Why 4 speeds cars cost more then auto?

[1974dodgecharger]

I would say the value of a 4 speed adds more than 10% I would say 30%.  If one had say 30k to spend and one saw a 4 speed ad for 28k and an auto version of it for 20k im guessing he will resort to the 4 speed with all things being equal.

To me its like asking do you want a 440 or a hemi from that year with all things being equal....HEMI for me.

[six-tee-nine]

Hey, caveman,

there is alot of 40+ year old Euro iron around here if you are in the world of classic cars. You need to take into consideration that most of Europe has an environment comparable to the northern States of the US. Only Spain, Italy and the south of France have a good climate. So alot of old cars got eaten by road salt.
Anything yes almost every car that is of a German make and runs on diesel goes to africa after his lifetime on our roads. these guys export entire junk yards on boats.

And I dont want to rain on your parade but dont just say that people in the US always are better of than we are.
If I compare my own situation then first of all I pay alot more taxes than the guy in the same situation. However, I make more money every hour than he does.
My boss provides me a hospitalization insurance at no cost for me and my family and when I go to the dentist the government pays me most of that cost back.
Theres just to much crap on our tv that lets us see how great life can be in the US when you make boatloads of money.
Trust me alot of guys on this site have to work their ass off every day to keep their classics.

This said, I'm not going to reply to this far too political topic no more unless its on topic (sorry mods)

[moparnut]

The factory 4spd cars are becoming more rare everyday,the numbers were lower to begin with.If you are looking for comfort in big city driving a 4spd is not the car. My 69 is a 4spd ,nothing like shifting thru the gears shifting to the sound of the motor.Something that the automatics take care of for you.My tic toc tac reads double but once you get used to it its a very fun car to drive.I have another 4 spd a 70 ford torino cobra,429 close ratio 10 spline transmisson.The torino has a much closer shift pattern,gets a little weird going from car to car.Ive had my mopar for over 12 years its my baby,will never sell. Not to take anything from the torino its a very quick car, but if I had to sell it would be the torino.

[cavemanno1]

Hey, caveman,

there is alot of 40+ year old Euro iron around here if you are in the world of classic cars. You need to take into consideration that most of Europe has an environment comparable to the northern States of the US. Only Spain, Italy and the south of France have a good climate. So alot of old cars got eaten by road salt.
Anything yes almost every car that is of a German make and runs on diesel goes to africa after his lifetime on our roads. these guys export entire junk yards on boats.

And I dont want to rain on your parade but dont just say that people in the US always are better of than we are.
If I compare my own situation then first of all I pay alot more taxes than the guy in the same situation. However, I make more money every hour than he does.
My boss provides me a hospitalization insurance at no cost for me and my family and when I go to the dentist the government pays me most of that cost back.
Theres just to much crap on our tv that lets us see how great life can be in the US when you make boatloads of money.
Trust me alot of guys on this site have to work their ass off every day to keep their classics.

This said, I'm not going to reply to this far too political topic no more unless its on topic (sorry mods)

Six-tee-nine!

I was referring to my country and not the whole Europe!I know i should have been more clear on that but i was referring to Hungarian tax and not seeing old Europen cars HERE in Hungary!That is why i compared Your country to mine!You guys have 100+ second gen chargers we have 1!!!
That's being said you are right it's far to political so let's go back to the topic!

If you guys could have a choice now you would want a 4 speed,wouldn't you?


OK someone mentioned that other brands had significantly more 4 speed cars made then mopar!Also someone else said,which stands correct,that these cars were everyday cars and having an automatic was an appropriate transmission!
But other brands didn't cars about it or just didn't care about the demand which isn't very likely!

[Ghoste]

Without seeing hard numbers I wouldn't be surprised if the other brands had about the same percentage as Mopars but since they were built in such greater numbers overall it makes their four speed cars appear more common.
And too, the Torqueflite was superior to the competition's automatics.

[dyslexic teddybear]

Without seeing hard numbers I wouldn't be surprised if the other brands had about the same percentage as Mopars but since they were built in such greater numbers overall it makes their four speed cars appear more common.
And too, the Torqueflite was superior to the competition's automatics.

Good points.......but I think the last one was spot on. In my area, the Ford and GM autos, especially thru the 70s, had a terrible rep. Often referred to as "bothermatics".......even from the blue oval and bowtie guys. In the 70s, when 4x4s became popular, rare to find a manual Dodge on the dealers lot......easy to in Ford and GM.

[Ghoste]

Bothermatics. 
Vacuum modulation and separate bellhousings. 
The best part is that the Chrysler four speed was tougher too. (imo)

[six-tee-nine]

Like someone said before the Charger was also a higher class car so probably thats why more automatics were sold.

If you look around you'll notice that there are alot more base model Road Runners with the 383 / 4-speed combo, simply because they were more affordable for the younger punks who wanted to row gears and streetrace....

I even considered a while to buy any kind of b-body if it was a 4-speed before buying the Charger simply because I could'nt find one. I decided to convert mine in the restoration process since it's a non numbers matching car anyway

[lloyd3]

When it came time for me to get another car, it was going to be a 4-speed. I'd had way too-much fun with the other big block/four-gear cars I'd owned before I settled down to do the family thing. The fact that my car turned out to be a Charger was a significant plus, but there were other cars that I would have considered, and I was willing to spend the money to do just that. Mind you, this was almost 18-years ago and at that time, the transmission option didn't seem to be as big a deal.

For all the reasons mentioned here earlier, I see very few of them (4-speeds) anymore, either on the road or at the few shows that I attend.

[69wannabe]

My charger was actually a factory 383 two barrel 4-speed car and according to Frank(a mopar guy I get some parts from) it is one of 74 cars built that way in 68, but like I said in another post the car had been swapped around quite a bit by the time I bought it and that two barrel had to go as soon as I got it in the yard!! It didn't have a console or even a boot when I bought it but I pulled the carpet and looked at it and I pretty much figured out by looking at the hump and holes around it that it just had a boot and trim ring which was alot eaiser to come up with than a console!! Everywhere I go if its a saturday car show or a cruise in someone always says to whoever they are with (its a 4-speed car) It's cool for the people who notice!!

[six-tee-nine]

Correct, you have a one of 74

[1974dodgecharger]

In the end we all want 4 speed even if it is slower than auto who cars I get to rev at the lights freely lol...thats FREELY.

I like my autos when im driving and trying to eat or do something at the same time which is majority 9f f9lks like autos it frees up one hand.

[lloyd3]

For 99% of us, these cars are no-longer everyday transportation. If they have survived in fairly decent shape, they have achieved the distinction of now being more "functional-art" than just "transportation".  Accordingly, they are usually gotten out and driven with some flourish and fanfare, and actually entering a public road or highway is something of an event.  If you're going to go to all of the trouble to own and drive one of these dinosaurs......go big! What else lays rubber in all four gears?

[Ghoste]

Brian Wilson's little deuce coupe?

[1974dodgecharger]

For 99% of us, these cars are no-longer everyday transportation. If they have survived in fairly decent shape, they have achieved the distinction of now being more "functional-art" than just "transportation".  Accordingly, they are usually gotten out and driven with some flourish and fanfare, and actually entering a public road or highway is something of an event.  If you're going to go to all of the trouble to own and drive one of these dinosaurs......go big! What else lays rubber in all four gears?

My car sees the highway 5 days a week......I put 200 miles plus on her weekly.

[lloyd3]

Welcome to the 1%.

[polywideblock]

don't know if it is there better or not       

their definitely more fun to drive 

     I went looking for 4 speeds and found them , don't know if I payed more because of that     
 


   love stirring my own gears   

[ACUDANUT]

Welcome to the 1%.

No doubt.  For everyday use, I want a auto...Anyone ever drove in California with a stick, when it was bumper/bumper and stop and wait traffic...I gave myself a leg cramp. I was a long 3 hours.

[A383Wing]

Welcome to the 1%.

No doubt.  For everyday use, I want a auto...Anyone ever drove in California with a stick, when it was bumper/bumper and stop and wait traffic...I gave myself a leg cramp. I was a long 3 hours.

I just spent 3 hours in traffic yesterday driving 60 miles with my manual trans Dakota...should have taken my little auto trans Shadow had I know that was gonna happen

[ACUDANUT]

Wait, there are Shadows out there, that still run ? 

[Mike DC]

 
Wait, there are California freeways out there, that still move? 

[A383Wing]

Wait, there are Shadows out there, that still run ? 

just turned 218,000 miles...little car runs great.......it just rides like a rock which my back does not like anymore

[ACUDANUT]

I bought my last new Chrysler in 94.  It was a Shadow with a 3.0.  It lasted 5 years. The Transmission went out at 70K and the paint flaked off. 

[A383Wing]

I bought my last new Chrysler in 94.  It was a Shadow with a 3.0.  It lasted 5 years. The Transmission went out at 70K and the paint flaked off. 

yea...the V6 trans's were junk...mine has little 2.5 in it