Can You Drive A Stick Shift ?

[spellcaster]

Like most older guys, driving a standard is pretty much a given. It constantly amazes me how many young people can only drive an automatic. When I ran the cleanup department in a car dealership for most of a decade, one of the challenges was hiring service washers who could move manual-shift customer vehicles when they came out of the service department. I figure if you can't deal with a stick, you shouldn't tell people you know how to drive.

 

[rebelwoclue]

This is what I learned to drive in my younger (Class A) days. 5 and 4 transmission

 

[LoveHz]

I've been driving for over 50 years. Only driven an automatic once -- and that was almost 20 years ago.
My first car was a 1934 chain-driven Morgan three-wheeler -- 1000cc v-twin motor-cycle engine on the front, three-speed crash (no synchromesh) gearbox, two pedals (brakes and clutch), hand throttle and manual advance/retard ignition timing levers both on the steering wheel.
Co-ordinating the hand throttle, foot clutch and gear lever for a double-declutch change down from third to second (while steering at the same time) demanded a degree of manual and mental dexterity long since lost in this modern world. Driving a vintage Moggie was the craziest, most invigorating thing you could ever do on a public road. At anything over 50mph you were all set for take-off!

 

[simond]

We had a Citroen 2CV 30 odd years ago. It had a weird "umbrella handle" gear stick that slid in and out from the dash board. Also the handbrake had a little round gizmo that you could turn 90 degrees and lock the lever as an anti theft device.

 

[ifallalot]

The only reason I didn't get a manual in my newest car was a particularly bad day of traffic on my way home from work on the night I was going to buy the car.

I had the internet sales manager hold both a manual and auto version of the same exact car for me; I was dead set on manual but my wife got in my ear about it so I had the manager hold the auto for me as well.

It took me nearly two hours to drive 38 miles on the 405 and that was it. I bought the auto.

I guess I made a good decision though because my mechanic buddy told me that Subaru automatics are more reliable than their manuals

 

[w3stie]

The only reason I didn't get a manual in my newest car was a particularly bad day of traffic on my way home from work on the night I was going to buy the car.

I had the internet sales manager hold both a manual and auto version of the same exact car for me; I was dead set on manual but my wife got in my ear about it so I had the manager hold the auto for me as well.

It took me nearly two hours to drive 38 miles on the 405 and that was it. I bought the auto.

I guess I made a good decision though because my mechanic buddy told me that Subaru automatics are more reliable than their manuals

It's the clutch that goes on Subies. Probably because of the AWD.

 

[CharlieO]

I have owned 30+ cars with manual transmissions, and am somewhat ashamed to say that my last 6 have had automatics. I really made an effort to find a nice used Corvette convertible with a stick a few years ago, but gave up after realizing that good ones were not easy to find locally. I bought a Crossfire with an automatic, which I still have. Over the past decade I have come to understand that there really wouldn't be any great enjoyment to be obtained from driving a car with a manual transmission on our straight, flat roads in bumper to bumper traffic, so I am now on the hunt for a C7 convertible with an automatic.

My wife absolutely refuses to sell her 17 year old Toyota Celica 5-speed, so I do get a chance to thrash that once or twice a year. It brings back memories of the pleasures of driving a slow car fast.

 

[bigdog]

I learned on a '65 Ford p/u with three on the tree then spent the next 20 years driving stick shifts. I didn't own an automatic until I was 36. My college years were behind the wheel of several different late 60's VW's and I learned to shift them without the clutch as they were prone to breaking the clutch cable about once a year!

 

[Tremade]

Learned with one of these. It has an overdrive button! 4 gears + electrical overdrive

I never wanted an automatic until I moved to "the big city". Always been driving manual (in my own cars at least) but next time it will be some sort of automatic transmission. It's awful averaging 6-8mph in traffic jams with a stick shift.

 

[Teddyjack]

Oh yeah. I learned to drive on my parents '67 VW Bug. I still miss driving that car...

 

[trev333]

I got to remember to put the auto in park when I get home.... fortunately I park it on flat ground....

then when I go to use it next time it won't start?..... dohh.... put it in park you idiot!....

 

[64Strat]

I can even do it with my left hand!

Well, to be truly amazing and ambidextrous, the foot pedals would have to be reversed order.

 

[64Strat]

My latest manual transmission car... 6 speed, close ratio 1st through 4th... coupled to 450hp, in a 3300 lb car.

 

[oldfish]

when I learned to drive just about all cars had manual gears very easy to suss out and you can then drive any car small truck etc.

 

[Chicago Matt]

I prefer a stick shift, both column and floor but prefer the floor. All my cars were stick until the 90's. Driving an hour and a half each way to work in Atlanta traffic finally made me cry "Uncle!". Now semi-retired and working from home. Maybe I'll do the stick on the next vehicle.

 

[gtrjunior]

Hell yeah I can...I drive a tractor trailer for a living so...
BUT I learned to drive a car on a stick shift long before I learned to drive a truck. I actually learned to drive on my fathers van that had a 3 on the column shift.

 

[8barlouie]

My first car was a 1969 Ford Pinto which my father bought me. If you do some checking you'll see this is the one that turns into a fireball if it gets hit from behind. The fix was to install a plastic shield around the rear of the gas tank. LOL. Back in the day we had to successfully parallel park on our driving license test.

 

[RoyalBaby]

Yes, British/ European so it's the norm. I have driven a couple of automatics but it takes me a while to get the hang of them. I used to drive an old Leyland Sherpa van with no power steering (I think it weighed nearly two tons) and the gear stick was about 3 foot long and vibrated constantly so trying to catch it with my left hand was like trying to catch a squash ball whilst driving. So, I could turn a corner or I could change gear but not both at the same time.

I've been driving for over 50 years. Only driven an automatic once -- and that was almost 20 years ago.
My first car was a 1934 chain-driven Morgan three-wheeler -- 1000cc v-twin motor-cycle engine on the front, three-speed crash (no synchromesh) gearbox, two pedals (brakes and clutch), hand throttle and manual advance/retard ignition timing levers both on the steering wheel.
Co-ordinating the hand throttle, foot clutch and gear lever for a double-declutch change down from third to second (while steering at the same time) demanded a degree of manual and mental dexterity long since lost in this modern world. Driving a vintage Moggie was the craziest, most invigorating thing you could ever do on a public road. At anything over 50mph you were all set for take-off!

I have a campervan ( small RV) I bought off a guy who owned a Morgan. I'm not very interested in cars but seen up close that's just a work of art, truly stunning. Not a pre war three wheeler though.

 

[alnico357]

Yes I can, but really can do without the hassle.

 

[Nick Fanis]

Automatic cars are very rare and very expensive in Greece so if you can't drive stick you simply can't drive at all.