For those of you who drive....can you drive stick?

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ruveyn
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29 Sep 2010, 6:35 am

I drove with a manual shift from the git-go. I never owned a car with an automatic transmission although I have driven such cars.

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Mdyar
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29 Sep 2010, 7:10 am

ruveyn wrote:
I drove with a manual shift from the git-go. I never owned a car with an automatic transmission although I have driven such cars.

ruveyn

My dad only owned 2 automatics and this was due to the deals at the lot..........otherwise it is always a manual/stick.

An old rule of thumb is that it was $500 less than an "auto," and back in the day the auto tran's were long term unreliable due to the overdrive part.....(too much expense to rebuild at 90 - 100,000 miles).
And before the "locking torque converters,"(this 4 speed overdrive) , you had only a 3 speed automatic that naturally slipped at the torque converter and would lose fuel economy. This hydraulic coupling here was just that, fluid to fluid at the converter, with no mechanical lock up between the engine and the final drive at the wheels.

I think the 'steering column shift' was phased out decades ago, but I don't know for sure. I believe it was an option for the truck and vans, at least for G.M.

I recall you can bump this "shifter" with your knee and knock it back into neutral.

I've owned one ( 5 speed stick) and if you got the horsepower than it's fun, but high traffic wears the left leg out.



Last edited by Mdyar on 29 Sep 2010, 7:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.

irishwhistle
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29 Sep 2010, 12:51 pm

zer0netgain wrote:
It's not a big deal. It's all about getting a feel for the clutch, which can vary from vehicle to vehicle, but once you find that "sweet spot" where it engages/disengages, it's not long until you're shifting smoothly.

I prefer manuals because they are lower maintenance than automatics. You also have more control over your torque options in poor driving conditions.


Hey, just out of curiosity, how are they lower maintenance than automatics? I know diddly about it, :D so please keep it simple.


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29 Sep 2010, 1:20 pm

Ive driven stick once and without anyone teaching me i had zero problems even on a decent hill.



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29 Sep 2010, 3:03 pm

I drive, and I learned on a 'stick' shift back in the 70's. Prefer it to automatic, for icy weather, etc.


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DW_a_mom
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29 Sep 2010, 4:26 pm

I'm not a good driver overall, but I like driving a stick. Among other things, it gives me more to do, so I am less likely to find my mind wandering. Also, it really puts you in touch with the feel of the car, and the mechanics of it, which is another thing I probably never would have done without being forced to.

I learned shortly after college, when I bought my first car from a neighbor. It was a stick, and I had to figure out how to drive it since I had bought it, lol. I was definitely worried about it, I confess, and I'm sure it was a rocky start. I'm still a little hard on my clutch, but I can see why you probably took to it. It takes a different type of coordination than other things you've mentioned; this one is really about getting in touch with the machine, more than being physically coordinated, if that makes sense.

While I'm not AS per se, I think I share some of the common impairments many AS seem to have when it comes to driving. The stick actually helps overcome them.


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Mdyar
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29 Sep 2010, 7:31 pm

irishwhistle wrote:
zer0netgain wrote:
It's not a big deal. It's all about getting a feel for the clutch, which can vary from vehicle to vehicle, but once you find that "sweet spot" where it engages/disengages, it's not long until you're shifting smoothly.

I prefer manuals because they are lower maintenance than automatics. You also have more control over your torque options in poor driving conditions.


Hey, just out of curiosity, how are they lower maintenance than automatics? I know diddly about it, :D so please keep it simple.


I hope I'm not intruding here:
Automatics require a filter & fluid service(change) at 30k miles. Some older "ones" also had a reverse band adjustment at this interval.
Automatics have altogether between 13 and 16 quarts of transmission fluid. But a partial 5 qt. change is all that is needed @ 30k miles.
When they "go" it will cost $2000 to replace. If you get 175k you're doing good and are probably exceptional.

Sooner or later a manual transmission will need a clutch and throwout bearing replacement. Some need fluid changes at shorter intervals as my Ford used ATF fluid and required a 30k change. But it only took several quarts( 3-4?). And some go a lot longer.
My dad would do this work himself and I think you're looking at $200 for 80,000 miles.The wear/interval depends on driving habits.

If you look at a car as an investment, then the "stick" is more cost effective.



irishwhistle
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29 Sep 2010, 10:13 pm

Mdyar wrote:
irishwhistle wrote:
zer0netgain wrote:
It's not a big deal. It's all about getting a feel for the clutch, which can vary from vehicle to vehicle, but once you find that "sweet spot" where it engages/disengages, it's not long until you're shifting smoothly.

I prefer manuals because they are lower maintenance than automatics. You also have more control over your torque options in poor driving conditions.


Hey, just out of curiosity, how are they lower maintenance than automatics? I know diddly about it, :D so please keep it simple.


I hope I'm not intruding here:
Automatics require a filter & fluid service(change) at 30k miles. Some older "ones" also had a reverse band adjustment at this interval.
Automatics have altogether between 13 and 16 quarts of transmission fluid. But a partial 5 qt. change is all that is needed @ 30k miles.
When they "go" it will cost $2000 to replace. If you get 175k you're doing good and are probably exceptional.

Sooner or later a manual transmission will need a clutch and throwout bearing replacement. Some need fluid changes at shorter intervals as my Ford used ATF fluid and required a 30k change. But it only took several quarts( 3-4?). And some go a lot longer.
My dad would do this work himself and I think you're looking at $200 for 80,000 miles.The wear/interval depends on driving habits.

If you look at a car as an investment, then the "stick" is more cost effective.


Thanks, you're not intruding at all, that was just what I was wondering. It goes a long way toward explaining why the manual transmission is still around when automatic is "easier" (which I put in quotes because not everyone has a problem with manual as we have discovered here).


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beady
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22 Jun 2015, 9:07 pm

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First drove a stick as a teen.. my brother taught me on his Fiat.

It was love at first drive and this was in the steep hills near San Francisco.

More recently, I drove a Subaru Impreza WRX for years , awesomely fun! I really miss it!
I feel much more connected to the vehicle with manual transmission, as a previous poster said, you have to pay more attention to your driving even after it becomes second nature.
Shifting between 1st and 2nd is, of course, always the most difficult to do smoothly.
To hell with anybody who gets pissed off when you stall. Give an apologetic wave, then just relax and focus on the process of what you need to do. Practice, practice, practice - like anything else.



kraftiekortie
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22 Jun 2015, 9:19 pm

I can't drive stick shift. I would like to learn.

It's cheaper to maintain because the transmission is cheaper, in manual transmissions, to replace should it need replacing.



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22 Jun 2015, 9:43 pm

I drive a Fiat 500, stick. Wish I had one of the older model Fiats that you must have learned, on, beady.

kraftiekortie, you may really like driving a stick, so I suggest learning, if you have the opportunity. If you find it a bit nerve racking or frustrating, at first, don't give up, because, once you get it down, it becomes second nature, and can be a lot of fun. Or, at least, it can add dimension to the driving experience. Is that the real 'you', in your profile photo, by the way?



kraftiekortie
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22 Jun 2015, 9:48 pm

Yep....that's me about five years ago.



MjrMajorMajor
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22 Jun 2015, 10:32 pm

We have a stick shift, and an automatic vehicle. They both have their positives, but I occasionally keep wanting to hit the clutch in the automatic :mrgreen:



tetris
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23 Jun 2015, 3:51 am

Manual is the default car here. The only issue I had with a manual was the instructors car when learning to drive, the biting point was higher than on my car and I kept forgetting. Apart from that and the first 5 minutes figuring it out it was never difficult for me, I found it quite easy.



iliketrees
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23 Jun 2015, 4:49 am

I have never seen or know anyone with an automatic car, when I first heard of them I thought they were self drive :D I drive stick. I imagine it's hard to learn if you're used to automatic. I don't know if I could get used to a car that's automatic - how do they deal with hills and ice? Hills you need to drop a gear and ice you need to increase a gear. Do they have that much control? 8O



tetris
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23 Jun 2015, 5:32 am

iliketrees wrote:
I have never seen or know anyone with an automatic car, when I first heard of them I thought they were self drive :D I drive stick. I imagine it's hard to learn if you're used to automatic. I don't know if I could get used to a car that's automatic - how do they deal with hills and ice? Hills you need to drop a gear and ice you need to increase a gear. Do they have that much control? 8O


I've never driven one but my dad has hired them, we were in Austria at Christmas and you can shift them up an down a gear if you want. I'm not sure whether they'd pick themselves to go up or down a gear though.