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Drove a stick shift for the first time today.
- Thread starter Squashfan
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Cool, never tried one myself buy have driven a few column shift vans and trucks (manuals with "3 on the tree"). Now that's different.
What was it?
What was it?
Yeah, I used to say that for a whole bunch of years. From when I learned to drive at 16 until 2001 I drove nothing but sticks. Automatic tranny? Couldn't give me one. Then I tore up my right shoulder on the job in 2001, and needed my rotator cuff and tendon fixed up and had my arm taped across my chest for a month. My old truck was over ten years old, and 140K on the clock, so I bought a new Tacoma with an automatic. KNow what? I fell in love with it. Didn't realize what I'd been missing. Now, after almost 13 years and 130K, I wouldn't go back for all the tea in China, and I like tea.
Not only is the auto easier in traffic, but in the snow it is better for traction somehow, with a smoother power delivery or whatever. Two wheel drive pickups are the pits in snow, but this one is way better in wet snowy weather than my last Toyota pickup with the stick. And the gas milage is the same. Go figure.
And as long as I have one leg and one arm that works, I can drive. Twice when I had my old truck I was stuck at home until the 'o lady got home. My right knee got operated on in the late 90's for torn cart ledge, and I couldn't drive my truck. Then my shoulder got torn up. Now with my 2002 Taco, I had my right foot operated on in 2011 for some old army damage, and I could limp out to my truck on crutches, and drive myself to where I needed to go. That's something to think about.
UffDa
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I drove a Toyota 4X4 with a manual transmission for 14 years. It doesn't take long before it become 2nd nature. When my wife road with me
she would comment that I was busier than a one armed paper hanger.
The fun part is driving in the city while eating a burger and drinking coffee while talking on the cell phone.
she would comment that I was busier than a one armed paper hanger.
The fun part is driving in the city while eating a burger and drinking coffee while talking on the cell phone.
So many things out there do require knowledge and experience with clutching and shifting, it's an important skill even if your everyday family sedan is an automatic.
Farm tractors, work vehicles, motorcycles, older pickup trucks, older econo cars... I once had a job that required driving military surplus deuce-and-a-half trucks, and you can bet those never came in automatic transmissions.
My current car is a Honda S2000, and those were never sold with automatic transmissions.
Of course every stick vehicle has it's own behavior, but once you get the basics it's an easy skill to transfer from one vehicle to another. :thumbup:
Still, it's quite an adjustment to shift left-handed.
Farm tractors, work vehicles, motorcycles, older pickup trucks, older econo cars... I once had a job that required driving military surplus deuce-and-a-half trucks, and you can bet those never came in automatic transmissions.
My current car is a Honda S2000, and those were never sold with automatic transmissions.
Of course every stick vehicle has it's own behavior, but once you get the basics it's an easy skill to transfer from one vehicle to another. :thumbup:
Still, it's quite an adjustment to shift left-handed.
I don't know why but I have always called a manual transmission a "straight shift".
The vehicle was a 02 Ford Ranger with 5 forward gears. Is that the correct way to describe the gears? A friend of a friend had the truck for sale and was kind enough to show me some of the basics. Some of which I retained. I did kill the vehicle a couple of times trying to get the timing of clutch and brake when starting it. The two most interesting times were when I almost ran out of the parking lot and over a light pole. I was busy trying to clutch and shift. And later it started bucking. That was a REALLY, REALLY interesting. But it would still take a couple of days to get good at it. Unfortunately, I only had an hour on lunch that day.
The vehicle was a 02 Ford Ranger with 5 forward gears. Is that the correct way to describe the gears? A friend of a friend had the truck for sale and was kind enough to show me some of the basics. Some of which I retained. I did kill the vehicle a couple of times trying to get the timing of clutch and brake when starting it. The two most interesting times were when I almost ran out of the parking lot and over a light pole. I was busy trying to clutch and shift. And later it started bucking. That was a REALLY, REALLY interesting. But it would still take a couple of days to get good at it. Unfortunately, I only had an hour on lunch that day.
That would just be called a "Five-speed manual" around here. That's the most common configuration, although my "S" is a six-speed manual.
If you get the chance to practice again, learn to use the clutch while on a hill. Starting from a stop without rolling backwards, for instance.
If you get the chance to practice again, learn to use the clutch while on a hill. Starting from a stop without rolling backwards, for instance.
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From what I've seen driving the hills in Seattle, I don't think that's actually possible... You can roll only a short distance, but I'm pretty sure you're gonna move at least a little bit backwards.
UffDa
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So many things out there do require knowledge and experience with clutching and shifting, it's an important skill even if your everyday family sedan is an automatic.
Farm tractors, work vehicles, motorcycles, older pickup trucks, older econo cars... I once had a job that required driving military surplus deuce-and-a-half trucks, and you can bet those never came in automatic transmissions.
My current car is a Honda S2000, and those were never sold with automatic transmissions.
Of course every stick vehicle has it's own behavior, but once you get the basics it's an easy skill to transfer from one vehicle to another. :thumbup:
Still, it's quite an adjustment to shift left-handed.
It's an especially important skill for a car thief. There some recent news stories about several young guys who tried to steal cars with manual transmissions
and ended up walking away because they didn't know how to drive them.
bladefixation2
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We just call them manual transmissions here.
Most cars other than luxury cars are manual here. You have to learn to drive and pass your test in a manual transmission car if you want to be able to drive them in future, if you pass your test in an automatic your license is endorsed as such and you aren't allowed to drive manual.
I drove standard manual cars for nearly 15 years until I could afford an automatic. I'll never go back to a manual now. I'm glad I have the skill available to drive a manual but its a major PITA in today's traffic, at least in the UK. You spend most of your time in a manual sat in traffic jams changing N-1-2-N-1-N-1-2-N working your clutch leg harder than an Irish dancer
Most cars other than luxury cars are manual here. You have to learn to drive and pass your test in a manual transmission car if you want to be able to drive them in future, if you pass your test in an automatic your license is endorsed as such and you aren't allowed to drive manual.
I drove standard manual cars for nearly 15 years until I could afford an automatic. I'll never go back to a manual now. I'm glad I have the skill available to drive a manual but its a major PITA in today's traffic, at least in the UK. You spend most of your time in a manual sat in traffic jams changing N-1-2-N-1-N-1-2-N working your clutch leg harder than an Irish dancer
bladefixation2
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From what I've seen driving the hills in Seattle, I don't think that's actually possible... You can roll only a short distance, but I'm pretty sure you're gonna move at least a little bit backwards.
It is definitely possible. You fail your driving test in the UK if you roll backwards during a hill start, you could roll into the car behind if you don't hold the car on the clutch properly.
If you are on a steep hill you need to hold the car on the handbrake (parking brake) and give it a bit more gas when you bring the clutch up to the biting point, you'll feel the clutch take the weight of the car then you take off the handbrake, that way the handbrake stops you rolling back
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its a good skill to have, and it can really open doors as it where, depending on where you travel to. But as much as a manual is fun to drive, I'll take two pedals in light to light traffic any day.
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It is a good thing to know because if you ever travel to the UK or Europe and you rent a basic car, chances are it is a manual shift. Auto shifts always cost a lot more to rent.
It's easy. I do it every day.
We just call it a "manual"
A "straight shift" is just another term for Stick Shift, or it's something different?
Now try it in Australia, shifting left-handed.
It's easy. I do it every day.
We just call it a "manual"
I was told that was the hardest part of driving a manual. And we have plenty of hills where I am.
Bladefixation, my boss used to drive a VW beetle and he would start the car on a hill in the manner you describe. The truck I drove did not have a hand brake though. Just an emergency brake pedal.
I think I do remember hearing about a couple of car thieves who couldn't drive manual. Also, it seems like that was a plot point in a movie too. The character wasn't a car thief but one of the characters needed to get away. However, he couldn't because he couldn't drive a manual trans.
I liked the truck but the owner want almost double the Kelly Blue Book value. One advantage, if I bought a manual transmission, is that there would be only two people who could drive it in the family (myself or my dad). No worries about my family borrowing it without me!
I've only driven automatic transmission cars a few times in my life. I'd say I've not clocked more than 20 hours total. The rest has been manual transmissions. I have a lot more than 20 hours on those.
Both have their pluses and minuses. For my money I'll go with a manual transmission for the flexibility and the control. I have had to push start various cars enough times that I can appreciate a manual transmission. That alone makes it worth it for me.
Both have their pluses and minuses. For my money I'll go with a manual transmission for the flexibility and the control. I have had to push start various cars enough times that I can appreciate a manual transmission. That alone makes it worth it for me.
bladefixation2
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Sounds interesting / challenging! A handbrake is pretty important in a manual car IMHO
My next vehicle will be an auto for sure, but part of that is because my wife can't drive a manual and it will give us a little more flexibility in case we need to swap cars for any reason. In over 30 years of driving I've only owned a couple of automatics, so stick shifts are second nature to me, but I just want an auto. My son just bought his first new car and got a manual because he wanted to have that skill in his toolbox and he thought it was more "fun" than an auto, which may be right.
The fact that they generally have been more than a thousand dollars more expensive has been the usual reason I've gone with the manual but I've also found that econobox cars with automatics have generally been pretty bad because they don't have much power and it is an advantage being able to choose your gear.
The fact that they generally have been more than a thousand dollars more expensive has been the usual reason I've gone with the manual but I've also found that econobox cars with automatics have generally been pretty bad because they don't have much power and it is an advantage being able to choose your gear.