POLL: can you drive stick shift ?

Page 9 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.

Dave332

Member
Jun 24, 2004
78
0
0
Originally posted by: The Pentium Guy
How the hell do you guys with manual talk on the cellphone while driving?
And how on earth can you stand driving in the city..... "Gear one... gear two... oh crap traffic light... gear one.... gear two <repeat>."



As far as city driving, you get used to it and your left leg gets much stronger than the right very fast - Only excercise I get (j/k). As far as cellphones, if you're smart, you don't. If you're my cousin, you steer with your knees/right hand in between gears while swerving wildly on the road, ignoring all signs and medians. Especially medians.
 

Forsythe

Platinum Member
May 2, 2004
2,825
0
0
I wouldn't dream of buying a car with automatic gearing. Just takes the feel away of driving.
 

AbAbber2k

Diamond Member
Mar 1, 2005
6,474
1
0
I drove an automatic until I was 20, bought a new car, manual, and learned on it. I love it, but I think unless my next car is a really nice ride, i'll just go with an automatic. They're nice, but really, if i'm just commuting, an automatic is better imho. Now if you're gonna buy something fast and sexy... gotta go manual.
 

user1234

Banned
Jul 11, 2004
2,428
0
0
how many people can actually pass a driving license test on a manual car ? (btw, those who regularly operate [that means at least 1 hour per week] a manual transmission car are exempt)
 

vshah

Lifer
Sep 20, 2003
19,003
24
81
Originally posted by: Britboy
I can drive a stick with both hands, beat that!:cool:

same here :)
i learned on my dad's old '89 accord, before i got a '02 crv.

now i drive a right hand drive '04 Diesel Land Cruiser :)
 

The Pentium Guy

Diamond Member
Jan 15, 2005
4,327
1
0
Originally posted by: Dave332
Originally posted by: The Pentium Guy
How the hell do you guys with manual talk on the cellphone while driving?
And how on earth can you stand driving in the city..... "Gear one... gear two... oh crap traffic light... gear one.... gear two <repeat>."



As far as city driving, you get used to it and your left leg gets much stronger than the right very fast - Only excercise I get (j/k). As far as cellphones, if you're smart, you don't. If you're my cousin, you steer with your knees/right hand in between gears while swerving wildly on the road, ignoring all signs and medians. Especially medians.

Hmm. Then I vote bluetooth.
 

CRXican

Diamond Member
Jun 9, 2004
9,062
1
0
Originally posted by: user1234
how many people can actually pass a driving license test on a manual car ? (btw, those who regularly operate [that means at least 1 hour per week] a manual transmission car are exempt)

I don't think I could, they have rules that I already know I break and would keep doing so out of habit. I learned stick after I got my license.
 

Aquila76

Diamond Member
Apr 11, 2004
3,549
2
0
www.facebook.com
Originally posted by: Dave332
Originally posted by: The Pentium Guy
How the hell do you guys with manual talk on the cellphone while driving?
And how on earth can you stand driving in the city..... "Gear one... gear two... oh crap traffic light... gear one.... gear two <repeat>."



As far as city driving, you get used to it and your left leg gets much stronger than the right very fast - Only excercise I get (j/k). As far as cellphones, if you're smart, you don't. If you're my cousin, you steer with your knees/right hand in between gears while swerving wildly on the road, ignoring all signs and medians. Especially medians.


Two gifts to get him asap:
Headset
Voice activated dialing

I never touch my phone anymore with these two items.
 

Rainsford

Lifer
Apr 25, 2001
17,515
0
0
Originally posted by: user1234
how many people can actually pass a driving license test on a manual car ? (btw, those who regularly operate [that means at least 1 hour per week] a manual transmission car are exempt)

Wow do you have a stick up your ass about this...

You don't think most people who "know how to drive" a stick have or had a manual transmission car that they drove regularly? It seems a little odd to say that half of the people who claim to know how to drive are saying that based off of driving their buddy's car once or something.
 

newbiepcuser

Diamond Member
Jan 1, 2001
4,474
0
0
Had to drive stick, it was the cheaper solution back then.

83 Celica, no power steering and then onto 95 Tacoma. Switched over to automatic on the next car. Can't say I miss manual, esp during Orange County or LA traffic.
 

user1234

Banned
Jul 11, 2004
2,428
0
0
Originally posted by: Rainsford
Originally posted by: user1234
how many people can actually pass a driving license test on a manual car ? (btw, those who regularly operate [that means at least 1 hour per week] a manual transmission car are exempt)

Wow do you have a stick up your ass about this...

You don't think most people who "know how to drive" a stick have or had a manual transmission car that they drove regularly? It seems a little odd to say that half of the people who claim to know how to drive are saying that based off of driving their buddy's car once or something.


that's exactly what I think, or at least close to half of them. How many of them do you think can't really drive stick ?
 

TwoBills

Senior member
Apr 11, 2004
734
0
76
Back in the day I had a '65 mustang. Ran the crap out of that car. Power shifted it once too many times and broke the shifter mount out of the tailshaft. Bought and aftermarket shifter that had a different mounting pattern, found I had to enlarge the shift hole, since it wasn't offset for a mustang. Cut the hole and then found I had to modify the x-member. F that. Got an old work glove and kept it beside the shifter hole.

Driving it went something like this: Grab top rod and push it forward. 1st gear. Pull the rod back to 2nd gear. Push the rod 1/2 way back, to neutral, drop that rod and pick up the bottom rod, push it forward, 3rd gear. Pull that rod all the way back, 4th gear.

Won a few street races with it like that. Grabbin' 3rd was a pain, tho.

 

Concillian

Diamond Member
May 26, 2004
3,751
8
81
Originally posted by: PaulNEPats
Originally posted by: KokomoGSTmp
I've driven a WRX and it's not really any harder than a typical manual trans car. The only thing different is that it's a tad easier to bog the car with AWD. My current car is an AWD Talon from a FWD Eclipse.

How long did you drive the WRX for? I have found it to be a lot more challenging then say, a Honda Civic.

I would tend to agree.

Sure, a WRX is no harder to make work than a Civic, but to be SMOOTH, it's more challenging.

The stock flywheel is pretty heavy, and requires longer shifting to be smooth than your typical honda. If you just slam and jam it, you slam all 5 drive shafts and get this nice THUD. I've met plenty who think this thud is normal for an AWD car, and drive their car like that everyday... makes me relize how people have blown so many WRX transmissions.

Almost at 90k now, and almost time to change out the clutch. I can't wait to do that and get a lighter flywheel in there and a short shifter. I think it will make the WRX significantly easier to drive smooth.

Took me several months to make the adjustment from my Integra to my WRX transmission. Didn't help that I couldn't really drive all that well when I had the Integra. Of course I thought I drove well, but I was young and quite clueless at that time.
 

OvErHeAtInG

Senior member
Jun 25, 2002
770
0
0
Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Yup. Double-clutch and rev-match too. I learned on a friends Festiva (the thing was a complete beater, but it just wouldn't die, great little "throw-away" car). First car of my own with a standard was a '76 914. The synchros on 1st and 2nd were shot, so I had to double clutch to make it smooth. Got to where I could shift into first smoothly while moving, it was a great little car. I'll have another 'teener someday.

ZV

Rock! I also learned on an acquaintance's festiva, who wanted to sell it... I was "test driving" it :) Then I got an 87 VW Fox - basically learned on that thing. Four speed baby, with German-style reverse.

Now I have a brand new ITR tranny in my 92 gs-r... mmm... my stick has tight gears... (there must be some way I can make that sound off-color)
 

win32asmguy

Senior member
Jan 6, 2002
300
0
76
I learned to drive on my 1969 MG Midget. Only thing "automatic" about that car was systematic failures of its electrical system.
 

Glendor

Diamond Member
Mar 23, 2000
3,911
0
76
Yes! I learned on the way home when I bought my first Mustang GT :) It as a fun, but frustrating, first day with the new car :)
 

jagec

Lifer
Apr 30, 2004
24,442
6
81
Originally posted by: win32asmguy
I learned to drive on my 1969 MG Midget. Only thing "automatic" about that car was systematic failures of its electrical system.

lol, sounds British all right :laugh: