automatic corolla quesiton

[Btb]

I recently just bought an 03 Corolla LE, automatic. I wanted to find a manual car, but im in a phase right now where I dont have much money, and the deal for this car was great ( 11 grand with only 5000 miles on it, in prestine condition). I don't know much about cars, but since this is my first nice car that may be worth making a little nicer, I am slowly getting into a tuner mindset. My quesiton is, is there a part for an auto tranny that allows it to shift quicker and more precise? I thought B&M made something, but I realized it was for a manual only. In relation this, is it unusual to upgrade an automatic car? Whenever I see most racing cars or suped up cars they are all manual. I would imagine the purists would say no.

[Btb]

Dumb question?

[PhatRoyale]

You're probably thinking of an automatic transmission shift kit.

IIRC, there is one member here, Piloter, who has it on his car, you can try PMing him to get more info about it.

[Piloter]

Oh god, not again! Yes, most performance enthusiasts seem to prefer manuals due to either the higher degree of control, the greater degree of involvement, the lower drivetrain power loss, or the added gear or two. You really don't see autos much in motorsport except for SERIOUS drag cars, where it'd be impossible to repeatedly and predictably shift in the short amount of time involved. That said, if you have an automatic transmission that works well with the way you drive (and especially if you left-foot-brake!), no reason you can't use whatcha got. Besides, it makes your project just that much more unique.

Just do a forum search for my posts and the word Transgo for information on the shift kit. I don't know if the newer Corollas still use the A245E. Failing that, there are a couple companies that offer an uprated shift body, namely Import Performance Transmissions (IPT) or Level10. These aren't cheap. I mean really not cheap, especially for IPT, but you probably don't need to go this route unless you start putting 75-100% more power through it than it was designed for. I've been told by several people that the A245E is essentially bulletproof, but given the cost of replacement, it's not something you really want to take chances on.

That said, the transmission is about the worst place to start making your first investment. If you're really wanting to do something nice for it, do a flush-and-fill with something like Royal Purple and maybe put a transmission cooler on it if you hold gears manually for a long time or carry a lot of cargo on a regular basis. I'd recommend some simple bolt-ons first...intake/headers/exhaust if you want to be able to accelerate a bit faster, or maybe some upgraded suspension components/braces if you want to be able to turn a bit quicker and flatter. For what you'd spend on a shift kit and installation, you could pick up a couple upgraded braces and a CAI, or new springs, and it'd make a bigger initial difference.

[Btb]

great, thanks for the help.