of torque. Mopar 727s, various GM gearboxes, Borg Warner autos fitted to the Jaguar V12s......

 

[Jonny69]

On the 8's the simple fact is there are more auto boxes than manuals and they are a lot cheaper to fit. I actually prefer a manual if you can find one because it makes a fast ride into an animal. There are a number of 4, 5 and 6 speeders to go for. The old route is the Ford toploader which is a 4-speed, these days the manual box to go for is the Corvette 6 speed.

Vintage Air do aftermarket aircon for the American hotrod market and it's 'the one' to go for, everyone uses it out there. They do loads of different sizes so there is almost certainly one to suit your car. The only thing that springs to mind is getting the gas refilled over here, so it might be worth checking that any aircon place can refill it.

 

[volospian]

I'll be going for generally brand new kit (the exception being the diff, that will have to be new diff inside old Jag S-Type casing at the moment, as that's the only IRS that seems to fit) so it'll be something like a TKO 600 (what's the difference between that and a TR 600??). British American Engines also list a Borg Warner 6 speed, but don't mention the actual model or type.

I'd prefer manual if manual boxes are useable in road based high power vehicles. What I mean is that the car will be in normal road use for most of the time and I don't want a highly strung gear shift to contend with. If manual at that power level (I'm thinking of clutch bite strength and so on) is still drivable, then manual would be best.

I haven't driven a high power manual car, so I don't know what they are like, but I remember some comments on high power clutch setups on the Saab sites being a pita to drive in town and so on.

 

[mattpc]

What on earth makes you want one of these? It's not a criticims it's just that I don't get why anyone would want one!!?

 

[volospian]

What, a scimitar?

I like them

 

[mattpc]

Fair enough, every dog has his day.

 

[Jonny69]

I haven't driven a high power manual car, so I don't know what they are like, but I remember some comments on high power clutch setups on the Saab sites being a pita to drive in town and so on.

Basically don't go for straight cut gears or anything without synchromesh if you want to drive it on the road, the Corvette box is ideal, and my main advice is don't go too light on the flywheel and don't use a race clutch. A standard uprated clutch is fine.

What happens with a super light flywheel is it doesn't carry much momentum so it stops when you try and pull away normally. You have to use more revs than normal to keep it spinning or you stall. Race clutches don't have any springs in the friction plate and can make pulling away a bit harsh. The springs are there to soak up any shock when you let the clutch up and when you take them out it has a habit of grabbing the flywheel which again makes pulling away more difficult but also makes gearchanges jerky.