What rev's do you shift at?

[JBlubaugh]

Hi All -

I learned to drive stick on my fathers BT7 ( Hence where I got the bug) and to say that he babied it would be an understatement. His instruction was always shift around 3000 RPM. I have noticed since I rebuilt my own BT7 that I have been tending to shift a little later, say around 4000-4500 rpm.

What general rules of thumb do you guys use? Do you have a target RPM? Do you go by the sound and feel, letting the car tell you when?
I find myself falling into the latter group.

Thanks,
Jim

 

[bdcvg]

Depends on the outside air temp, when it's above 85 deg My tach reads high so 4500. Below 85 4000

 

[Keoke]

Do you have a target RPM? ------NO
Do you go by the sound and feel, letting the car tell you when?--Always-----

 

[John Turney]

It depends on how fast I want to accelerate. On my neighborhood streets, I shift at 2200 - 2500 so I don't disturb the neighbors. Cruising, I run at 3000 - 3500. In a hurry 4500 - 5000.

 

[BoyRacer]

In anger.....6000 RPM. But, then, my race car is made for anger! For a street Healey... I agree with what John said.

 

[RAC68]

As John has indicated, I do not want to disturb the neighbors but then my BJ8, with resonators, is not that loud. For most of the life of my BJ8 I have shifted at reasonably high RPM in the range of 4500 RPMs to 5500 RPMs. For the short period when thinking I may be pushing my ageing engine and shifting at half the RPMs, I seem to be plagued by all sorts of engine issues and had less driving fun. Going back to shifting at the higher RPMs, all issues seemed to disappear amd at 50+ years without a rebuild, my car's performance is quite good and the fun of driving had definitely returned.

I'm not sure I agree with Rich that his car was built for anger, I am more prone to believe his car was built to expose the ultimate in enthusiasm, skill, and most of all, fun.

Ray(64BJ8P1)

 

[Bob_Spidell]

re: "... car was built to expose the ultimate in enthusiasm, skill, and most of all, fun."

Excellent.