pmsummer
simul justus et peccator
CLUTCHES are for sissies!
Who's a Man and Drives a Stick-Shift
- Thread starter Snade
- Start date
CLUTCHES are for sissies!
pmsummer
simul justus et peccator
double that for weanies who use trannies with synchronizers!
When I was learning how to drive (a 1949 Morris Minor), I sorta killed two birds with one stone when it came to synchros and clutches.
thedelihaus
Nocturnal transmissions
I learned by the time I was 18.
My only regret?
I didn't learn at 16.
Now that I'm busted up and can no longer drive a standard, I'll be faced with dealing with a automatic. Things like Audi and VW's Tiptronic shifting help, as well as the new paddle shift cars, but nothing puts hair on your chest, girl or boy, like a stick shift.
My feeling is the camp is normally divided in two- those who take charge, and those who are only along for the ride. In life. But I'll admit, that's less than fair.
But my love of vehicular control? That's probably why I drove motorcycles in December.
Exceptions to the rule for automatics are- personal injury, vehicle/model availability, trying to get fresh with the lady friend, and folk who have a race-type clutch, but must deal with street/city traffic on a daily basis.
After a few hot-rodded Camaros, Firebirds, Darts, Mustangs and a couple other delights, all with a beefy clutch, the occasional charliehorse in my left thigh made me forgive the auto drivers.
Good topic, good, fun, provocative title.
I've nothing against automatics and the people who drive them, and it's just one more testament to the brainpower of man, but in the world of automobiles, fast food, and pumping gas, I've always been a "self-serve" type of guy.
My only regret?
I didn't learn at 16.
Now that I'm busted up and can no longer drive a standard, I'll be faced with dealing with a automatic. Things like Audi and VW's Tiptronic shifting help, as well as the new paddle shift cars, but nothing puts hair on your chest, girl or boy, like a stick shift.
My feeling is the camp is normally divided in two- those who take charge, and those who are only along for the ride. In life. But I'll admit, that's less than fair.
But my love of vehicular control? That's probably why I drove motorcycles in December.
Exceptions to the rule for automatics are- personal injury, vehicle/model availability, trying to get fresh with the lady friend, and folk who have a race-type clutch, but must deal with street/city traffic on a daily basis.
After a few hot-rodded Camaros, Firebirds, Darts, Mustangs and a couple other delights, all with a beefy clutch, the occasional charliehorse in my left thigh made me forgive the auto drivers.
Good topic, good, fun, provocative title.
I've nothing against automatics and the people who drive them, and it's just one more testament to the brainpower of man, but in the world of automobiles, fast food, and pumping gas, I've always been a "self-serve" type of guy.
colortrakker
Thinking in color...
Tried a stick exactly once. It was an '83 Ranger with not-even-god-knows-how-many miles on the thing. You could NOT let up on the clutch slowly enough to keep it from bucking or stalling - it was physically impossible. Never considered a stick from then on because of that.
I bought my truck with standard shift because it was the cheapest truck on the lot.
I had a 73 Duster with three-on-the-tree and the linkage would jump out of the brackets inside the firewall. I kept a spud-wrench in the car to pop it back in, my wife looked funny with a spud wrench.
Actually nothing turns me on like a woman in nothing but Redwings, Bridge-hat and hot-mill gloves and carrying a spud.
I had a 73 Duster with three-on-the-tree and the linkage would jump out of the brackets inside the firewall. I kept a spud-wrench in the car to pop it back in, my wife looked funny with a spud wrench.
Actually nothing turns me on like a woman in nothing but Redwings, Bridge-hat and hot-mill gloves and carrying a spud.
pmsummer
simul justus et peccator
pahtcenter77
Well-Known Member
I learned how to drive in a '41 Dodge army weapons carrier that was converted to a flatbed.:thmbsp:
Synchros are for sissies.
77
Synchros are for sissies.
77
pmsummer
simul justus et peccator
I learned how to drive in a '41 Dodge army weapons carrier that was converted to a flatbed.:thmbsp:
Synchros are for sissies.
77
Damn boy! I drove one of those a lot ('42 model) as a teenager. My dad got it as a utility truck for the ranchette. We could make our own trails in the woods with that thing. When I drove it to high School, none of the kool-kids gave me any krap. I could put it in low range-first, get out, and walk beside her as she moved through the parking lot.
pioneernut
I need help
So true, I got pretty good at that after about a year of driving my Neon. It's probably why I managed to get 96k miles out of the lclutch before replacing it.
Whats funny for me, my smart ass dad showed me up doing just that while I was driving and he's sitting in the passenger seat. I'm about to press on the clutch, and my dad reaches over and shifts gears, like nothing ever happened. To top it off, he was a bit drunk and showing off, and telling me that real men don't need clutches. We had a good laugh, but I had big shoes to fill, he drove a semi for 7 years. I have alot of respect for guys who drive a truck for living, its not easy.
pahtcenter77
Well-Known Member
pmsummer said:
Ours had a glass doorknob for a shift knob, and the radio out of a 56 Plymouth
stuck in the map box with a speaker hanging below. Most people couldn't figure out the foot starter. In low range, you could actually jam it in to first gear without pushing in the clutch. Worked better in dirt, though. We took it to town on Halloween for the egg throwing.
jpciii
I like pizza
My last 4 cars have been 5-spd Hondas... 3 had cable operated clutches.
My wife drives a 6-spd manual trans Jeep Liberty. We had to special order it because no Jeep dealerships within 150 miles would put a manual trans Liberty on their lot. They said that they didn't stock them because nobody buys them. I said that maybe people didn't buy them because nobody stocked them, but what do I know... In fact, many sales people I talked to didn't even know you could get a manual trans Liberty. That's ok because we ordered one up exactly the way we wanted it.
I don't think driving a manual makes you manly. But if you drive an automatic, you're soft. :finger:
My wife drives a 6-spd manual trans Jeep Liberty. We had to special order it because no Jeep dealerships within 150 miles would put a manual trans Liberty on their lot. They said that they didn't stock them because nobody buys them. I said that maybe people didn't buy them because nobody stocked them, but what do I know... In fact, many sales people I talked to didn't even know you could get a manual trans Liberty. That's ok because we ordered one up exactly the way we wanted it.
I don't think driving a manual makes you manly. But if you drive an automatic, you're soft. :finger:
Not much. Generally people that sell cars know their market. Some vehicles there's a call for stick and some not. Your stick shift Liberty will probably bring considerably less money than an auto at trade-in. Part of the cost of being hard.
jpciii
I like pizza
Well, we also looked at the Honda CRV, and also had trouble finding a stick shift to test... because dealerships had trouble keeping them around. They where selling fast. That tells me there is a market for manual transmission SUV's. As far as diminished trade-in, of course ones with an auto will get more... it was a very expensive option to the tune of $800. But, none of that matters because we want to keep ours for many years anyway.
Richard C.
Active Member
I took a 10 year break from driving a manual, and now I am back to a '01 GT Mustang. 25 MPG AND it's fun to drive. It handles well and a stick allows more control! I couldn't find an automatic with the options I wanted when I bought mine new, so I took a chance and bought a stick. 5 years now, and no regrets. My Tremec T-3650 is nice, but a T-56 would be much better!
By the way, I had a '96 Camaro and I couldn't stand the blind spots. This Atlanta fast traffic where; the faster they drive - the less they use a turn signal, is a bitch if you can't see them coming at you!
I would consider a new Camaro, AFTER a couple of years (for the newness to settle down). I remember Ford salesmen getting $50K for the "new" Thunderbird here.
Richard C.
By the way, I had a '96 Camaro and I couldn't stand the blind spots. This Atlanta fast traffic where; the faster they drive - the less they use a turn signal, is a bitch if you can't see them coming at you!
I would consider a new Camaro, AFTER a couple of years (for the newness to settle down). I remember Ford salesmen getting $50K for the "new" Thunderbird here.
Richard C.