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TV "car guys"

DrEntropy

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Just watched some guy discover to his apparent surprise it's possible to drive a "sports car" (Miata in this case) in winter conditions. We drove MGB's year 'round, beginning from the late '60's, out of necessity. Semperit tires and away we go. Driven through blizzards over the Allegheny Mountains in those cars. This show EveryDay Driver featured a Nissan 4WD SUV and a Miata, they drove them through similar snow conditions and the take-away seemed to be what we've known for years; turn OFF all the fancy electronic traction control stuff and DRIVE the car. And that it IS possible to drive a sportscar in both summer and winter.

I guess there's an audience for the shows with people expounding on the "wonderful" tech features in modern cars, but in this case the conclusion is something a lot of us here have known for decades: a lighter car is no detriment to driving over snow-covered highways.

...and control is better left to the driver.
 

Rhodyspit75

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...and control is better left to the driver

This should read ...and control is better left to people who know how to drive.
 

NutmegCT

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One of my young interns at Sturbridge wanted to drive my old TR3. We went out to the parking lot, and I told him "remember, this is an old car that doesn't have power brakes."

Intern said "What are power brakes?"

If you grow up with all sorts of tech stuff to "help" you, you think it's always been that way ... and you never learn to really drive (or cook, or plan finances, or have a conversation, or ...).

Need I say ... "Smaht Pahk"?
 

3798j

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Going to school in Indiana, PA...living in Harrisburg, PA, the Allegheny's could be daunting. Prepared the TR4A by removing the hub caps...to keep them from rusting. The Michelin X's always got me there. This photo taken when the TR was wearing "Lotus livery".
 

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Deleted member 8987

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One of my young interns at Sturbridge wanted to drive my old TR3. We went out to the parking lot, and I told him "remember, this is an old car that doesn't have power brakes."

Intern said "What are power brakes?"

If you grow up with all sorts of tech stuff to "help" you, you think it's always been that way ... and you never learn to really drive (or cook, or plan finances, or have a conversation, or ...).

Need I say ... "Smaht Pahk"?

One of the reasons cars with stick shifts are less likely any more to be stolen. At least by Millennial Joyriders. Add to that mix, RHD with LH floor shift....or three-on-the-tree. All of the above I own and drive. I never lock my cars any more. Avoids broken windows, and there is nothing to steal.
Over 50 years ago I tried to teach my wife to drive a stick. She started with a column automatic.
Third time she took out reverse, I gave up. She STILL has to have an automatic to drive, and can't drive my three.

Folks get used to proximity warning sensors...don't know to actually LOOK. Rented a car once with backup camera. I covered the screen...too distracting using actual MIRRORS to back up.

Now you have to have some electronic assist to park your car.

Stupid.
 

vette

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Yep been there done that. Drove an MGA thru my college years in early '70s. The tall tires on a narrow, light chassis made it dig like a tractor. The only thing that slowed it down was when the snow would get packed into the grill area. Sometimes it would freeze up in front of the radiator and I had to chip it out with a screwdriver.
 

dklawson

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... We went out to the parking lot, and I told him "remember, this is an old car that doesn't have power brakes." Intern said "What are power brakes?"

An acquaintance of mine owns Corvairs and works at home. One afternoon he heard some noises outside. He found his son pointing to the open driver's door and explaining to his friends that some cars really did require you to "roll up" the windows.





One of the reasons cars with stick shifts are less likely any more to be stolen. At least by Millennial Joyriders.

I have a Millennial Anti-theft Device T-shirt. My sons refused to buy it for me... but then again... they can drive stick.
Link to T-Shirt
 

vette

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Last summer i decided to take the wife and daughter and her husband for a late afternoon ride and stop for dinner. I took the new Vette and I gave the old Vette to the daughter and her husband. When he went to start it I told him to let it warm up for a few minutes.......he asked "Why" ???????
Then on the way home, after dark, as we got closer to home ( I live on a rural road ) I noticed he wasn't behind me. We got into the driveway and we waited a few minutes for them to show up. After we got the cars bedded down in the garage I asked him what took him so long coming up the road. He said "How do you turn the High Beams on ". Duh. Kids.
 

waltesefalcon

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High beams on the floor?
 

vette

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Not only on the floor but hidden under the carpet. He never new a car that didn’t have a high beam switch on the steering column.
 
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Deleted member 8987

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Try it on a RHD MK2 Jag. It's up high against the tunnel, inboard clutch pedal. Royal pain to get my foot on it.
 

vette

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Try it on a RHD MK2 Jag. It's up high against the tunnel, inboard clutch pedal. Royal pain to get my foot on it.

At least you know where it is. My son-in-law didn't have a clue. LOL.
 

pdplot

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Friend of mine suffered an "incident" at our annual sports car dinner a few years ago. Was taken to a local hospital. I had to drive his Toyota Avalon home. Automatic transmission. Somehow I got it stuck in second gear and had to drive it all the way home on the parkway in second. Found out later that you had to move the lever sideways to upshift. Who knew? My Subaru has the same feature but with paddle shifters.
 

Trevor Triumph

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Sometimes I wonder with all the assists we may pay less attention to driving. A few summer ago I rented Fiat 500 four door. Backing out of a short driveway, my wife said, "Why don't you just use the screen?" Well using the screen I nearly hit the people walking down the sidewalk. We had GMC pickup with a rear camera - two mirrors on the doors, a center mirror, and the screen located in the dash - there seemed too be too many places to look. Sometimes maybe just turn your head to look where you are backing.
 

DavidApp

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At a car show last fall a guy asked what the hole in the grill was for on my TR3A. "The starting handle" I said. He looked a bit baffled at that so I got it the handle out of the boot. Turned the ignition on and checked the car was in neutral. It started on the second turn of the handle. He was amazed.
I think I could have made money doing a starting demo every 15 minutes at the show.

David
 

Bayless

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When I got my first drivers license, if you took the driving test in a car with automatic transmission then it was listed on the license and you were not authorized to drive a stick shift. Times have changed.
 

PAUL161

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Remember when automatic transmission was an option, stick was standard, now it's just the opposite and some don't even offer a stick in any vehicles. A fellow worker had a 1955 ElCamino pickup with an automatic transmission, first truck I ever saw with that option, was quite expensive for that time. Yes, times have changed for sure. PJ
 

Gliderman8

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I bought a 2019 mazda3 sedan last year and wanted to get the 6-speed manual. The only way they offer the manual is their top of the line model. :censored:
 

AngliaGT

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My Wife has a 2010 Ford Fusion,with a 6 speed manual transmission.
She didn't want an automatic.
Out of five vehicles,my dd Dodge Dakota is the only automatic that we
have.I couldn't find one with a 5 speed.
 
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