One of my reasons for buying a Crossfire was the six speed manual gearbox thinking it would be like a six speed in a 'vette. Well not quite but I can see why it is aso used in the Jeep Wrangler.


1st - good for malls, parades, and going up the side of a wall
2nd - starting gear, car is faster if you start here
3rd - good for neighborhoods with speed bumps
4th - neighborhoods without speed bumps
5th - 1:1 any speed limit of 35 mph or more
6th - o/d. 45 mph or more. 2400 rpm at 70 has you looking for another gear.


Be OK in Florida with just 2nd, 4th, and 6th. Amazing thing is that my 4400 lb Jeep Grand Chrokee tow car gets better EPA mpg than the Crossfire and it runs on 87 PON.


That said it is my preferred daily driver this time of the year.

 

I thought you had sold that POS Crossfire and got something you think is half decent, guess not.
6th - o/d. 45 mph or more. 4800 rpm at 140 has you looking for better brakes.

 

https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...html#post61819

 

I have commented that I'd like SRT brakes for the Dragon, but maybe I don't need them

It could be worse:
I'm renting a Dodge Ram Hemi 5.xL four door truck for work, had it three weeks now - plenty of power - but DAYUM, who forgot to put brakes on that beast?
Seriously, I don't follow anyone at any speed very close at all - if someone stands on the brakes in a car that stops like my Limited Roadster, I'd be in a world of hurt with that truck, were I behind them.

 

Didn't say I didn't like it, the package is almost perfect for me, small, overpowered, 6 cyl, 6 speed, excellent AC, electronics testbed, just had a few things needing fixed for my personal taste (though was first time I've needed a sawzall, how many here need an extra 2" of legroom ? )


Really the only thing left is a 2.67:1 ring and pinion or differential carrier with same for a decent price. Am looking.


As for top end, last car I had that the top speed was in top gear was a '67 Camaro with Muncie and a Fuelly 327 from a 65 Corvette. For me top should be a long overdrive for minimal IHP on Interstates. Under 2,000 rpm at 70 preferred.


Only problem is that the car seemed designed for the Barney Oldfield school of driving while my back likes support on long drives (heck, it can take 6 hours just to get out of Florida headed west) so I am more of the Jim Clark school.


Not sure why you keep taking what I say as negative, I just see areas for improvement, don't remember ever having a stock car. For me the crossfire is a Keeper.


ps the gears make perfect sense for a turbo 2 liter with an 8 grand redline or for climbing a wall in a Jeep, just not for a sub 3000 lb car with a lazy 6 cyl in Florida. Personally was just glad to get a manual trans in these years of flappy paddles & am amazed that Chrysler was able to produce the Crossfire even with OTS & hand-me-down parts.

 

You use brakes on the Dragon ?
What a sissy .......

 

Hey it was that or push the Xfire in front of me..

Pretty sure I made the right choice..

 

That pun was directed at Mark, not you.

But, I guess it don't matter much.

 

I'm just taking up for Mark.. He's had it rough lately..

 

Hole shot says it all. Being more comfortable with the V8 I have actually launched with STi's and kept up.... Until I shift, once 2nd is reached I typically catch and pass.

For a long time I hated the gearing. As of recently it's grown on me because of how f'ing quick it can make the car.

 

Understand more of the issue now, remember Grumpy Jenkins in his toy making one great leap off the line & powershifting (are two ways to powershift a Municie and do not try without at least a Competionn Plus with the HD rods:
1) From first gear pull back as hard as you can on the shifter with right foot flat on floor and just bat the clutch
2) From first gear pull back as hard as you can on the shifter with right foot flat on floor and just bat with right foot. Left does nothing.)


Either will work 9 times out of 10 and is the fastest way to go. Of course was a time when everyone carried a spare trans and a Muncie needing a rebuild was a $25 item. Was even slicker if you ground every other tooth off the synchro rings & filled with ATF. Don't try with an early Muncie having the small input shaft, case will split.


Personally I'd rather not scatter a MB trans all over the road, suspect it would be more than $25 and don't carry a spare.


Do agree that first can be useful if you know how to speed shift, anything else and 1st>2nd just feels awkward. I'd rather start in second and just accept that a clutch will only last about 50k miles.


That said my '86 2.8 V6 Fiero GT had a four speed and 4th was the same revs at 70 as the XF. Always wanted another gear in it also.

 

brought back some memories....rockcrushers....lol. I always called it bang shifting....

 

Rock Crusher: M22 close ratio Muncie. Called that because the straight cut gears sounded like they were crushing rocks.


Have to remember that in 1970 tires were just starting to become more than "even dangerous in the driveway" and with 400+ cubes going "up in smoke" was a quick way to lose.


Personally have never understood bracket racing & found "Fast & Furious - Tokio Drifting" hilarious.


So back in the day if you wanted to win in the higher classes you had to have absolutely no respect for tha car. Period. Slide the clutch off the line to keep the engine at max torque while transferring the weight back (used to love the way the Ramcharger's Dodge would lift straight up in the air on takeoff, those guys really knew how to tune a suspension, you could see the rear tires distort...)


Back then we didn't have fuel injection (well not in stock class, had this '67 Camaro at GMI...) so a poorly controlled leak and no flow baffles to enhance torque, just an iron or aluminum manifold. When everyone salivated for Holleys, I had a Quadrajet, a 800 cfm + Quadrajet but to go fast you had to keep the flow near constant so the air valve did not shut (and setting up the air valve spring in a QJ is an art form).


This meant the right foot stayed on the floor & if you blew a clutch or trans, or rearend or even snapped a driveshaft occasionally, that was the price of winning (why scattershields were a requirement in the interesting classes).


Used to paint a white line on driveshaft and axles to be able to see the amount of twist.


In these days of automagics and "breaking out" you just do not understand what it was like back then.


In any event that was in the days before I turned 21 and eligable for real racing SCCA style with a B/P fuelly 63 vette coupe I paid a grand for. Had a Holley at the time but I swapped for a 65 Rochester and "fixed" to the tune of about 900 cfm.


Oh well, now a days I just like interesting rides and when I find one, make it fit what I think it should be. That the XF was designed for Gus Grissom is fixable. Like the six speed but prefer not to drop one.
Nothing a 2.67 rear gear won't cure.

 

Was wondering how many manual 6 spds were produced vs the automatic. Can't find in earlier posts. Based on autotrader listings I'm guessing 40%. Anybody know?

 

My only conclusion from reading this is that in another decade, I'll have one of the few stock all-original roadsters with a working tranny. I understand the "drive the wheels off of it" mentality, but I have 50k miles on mine and continue to treat it nicely. Sure, some hard acceleration through the gears and have had it to 140 a couple times, but not dropping the hammer at 3-4k rpm. Call me a wussy, but a wussy with a working XF.