Anyone here drive stick? - My new Subaru BRZ

Missed that I was looking at it on my phone. If you get a chance there's a whole episode of top speed where they run the brz through its paces showing off the 50/50 weight ratio and HP to torque. The hosts drifted the car into all of their turns in a perfectly controlled manner. Like sport bikes the Subaru and Toyota are corner beasts so overall HP doesn't matter, just like a VW gti. Just pure fun factor! Kudos for you though I wish I had the dough to fund a non practical car. I have to get by with my Highlander granted its the 6 it isn't a drift king, holds a load of groceries like you wouldn't believe though lol. I had a superhawk 1000, RC 51 and a Yamaha 600 not the fastest of bikes but huge on the fun factor for track and real world. Except for the RC which was a pig of a bike. Brz is the same way, doesn't have to have HP numbers to be ridiculous. Its why the gti has such a cult following.
 
T. Erdelyi said:
The Germans have a name for how they fit everything into the engine compartment, it's called shoehorn engineering, I've done 4 motor jobs in the last 2 years on 4 different VW Jettas, actually if you look me up in W&C there's/here's the link...

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/830373-WIP-Lots-of-pics-The-motor-is-in-my-daughter-s-VW-Jetta?highlight=jetta

lots of pics on what's involved from start to finish. I did this in a fully equipped garage with a lift, I've also done it in the driveway of a friend's house, I prefer the fully stocked garage. :)
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Pleh! My BMW is nothing like that! Once the engine cover is removed, it's not much different from other inline 6's. In fact, a lot of the parts in my engine bay have intelligently designed clipping systems. I can replace/test engine coils in about 6 minutes.

I owned an Integra when I was in high school and had to replace the alternator. Honda being what it is, you can unbolt the alternator from underneath the car, but you cannot pull it out of its place in the engine compartment. It's about 1/2" too large in every way, no matter how you rotate it. I called the local Honda dealership in a cry for help, and they told me what needed to happen. So, to remove an already unbolted/disconnected alternator in an Acura Integra, you must remove the front wheel, unbolt the suspension, remove the axle (!), THEN you can pull the dang thing out and put the new one in.

Needless to say, I never bought another Integra :D
 
You guys have it easy. I worked on Saabs for 12 years and the 900 series (the Swedish made "classic" models) has the motor in backwards so that the accessories are smack up against the "firewall". Talk about fun. Upside, the clutch was super easy to get to.
 
My 06 c6 vette is stick... the only way to drive a sports car Imo

photo 1.jpgphoto 2.jpgphoto 3.jpgphoto 4.jpgphoto 5.jpg
 
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Our family had a Grand National for quite a few years. Had a modified governor put in and some other parts. One of the few modern standards that were decent sports cars.
 
My old man's banging around the country car is a '02 Mustang GT stick..nice secretaries car but either it's shrinking or I'm gaining weight..getting a little tight.

Ford's have been good to us..except the 4- corner leveling system on a 2001 Expedition 4X4..think BOAT - Bring Out Another Thousand .

OP, nice ride indeed.

Best.
 
It was Top Gear my fault! Very envious of the fun he has all the time!!!

[video]http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p015x9ys[/video]
 
I havent owned anything other than a manual transmission, my wife owned an Auto for 6 weeks before it was written off in a hailstorm

Nice BRZ !
I love my Subarus, I have a slightly more practical, much less fun to drive forester.
It holds a heap of gear and goes almost anywhere though
 
Echo63 said:
I have a slightly more practical, much less fun to drive forester.
It holds a heap of gear and goes almost anywhere though
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Me too. It has a dual automatic/manual gear box, but it uses flappy paddles, not a stick.
 
Being an underpaid Gov't empoyee, I own a 2002 PT Cruiser. I bought it used, and was tickled pink to find one with a manual T. It had sat on the lot for several months, just because no one wanted a stick. Got a great deal, and have about 125K on it now. Will most likely be my 13 yo son's first car.

I've been driving a stick since '96, and started with a '90 Subaru Legacy.
 
Yup, i drive a stick as well ! In fact, mine is a TwinStick. 6-speed manual G56 trans w/NV271 manual shift transfer case. This is the last of the breed here. 2008 was the last year for the G56 w/Hemi in a Power Wagon.



What is a Power Wagon you ask ? Well, it is NOT a comfort option, thats for sure. It includes all this from the factory:

Built on a 2500 platform, yet has a different part # for the frame.
Long travel super flexy suspension
33" BFG AT tires
Alcoa one piece forged Aluminum rims w/internal bead ribs-to help keep from rolling tire off the rim at lower tire pressures
4.56 gears in axles
Bilstein shocks custom valved for the Power Wagon
full skidplates
15,000lb Warn winch (factory says it is a 12,000lb)
Electronically locking rear & front axles-for REAL 4 wheel drive
Electronically disconnecting front swaybar for awesome articulation
Special rear springs-more but thinner leafs for awesome articulation-some say made by Deaver
sits about 2" higher than standard 2500
Lo range electronic gas pedal recalibration-to keep you from damaging drivetrain while bouncing over logs & such
All this for about $6100. The 26P option ROCKS !!!
G56 gear ratio's: 1st) 6.29:1, 2nd) 3.48:1 3rd) 2.10:1 4th) 1.38:1 5th) 1.0:1 6th 0.79:1 Rev) 5.74:1 Crawl Ratio is 78.016:1. Lower than even a manual shift Rubicon with it's 4.0:1 Lo range transfer case. My Lo range is 2.72:1. If i had a 4.0:1 Lo range, it would be 114.7296:1 !!!

Am i proud of my truck----you betcha !!!
 
Almost every vehicle I've ever owned has had a manual trans----its become so second nature, I don't even realize I'm shifting most of the time.

I have a 2011 Hyundai Tuscon MT-----the manual option isn't even offered in the 2013 models.
 
Here is a snap under the hood. I promise to get more pics in the daylight (keep forgetting).

 
We bought a 2013 Subaru Cross Trek in pumpkin orange last year for my daughter. No manual though, just couldn't talk her into it. I actually dig the CVT. It is like having the best of both worlds. Auto but when put in manual mode it is a LOT of fun using the paddle shifters.
 
While sticks may be fun to drive, the technology of automatic transmissions today makes them obsolete. Todays automatics are faster and more efficient than any stick shift. That is why all supercar manufacturers have now switched to automatic/paddleshifters and are now making a very limited run (decreasing each year) of stick shifts.

Sad to say but one day not far into the future they will be 100% obsolete.
 
Metal Made Fox said:
While sticks may be fun to drive, the technology of automatic transmissions today makes them obsolete. Todays automatics are faster and more efficient than any stick shift. That is why all supercar manufacturers have now switched to automatic/paddleshifters and are now making a very limited run (decreasing each year) of stick shifts.

Sad to say but one day not far into the future they will be 100% obsolete.
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You are correct. People get too caught up in lap times and performance and forget to have a little fun. The point of a MT is control and precision, not performance. But I don't think they'll ever be 100% obsolete. I think driver aids and electronic safety override systems are a BAD thing. It makes for lazy and incompetent drivers. Since learning to drive stick I've become so "aware" of what I'm doing while driving. You can't zone off when driving stick. Well at least I can't, it's not quite second nature yet. But it makes you think about what your doing so much more and requires you to "read" the traffic in more detail than you otherwise would.
 
I bought a stick shift because it was fun and engaging, not because it waa fast. Trust me, civic si is not fast, but for a gas saver it was a good option for my meager salary.

I currently drive an auto suv, but occasionally I will try to clutch hahahaha.
 
HwangJino said:
I currently drive an auto suv, but occasionally I will try to clutch hahahaha.
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I do this in my wife's vehicle all the time. I picked up a 5spd Focus back in January and I love it. I get 30 mpg everywhere (More on the highway), and its fun to drive.
 
rickdarris2004 said:
I do this in my wife's vehicle all the time. I picked up a 5spd Focus back in January and I love it. I get 30 mpg everywhere (More on the highway), and its fun to drive.
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lol i did this one night after my buddy brought up his brand new vw tdi. He let me drive it around for the night, and when we got back to my house i hopped in my car to show him how to get home since he had never driven away from my house in the dark, and coming up to a stop sign i kept pushing in the "clutch" of my grand am and it took me a while to figure out why it wasn't sitting still when i let off the brake haha.
 
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