"every man should know how to drive a stick"

[3800Series]

Manual and automatic both have thier advantages and disadvantages. Manuals (typically order models) hpget better milage, better for towing up hills, and can be more reliable.

On the other hand automatics are great for bumper to bumper traffic. Anyone who lives in a big city with many hills can appreciate a automatic.

I haven't driven a manual in many many years. Suffered a bad leg/knee injury out of highschool and just can't take the constant up shift/down shift when I use to live in city.

Not only that but people see a car rolling back a little during a red light and for some reason they want to park within inches of your bumper at the next red light (especially on hills).

The economy gap between manual and automatic has been shrinking rapidly in the past few years. Who knows might be a time when automatics get better mileage then manual (humen error and riding a shift and all).

 

[cashmoney]

Proficient drivers should learn to drive manual trans on both a car and a motorcycle - regardless of gender.

 

[Pop_Rivit]

Originally Posted By: GumbyJarvis
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2012/10/17/how-to-drive-stick-a-shift/


Modern, dumbed down manual transmissions aren't exactly difficult to drive. There's nothing complicated about driving a modern manual transmission-even my 60-something wife does it without a single issue or complaint. But if thumping your chest and pretending that somehow driving a manual transmission makes you more of a man, then by all means knock yourself out.

Now if you really want to drive something that requires skill, drive something with a non-synchronized transmission, preferably one with more than one gear shift. And yes, when I was younger than you I was quite proficient at driving trucks with non-synchronized transmissions.

Originally Posted By: cashmoney
Proficient drivers should learn to drive manual trans on both a car and a motorcycle - regardless of gender.


How about those of us who prefer not to be one of the organ donors riding a motorcycle? For what possible reason would I ever need to be required to shift a motorcycle transmission in order to be a proficient driver of an automobile? And regardless of gender? My wife would never be foolish enough to get on one.

 

[Chris142]

i started driving a stick shift subaru around the yard at 8. got my first car at 16 and it was a 5 speed stic.now i refuse to buy an automatic.my wifes tahoe is an auto but thats by default.

she can drive my cars just fine. i did not drive an auto trans until i was in my 20's. heck i drove a 3 on the tree before i drove an automatic.

and lets not forget my old peterbilt with its 5x3.

 

[BHopkins]

Every one of my children know how to drive a stick shift. I will admit, I failed my daughter. We did not have a stick shift in the stable when she was learning to drive. (Two of her brothers had wrecked the stick shift car.) But, here husband has since taught her how.

It has proven to be beneficial to each of them. They have found themselves in situations where they needed to know how to drive a stick shift, and in some cases, have been the only one in a group who knew how.

For myself, I learned in a '68 Chevy 1/2 ton pickup, with 3-on-the-tree. Later, I got to learn how to drive with a two speed rear axle. That was pretty fun too.

 

[oldhp]

I learned on a 1959 Hillman Husky 4cyl-4 speed.
Wife learned on a 1965 Chevy 3 on da tree.
All my kids learned on a 1988 S-10 4cyl-5 speed.
Manly? What ever....
Good to know? Yes.

 

[Nickdfresh]

Originally Posted By: 123Saab
I see very little point in teaching a kid to drive a stick since there will not be any left by the time they buy their first new car.

Manliness?

hahaha......


As long as they don't go to Europe, where mostly only handicapped people drive automatics...

 

[toneydoc]

My old high school buddies and I used to drive VW beetles with manual tranny.
If we got it stuck, we could lift it out of the mud to better surface and move on with our fun.
Those were the days.

 

[Nickdfresh]

Originally Posted By: 3800Series
...
The economy gap between manual and automatic has been shrinking rapidly in the past few years. Who knows might be a time when automatics get better mileage then manual (humen error and riding a shift and all).


It's already happened with some models. Automatic transmissions have gotten more advanced but the technology on the artful manual has not filtered down to the unwashed masses like me. I'm driving a 5-speed, but Porsche has had a 7-speed manual for some years now. I don't believe any economy cars have adopted this the way they adopted the 6-speed...

 

[Nickdfresh]

I drive an manual, but that certainly does not make me more of "a man" than anyone else. But, could anyone imagine a scene in a James Bond film where Bond is running down a file of cars in a traffic jam to commandeer one to chase the bad guy and say, "excuse me, but I'm with British intelligence and I need this car for a matter of the utmost national security and, but...oh, never mind, I can't drive a stick!"

 

[TooManyWheels]

A real man decides for himself what is important and doesn't give a rat's patootie what some blogger says he should do.

 

[CT8]

Originally Posted By: TooManyWheels
A real man decides for himself what is important and doesn't give a rat's patootie what some blogger says he should do.
But it is on the internet so it is very important.

 

[CT8]

Originally Posted By: Chris142
i started driving a stick shift subaru around the yard at 8. got my first car at 16 and it was a 5 speed stic.now i refuse to buy an automatic.my wifes tahoe is an auto but thats by default.

she can drive my cars just fine. i did not drive an auto trans until i was in my 20's. heck i drove a 3 on the tree before i drove an automatic.

and lets not forget my old peterbilt with its 5x3.
That is a double stick shift and that takes twice the man!!! .

 

[Nyogtha]

I learned driving at 14 on a three on a tree 1973 Pickup with 350 V8 and a clutch spring that would give you a left leg Popeye would envy (my dad's truck).

My first vehicle was a 1972 Mazda pickup that a coworker of my dad's had ended 2 engines in. We cannibalized the best parts of the 2 engines and added new when necessary over a year's time when I was 15. It had four on the floor and a hydraulic clutch.

I went from that to a 1969 Plymouth Duster with three on a tree, a 1976 Pontiac Sunbird with 4 on the floor (worst car I ever had), then my dad's 1980 Chevy pickup with three on a tree when he passed away.

I didn't get a truck with automatic transmission until 1993. Plus I had a nice 1971 Plymouth Roadrunner with four on the floor in there as well.

My wife has no real interest to learn to drive a manual transmission. She claims an automatic with paddle shifters is the best of both worlds. I point out she's never really known firsthand one of those worlds.

Anyway no more manual transmissions for me.

International travel is the only time I get to drive a vehicle with manual transmission now. When I've told Europeans we meet on our trips to far flung places and I tell them it's uncommon to downright rare to find Americans who can drive a manual transmission, their first response is always along the lines of "You're joking!".

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: TooManyWheels
A real man decides for himself what is important and doesn't give a rat's patootie what some blogger says he should do.


This is where I'm at. No offense intended, but why should anyone care?

I grew up shifting my mother's british sports cars from the passenger seat at 8 years old. Drove tractors on Papa's farm with multi stick trans and rear end shifters. Drove forklifts in a marina so big they had a POWER clutch pedal. Basically drove anything I could get a key for.

My "manliness" has not been diminished by having an automatic!

 

[rjundi]

I learned on an international Scout at age 10 in my grandparents field. I think the transmission was non-sync as it took some skill to switch the gears just right.

Then we I got to drive Honda manuals which were quite excellent and comparatively like driving an automatic.

My FIL thought the same thing and only bought (2) $400 Japan beaters with manual transmissions for his 5 girls(wife/sis in laws) to drive. 3 of 5 still drive manual cars while the other two have minivan so no choice but automatics.

 

[Astro14]

Originally Posted By: simple_gifts
Probably should force engineers to use slide rules while we are at it.


They should know how to use a slide rule. If they don't understand logarithms, then their education is inadequate for the job.

The point of the post was: you should know how.

Not; you should own one, you should choose one, manuals are better, or any of the other myriad misrepresentations that have been posted.

You should know how.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Originally Posted By: GumbyJarvis
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2012/10/17/how-to-drive-stick-a-shift/


Modern, dumbed down manual transmissions aren't exactly difficult to drive. There's nothing complicated about driving a modern manual transmission-even my 60-something wife does it without a single issue or complaint. But if thumping your chest and pretending that somehow driving a manual transmission makes you more of a man, then by all means knock yourself out.

Now if you really want to drive something that requires skill, drive something with a non-synchronized transmission, preferably one with more than one gear shift. And yes, when I was younger than you I was quite proficient at driving trucks with non-synchronized transmissions.

Originally Posted By: cashmoney
Proficient drivers should learn to drive manual trans on both a car and a motorcycle - regardless of gender.


How about those of us who prefer not to be one of the organ donors riding a motorcycle? For what possible reason would I ever need to be required to shift a motorcycle transmission in order to be a proficient driver of an automobile? And regardless of gender? My wife would never be foolish enough to get on one.


Nonsynchronized transmissions are no big deal...driven many without a problem. (Got my CDL on an old Spicer 5+2.) My wife and I both ride motorcycles...quite simply, it's FUN! Hoping to do a nice ride this weekend...she LOVES her Pacific Coast.

 

[supton]

Originally Posted By: MrHorspwer
Is it just me, or is learning manliness tips from a website called "The Art of Manliness" just about the most un-manly thing on earth?

Is this what the world is coming to? Manliness tips from a website? Cosmo for guys...


I'm not very well read, but I'm 99% sure that books and articles about being manly (and womanly) have existed for at least a century now. Mankind has wondered about how to live out their roles (gender, work, religion, whatever) and/or have thought about how to pass along instruction to the upcoming generations. Putting such articles on the web is just a natural extension of musings and need to instruct others that has been going on for a long time.

 

[supton]

Originally Posted By: Astro14
Originally Posted By: simple_gifts
Probably should force engineers to use slide rules while we are at it.


They should know how to use a slide rule. If they don't understand logarithms, then their education is inadequate for the job.

The point of the post was: you should know how.

Not; you should own one, you should choose one, manuals are better, or any of the other myriad misrepresentations that have been posted.

You should know how.


I've slowly been accumulating slide rules over the years. If it's than $5 I'm usually tempted to snag. Cool items. I just can never remember what the scales mean. I have directions someplace, but since I will only try to use one like once a year I basically have to either go find the directions each time or I have to do some test math cases first so as to figure it out.

Can't wait for the kids to hit logs in school. I might have to give them their own slide rules for fun.