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The advantage of stick shift
- Thread starter NutmegCT
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That was classic, Tom.
I'm amazed these days at how many of my friends (in their 30s and 40s) can't drive a stick. Not don't like it, but can't do it. It's not that hard to learn, really. My wife doesn't know (and actively refuses to learn), my sister as well. Was camping with a friend last weekend -- on our motorcycles. He admitted to me that he never got the hang of driving a stick, and this is someone who rides a motorcycle with a clutch and shifter...
I have to drive an auto now, as noted above my wife can't shift and we need to be able to share cars. And I hate it. There's not a thing about the auto that I like (and it's a nice modern 6-speed).
I'm amazed these days at how many of my friends (in their 30s and 40s) can't drive a stick. Not don't like it, but can't do it. It's not that hard to learn, really. My wife doesn't know (and actively refuses to learn), my sister as well. Was camping with a friend last weekend -- on our motorcycles. He admitted to me that he never got the hang of driving a stick, and this is someone who rides a motorcycle with a clutch and shifter...
I have to drive an auto now, as noted above my wife can't shift and we need to be able to share cars. And I hate it. There's not a thing about the auto that I like (and it's a nice modern 6-speed).
My wife had always said that she couldn't drive a stick shift until one day I bought a little Datsun and said that she should at least be able to drive it in an emergency. We went to a deserted street and she got in, I was starting to tell her to push in the clutch, etc,etc and OFF we went! She knew all along and just had used that as an excuse for me to never buy a manual car. I learned a thing or two that day.
BillM
BillM
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My wife also actively avoids learning, but that partly comes from her wrecking my pick-up the one time she did try to drive a stick.
JodyFKerr
Jedi Knight
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That's awesome! Talk about a sales pitch for learning how to drive a stick!
We're presently an automatic household, which sucks. My truck is used for towing, and it's just easier with an automatic. The Explorer is an automatic because I was told that after leg surgery I wouldn't be able to clutch anymore. Only took me 6 months to be able to drive stick again.
The kids will drive stick shifts. The wife sorta knows but needs practice. I have a pre-restoration Jensen Healey that I intend to get running for her to practice on. That way if she mucks up the clutch we'll be replacing it anyways.
The real positive to having the kids drive a stick, aside from learning to be better drivers, is that none of their peers know how and that will keep them from letting friends drive.
We're presently an automatic household, which sucks. My truck is used for towing, and it's just easier with an automatic. The Explorer is an automatic because I was told that after leg surgery I wouldn't be able to clutch anymore. Only took me 6 months to be able to drive stick again.
The kids will drive stick shifts. The wife sorta knows but needs practice. I have a pre-restoration Jensen Healey that I intend to get running for her to practice on. That way if she mucks up the clutch we'll be replacing it anyways.
The real positive to having the kids drive a stick, aside from learning to be better drivers, is that none of their peers know how and that will keep them from letting friends drive.
D
Deleted member 8987
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I tried early on to teach my wife how to drive stick.
Hopeless.
Out in a deserted parking lot, first gear, pull back and down, Fuel, let out the clutch slow.....finally got that sorted.
Now, palm on the shift ball, rev it up in first, clutch down, push up on the ball, you'll feel it drop through neutral....got it.
Everything good. Go out on the main street, she grabs the shift ball, holds it back towards her while coming out of first, and at 25MPH tries to go into reverse.
Cheaper to have a second car with an automatic than to keep rebuilding transmissions.
Hopeless.
Out in a deserted parking lot, first gear, pull back and down, Fuel, let out the clutch slow.....finally got that sorted.
Now, palm on the shift ball, rev it up in first, clutch down, push up on the ball, you'll feel it drop through neutral....got it.
Everything good. Go out on the main street, she grabs the shift ball, holds it back towards her while coming out of first, and at 25MPH tries to go into reverse.
Cheaper to have a second car with an automatic than to keep rebuilding transmissions.
JodyFKerr
Jedi Knight
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DrEntropy said:But yours is a DRY heat, Jody!!
I been without it here for years.
...but I'm told I must be part reptile many times. :smirk:
Yeah, but the inside of the car can get to 140+ degrees in the summer.
Plus, my furry companions can't sweat like I do. I can live without it, but dogs and babies can't.
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DrEntropy said:
And FWIW Doc, that doesn't even enter the top ten list of why I am glad you aren't king.
That said, all the cars in the family are currently stick - and the next ones will likely be automatic. Mostly 'cause stick in heavy traffic is a PITA. So is a car without AC even in Canada. When you live in a city like Toronto, stick just doesn't make much sense and let's face it, automatic is miles better than it used to be.
D
Deleted member 8987
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Stick shift, RHD, Manual choke.......best theft deterrents known, short of a .45ACP
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JPSmit said:DrEntropy said:
And FWIW Doc, that doesn't even enter the top ten list of why I am glad you aren't king.
That said, all the cars in the family are currently stick - and the next ones will likely be automatic. Mostly 'cause stick in heavy traffic is a PITA. So is a car without AC even in Canada. When you live in a city like Toronto, stick just doesn't make much sense and let's face it, automatic is miles better than it used to be.
BUZZKILLER!
D
Deleted member 8987
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.380ACP is local, social.....
.45ACP is city and noises in the night.
12GA double is for pit bulls in the yard going after the wife and cat.
.45ACP is city and noises in the night.
12GA double is for pit bulls in the yard going after the wife and cat.
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Doc, I am on board with the stick only and no A/C law and maybe we can add in the bit about manual chokes (I hate having some electric/water thing do what I am perfectly capable of doing myself). And how about outlawing cars with on board computers?