Stick shift driving...

[Bob McElwee]

My first car, a 48 Chevy Convt, had three-on-the-tree vacuum assist with very short shift distance. In the winter it would just leap from 1st to 2nd. It took a 800 lb grorilla to shift from 2nd to 3rd. I disconnected the vacuum assist which made from real sloppy shifting.
My high school girlfriend had a Jeep Willys, which had very long shift distance. The first time i shifted from 1st to 2nd, i ended up in neutral. Was quite interesting until i got use to it.
My first wife had a Hillman Minx with four-on-the-tree! The shift pattern was opposite of the standard US one, 1st - away and up, 2nd - away and down, 3rd - toward you and up, and 4th - toward you and down. Reverse was way away and down. The first time i drove it i tried to start our in 4th, back up in 3rd and was very confused, much to her delight.
I much prefer floor shifters

 

[Deleted member 8987]

General Misunderstanding was the only company ever to offer a vacuum assisted shift....AND a kit to remove it.

 

[Bayless]

Interesting Bob. My first car was a '46 Chevy convt. The vacuum assist was already gone when I got it. Wish I still had it or could afford another. There was another thing we did back then (the dark ages) that would make it even more theft proof today. Some of you of a "certain age" probably remember moving the shift lever to the left side of the steering wheel. The reason, for those too young to understand, was so we could still change gears while keeping our right arms around our girlfriend. Woohoo, those were the days.

 

[LarryK]

Driven a lot of sticks in the last 50 years. Now have the new steptronic autos in the wife's MINI and my Rover. My track MINI is a stick. All my auto British cars, Jag, Rover and MINIs have a dead pedal for the left foot, but I use both feet in an auto, one for brake and the other for gas, habit from clutch and can usually outstop tailgater. Like the stick but also like the new quickshift autos. My MK1 under restoration is an auto, but have a stick ready for install.

 

[vping]

Eight vehicles in the garage...seven are manual (wife insists one vehicle must be automatic).
Got this just this week...and I will wear it:

Hope they have a 6 speed.

 

[waltesefalcon]

My 52 pick-up is a three on the tree. That, and the starter button, has confused more than one person who has wanted to borrow the thing.

 

[Toledo_Man]

We're used to manual transmissions over here in the UK. Funnily enough, my Triumph has an auto (Borg-Warner 65). I've only ever had a handful of cars with automatic transmission.

 

[PAUL161]

Interesting Bob. My first car was a '46 Chevy convt. The vacuum assist was already gone when I got it. Wish I still had it or could afford another. There was another thing we did back then (the dark ages) that would make it even more theft proof today. Some of you of a "certain age" probably remember moving the shift lever to the left side of the steering wheel. The reason, for those too young to understand, was so we could still change gears while keeping our right arms around our girlfriend. Woohoo, those were the days.

Been years since I've heard of that! :highly_amused: Back in 57 I had a 47 Chevy two door, fully customized with electric door latches and electric trunk latch. 62 crown louvers in a leaded in hood. For those who don't know, Chevys back then had 2 piece hoods spot welded together, when you de chromed them you had to lead in the seam. No Bondo back then, everything was done in lead. 15 inch wheels from a 48. had a GMC hopped up truck engine in it with chrome under the hood everywhere. Deep Royal blue and kept the original mohair upholstery which was like new. Loved that car, wish I had it today. It was a lady killer! PJ

 

[HealeyRick]

You guys probably had one of these, too:

 

[sail]

Didn't have one of those palm pacifiers but Bullwinkle had 4 on the column with freewheel. That car was a delight.

 

[Bayless]

Two-stoker Haven't seen one of those delightful little beasts in years.

 

[pdplot]

Two comments. My 1940 Ford had a 3-speed column shift. So did my '51 and '52.
I sold the Saab 93 back in 1957 working for Allied Foreign Cars in Boston. They sold for $1,895.00. We threw in an Automatic radio (made in Boston) and a side-view mirror. We paid $1,595.00 for the cars. Not a lot of profit margin. I got a commission of $50.00 for selling one Saab. I am also a Saab factory mechanic, having taken a one-day course down in Hingham, Mass. Seven moving parts to that engine. That was almost 3 years before I entered law school. I was working as a mechanic and service manager. We worked on MGAs, XK 120s, Austin Healeys, a Triumph Mayflower, a couple of TDs and TFs, Porsches including one owned by Tenley Albright the Olympic ice skating champion, then in medical school. Ah for those carefree days...

 

[Guest]

My old Ford Ranger has a 5 spd. stick shift and when I had to fly out for a few days, at the airport, I could pull the shift lever out and stuff it behind the seat! Funny, it never got stolen! That was my airport vehicle. :highly_amused:

You could also walk faster than it's top speed too.:highly_amused: