Drove automatics since 16yrs old. Then 8yrs later picked up my very own Prelude. Manual of course.
All the people who knew I was car shopping advised me against it and was somewhat shocked I bought a manual. Mom and bro said it was too much work. Fella who let me try his manual car didn't have much confidence in me. And here I am one year later doing just fine. The way I figure it is I'm young and might as well have some fun while I'm able bodied!
Accelerating from a stop on an incline is a challenge at first. So was making a left hand turn at an intersection or stop sign. If I stalled in the middle of the road with oncoming cars I'm in trouble fast. Funny at first I'd avoid making left handed turns, I'd rather go down the road make a U-turn then come back up to make a right hand turn. lol
Training my sister, who's 15 right now, to drive a manual. Concentration to the road is very important and driving a stick will keep her mind focus on the road. That's s very important safety factor. I'm not teaching her so she can abuse her power and drive like a maniac and impress her friends. Though that may be a downside once she knows her ways. But I'm thinking safety first. No fiddling with the stereo or checking her makeup on the rearview mirror.
As far as manual saving gas money, to hell with that, my foot doesn't listen to me and always wants to hammer at the gas pedal!
Hell, now I can make phone calls and drink water while driving as well. Woot!
All the people who knew I was car shopping advised me against it and was somewhat shocked I bought a manual. Mom and bro said it was too much work. Fella who let me try his manual car didn't have much confidence in me. And here I am one year later doing just fine. The way I figure it is I'm young and might as well have some fun while I'm able bodied!
Accelerating from a stop on an incline is a challenge at first. So was making a left hand turn at an intersection or stop sign. If I stalled in the middle of the road with oncoming cars I'm in trouble fast. Funny at first I'd avoid making left handed turns, I'd rather go down the road make a U-turn then come back up to make a right hand turn. lol
Training my sister, who's 15 right now, to drive a manual. Concentration to the road is very important and driving a stick will keep her mind focus on the road. That's s very important safety factor. I'm not teaching her so she can abuse her power and drive like a maniac and impress her friends. Though that may be a downside once she knows her ways. But I'm thinking safety first. No fiddling with the stereo or checking her makeup on the rearview mirror.
As far as manual saving gas money, to hell with that, my foot doesn't listen to me and always wants to hammer at the gas pedal!
Hell, now I can make phone calls and drink water while driving as well. Woot!
learned on my friends' Saab 900 (old school '87)
then not long after, drove my new car off the lot,
I never stalled the car I learned on... because I'd seen it done so many times, I had a pretty good feel for it.
people that don't buy cars that are 5 speed even though they want to, beacuse it's a "hassle in traffic" or they think its hard to learn, need to give their heads a shake IMO. It's NOT a hassle once you get used to driving the car, and its friggin easy as hell to learn.
Yep, for over 30 years and that is the end of shifting for me. Automatic is now my only ticket!
By the way, never use the clutch to engage the engine to slow the car down. Use the brakes because it is much cheaper to change brake pads then clutch discs...
By the way, never use the clutch to engage the engine to slow the car down. Use the brakes because it is much cheaper to change brake pads then clutch discs...
I went to testdrive a used Civic 5-speed at a local dealership with a friend.
Him: "Where's the tach?"
M4H: "Can't you shift without one?"
Him: "No, I just watch the revs."
M4H: ""
I second the "makes you think about driving more" bit. Something tells me that if automatics didn't exist, the majority of ricers around town would be too busy stalling off the line to blast their stereos for more than an instant. That or they'd slam into a tree.
- M4H
Him: "Where's the tach?"
M4H: "Can't you shift without one?"
Him: "No, I just watch the revs."
M4H: "
"I second the "makes you think about driving more" bit. Something tells me that if automatics didn't exist, the majority of ricers around town would be too busy stalling off the line to blast their stereos for more than an instant. That or they'd slam into a tree.
- M4H
kage69
Lifer
- Jul 17, 2003
- 31,312
- 47,511
- 136
Yep. I drive a 6spd. and love it. My next vehicle is going to have to be a truck though, so it's over to the auto camp I go
I learned from some girl I used&abused in college, she drove a banged up Ford and didn't mind me grinding her gears up and down the main campus roads.
I learned from some girl I used&abused in college, she drove a banged up Ford and didn't mind me grinding her gears up and down the main campus roads.
NuclearNed
Raconteur
- May 18, 2001
- 7,882
- 380
- 126
I learned to drive on my Dad's car that had a 5 speed manual transmission. One of the first vehicles I drove a lot was a three speed truck with the shifter on the column. Cars with automatic transmissions just aren't as much fun to drive. But sadly enough, both of my vehicles are automatics because my wife doesn't like to drive manuals (although she is perfectly capable).
Demon-Xanth
Lifer
- Feb 15, 2000
- 20,551
- 2
- 81
I got the luxury of getting competant with a diesel, 4WD pickup. They're torquey enough to avoid stalling under most conditions, and heavy enough to not be jerky.
Manual cars I've driven:
'64 and '71 VW Bug
late '90s Civic
Mid '90s Integra
mid '80s S10
'92 Jeep Wrangler (light weight, short wheelbase, torquey engine? FUN!)
'99 Dodge Ram
'02 Dakota
So I've basically spanned pretty much every end of the manual spectrum but high performance. No, the Integra is not high performance. The NV-5600 in the Ram is by far the best manual I've used. The 5.63:1 ratio 1st gear even makes traffic bareable.
Manual cars I've driven:
'64 and '71 VW Bug
late '90s Civic
Mid '90s Integra
mid '80s S10
'92 Jeep Wrangler (light weight, short wheelbase, torquey engine? FUN!)
'99 Dodge Ram
'02 Dakota
So I've basically spanned pretty much every end of the manual spectrum but high performance. No, the Integra is not high performance. The NV-5600 in the Ram is by far the best manual I've used. The 5.63:1 ratio 1st gear even makes traffic bareable.
DivideBYZero
Lifer
- May 18, 2001
- 24,117
- 2
- 0
Right, because no two cars have better or worse transmissions than others, a better or worse shift linkage, or a more forgiving clutch. All vehicles are carbon copies of one another and never deteriorate with age.
:roll:
- M4H
why dont you just get a beater and learn it?
there's wide open spaces in LI, so you're relatively safe.
there's wide open spaces in LI, so you're relatively safe.
Its obvious people prefer automatics. Manual transmission sales are like 15% of total vehicle sales, but 80% of people here can drive manuals.
StageLeft
No Lifer
- Sep 29, 2000
- 70,150
- 5
- 0
Considering a lot of the respondents are young and driving their parents' cars, which are probably automatic, I dare say that a lot of the yes respondents are people who choose manual when they're playing gran tourismo, or they once spent 30 minutes burning the clutch on a friend's car in a parking lot and now they "know how to drive a manual". That's like me saying I know how to walk a tight rope. Sure I know how (Just walk!), but I can't.
DivideBYZero
Lifer
- May 18, 2001
- 24,117
- 2
- 0
The WRX trans is by no means more difficult than most. As you know I have one and have driven more stick cars of more types than most.
I'll see your :roll: and raise you a
HardcoreRobot
Lifer
- Nov 7, 2000
- 16,403
- 3
- 81
No... but I've been wanting to learn. Everyone I know that has one has a fairly new car so I feel bad asking to learn on theirs... not even sure they'd let me anyway...
Originally posted by: DivideBYZero
The WRX trans is by no means more difficult than most. As you know I have one and have driven more stick cars of more types than most.
I'll see your :roll: and raise you a
I eat the
and raise you a :beer:. There's still no way I'm going to believe that someone will have the same experience learning to drive stick on an old beater econobox with a clutch looser than Britney Spears and a ropey shifter, versus a fresh, new, unforgiving pedal and stick. One of these lets them slip out and gives them damn near half a foot of travel before they stall. The other gives you an inch.
- M4H
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