Manual Transmisions

[RugerForMe]

Today I picked up my daughter and one of her friends in the wife's Jeep TJ, They asked if I would take them to Starbucks on the way home. So a little side trip for coffee. The drive over nice easy, hit all the lights, slipped across traffic into the parking lot.

On the way out was a different story, I think church let out or something, I told them to hold on to their coffees. And away I went.

She said she didn't even know it was a stick till I jumped on it to pull out into traffic.

The young lady was amazed that I could shift a standard transmission without jerking it every time I shifted.

I then told them that H's grandpa would give me hell if I was jerky when I drove, (of coarse that made them both laugh).

She asked if I would take her and H out and teach them to drive a standard smoothly. She said the car she will get is a standard and doesn't want to give everyone whiplash when she gets her lic.

 

[Viking Queen]

Smart cookie, asking a "pro" to help them learn to drive a manual the right way. They will be forever grateful for the expert help. So few young folk even know how to drive a manual tranny anymore.

I am sure you will all have fun with the driving lesson adventure.

Viking Queen

 

[Colonialgirl]

After while, I learned to Drive my '69 Alfa Spider without using the clutch to shift at all except stopping and starting off.
Great fun at 75+ going to 5th gear or back down to 4th.
Sure miss that little red beauty.

 

[Fox Mike]

My youngest grand son asked me to teach him to drive a stick. I showed him how then I put him behind the wheel and told him to start the engine...then to let the clutch out v e r y slowly...without touching the accelerator until the car was moving. He jerked me around for a few minutes but he finally got the hang of it. Once he did that he was very smooth on coordinating the clutch and accelerator.

 

[EVILDOCTOR235]

A friend of mine years ago had a 1950 Dodge with fluid drive.You could drive it like a stick or automatic. You only needed the clutch when you put it in gear for the first time or had to back up. You could come up to a stop sign and just put on the brake. You could shift it manualy if you wanted to. It a torque converter and a clutch.

Walter P. Chrysler.

 

[exavid]

I taught my daughters to drive the same way. Took them out on a big open space in my old Ford F250 five speed and made them start and stop without touching the accelerator. It only took a half hour's practice or a bit less for them to get the idea. It was necessary because two of our three vehicles were manual shifters. That was over twenty years ago and they both can drive a stick shift competently even though neither one of them have had a manual shifter for years they can still drive my TJ smoothly.
It's kind of funny to read about car jackers and thieves getting caught trying to steal a car and not being able to drive it when they get in a stick shift. One other good thing about a manual is that you're never likely to drop a tranny and need to put in a rebuilt. Clutches should last for a couple hundred thousand miles and are a lot cheaper to replace as well.

 

[Don Lovel]

I taught my daughters to drive the same way. Took them out on a big open space in my old Ford F250 five speed and made them start and stop without touching the accelerator. It only took a half hour's practice or a bit less for them to get the idea. It was necessary because two of our three vehicles were manual shifters. That was over twenty years ago and they both can drive a stick shift competently even though neither one of them have had a manual shifter for years they can still drive my TJ smoothly.
It's kind of funny to read about car jackers and thieves getting caught trying to steal a car and not being able to drive it when they get in a stick shift. One other good thing about a manual is that you're never likely to drop a tranny and need to put in a rebuilt. Clutches should last for a couple hundred thousand miles and are a lot cheaper to replace as well.

Exact same story here. I told my daughters that if they could not drive a stick then they could not drive. So we took the 4x4 farm truck out to a big open pasture and had them drive until they kind of had enough going on to get on a dirt road. I put my oldest daughter behind the wheel of my Ranger I had at the time for work truck and told her, "keep it below 35mph, keep it out of the ditches, don't hit any oilfield trucks or farm implements, livestock or wildlife, have fun, I will tell you when to turn. Cranked up my favorite music on the radio and made her drive me all over the county. Both my girls can drive about anything with wheels, dang proud of them for that. They are the ones their stupid friends call to come pull them out of a snowbank since my girls both drive 4x4's
I told them never charge less than $20 for pulling someone out, but if they are stupid or a butthead, soak them for everything you can get or don't tow it

 

[cas6969]

I learned to drive a manual transmition in my sleep.

The first car I ever bought while in high school had a three speed on the column, the guy I bought it from dropped it off at my house, I'd never driven a manual before.

I dreamt about driving a manual two nights in a row. Got up the next moring and drove the car like I'd been doing it for years. :shock: :?: :D


The only problem I had at first was that 1st gear wasn't synchromeshed so you had to sit and wait a bit at stop signs for the gears to stop to get into first.

 

[737tdi]

Judy is always amazed at how smooth a 5 speed manual can be driven. Something not mentioned is stopping. My dad taught me how to stop without whiplash as well. When pulling to a stop light/sign slowly release the pedal so as not to make the passengers feel it. Just a slight feather of the brake pedal until stopped.

By the way I could never drive my dad's 3 on the tree 69 Ford pickup smoothly, if you could hats off to you. It was not designed to be a SMOOTH driving vehicle, UGGGGHHHHH. I hated that truck.

Karl

 

[longspurr]

There are times that manual trannies are NOT good. I had been driving stick shifts for a couple of years when I went to San Francisco. Being stopped, on a hill, in traffic, I either gave too little gas and stalled, or a bunch and peeled out – uphill. I really hated driving in parts of San Fran, and i'm sure the cars behind me felt the same way.

I used to think “sticks” were the way to go, until I had my right ankle and knee in a brace. I could still drive the wifes car with auto tranny, used the left foot, but my truck sat for awhile until I got better.

 

[blume357]

One of the guys on car talk explained how he taught folks how to drive a manual transmission... empty parking lot and teach them how to take off in 1st gear by letting off of the clutch... but with out putting your foot on the gas peddle...

 

[Dan in MI]

One of the guys on car talk explained how he taught folks how to drive a manual transmission... empty parking lot and teach them how to take off in 1st gear by letting off of the clutch... but with out putting your foot on the gas peddle...

As stated here and many times above that is the ONLY way to teach how to drive a manual trans.

I have taught quite a few people including my wife who's father told she would never be able to drive a stick after days of trying. Trying to teach gas and clutch at once is too much too take on at first. Most get it after only a couple tries.

I too, love shifting with no clutch and probably do it 1/2 the time or more without thinking. I have more fun showing people that say it can't be done by having them run the gas on my direction and shifting from the passenger seat.

 

[GunnyGene]

The tough part with manual's is starting out from a dead stop on a steep hill without rolling back into the guy behind you. Teach her to heel and toe the gas and brake. I learned on the hills of Seattle and San Francisco.

 

[slowhand]

I remember learning to drive a stick.Many years ago.Got so good I could keep my arm around my girl and shift the 3 on the tree with my left hand,going thru the steering wheel. 57 chevy.4 door hard top six cylinder.What memories.

 

[Kevin]

My 2013 VW is a 6 speed manual. On even the slightest hill when you let your foot off the brake to move to the gas it has a 3 second delay before the car will start to roll backwards. It's pretty nice. I'm not sure if all newer manual transmission cars have that?

 

[6gun]

My 2013 VW is a 6 speed manual. On even the slightest hill when you let your foot off the brake to move to the gas it has a 3 second delay before the car will start to roll backwards. It's pretty nice. I'm not sure if all newer manual transmission cars have that?

Now that's cheating having a delay :D personally I wouldn't want that I like having my Jeep able to roll back on a hill I do it on purpose to scare the crap out of those people that like to stop to close to my rear I love to see the look in my mirror and see their faces when they think a big old Jeep is going to roll over their little Jap mobile, they learn fast they back way off at the next light. :lol:

My dad taught me how to drive a manual when I first got my license in a old cab over diesel with a 16 speed Spicer.

 

[DukeMinski]

My GF's daughter was leaving for college (last summer) and had been saving for a car.
She asked me to go with her to look a some used ones.
We came across a two door coupe with a 5 speed at one of the car lots.
It was NOT the car she test drove, but I told the guy to get the keys...I wanted to try it out.
I took it down the road and she rode along. Then asked her if she wanted to try. She said 'sure'...and she loved it!
Not great at driving a stick, but decent for a beginner.
We ended up getting that car for her & she loves driving with the manual transmission.

 

[RugerForMe]

Yep, started my daughter driving when she was 13. First with the Auto then to the standard. I did the same with her, back dirt road 1st gear, no gas just let the clutch out slowly, clutch in, stop, repeat.


Growing up in UP state NY, you had to figure out hills in a hurry.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

The only problem I had at first was that 1st gear wasn't synchromeshed so you had to sit and wait a bit at stop signs for the gears to stop to get into first.

Double-clutch, cas, double-clutch.

;)

 

[Ale-8(1)]

The tough part with manual's is starting out from a dead stop on a steep hill without rolling back into the guy behind you. Teach her to heel and toe the gas and brake. I learned on the hills of Seattle and San Francisco.

Our high school driver training instructor taught us how to use the "emergency brake" to hold the car in position while manipulating the clutch and accelerator in such situations. Couldn't pass the course until you had mastered this trick.

Dad's 1947 (?) Studebaker had a "hill holder" feature. When stopping going uphill, so long as you kept the clutch pedal held to the floor the car could not roll backwards. Rather cool. I think some other cars had this feature, as well.

:mrgreen:

 

[Big Old Boy]

I worked for a company back in the 70s all road trucks had 16 speed Spicer transmissions with big power only had to flip a button what a great ride back then.

 

[Jim Puke]

I got caught up with my gear changing years ago...I never wax nostalgic and find myself missing it.

 

[Kyberz]

My 2013 VW is a 6 speed manual. On even the slightest hill when you let your foot off the brake to move to the gas it has a 3 second delay before the car will start to roll backwards. It's pretty nice. I'm not sure if all newer manual transmission cars have that?

Subarus have the same feature except there is no delay. When you stop on a hill you can take your foot off the brake and sit there as long as you want, it won't release until you let out the clutch and step on the gas.

I learned to drive a stick when I was 13. I was working at my uncle's Union 76 station in east LA for the summer. One of my jobs was to drive the cars brought in for repair that were parked out front to the back of the station into the service bays. One day the manager looked at me with smile on his face and said, "Go get that VW bug." I replied that I didn't know how to drive a stick shift. "I don't care, you'll figure it out, bugs are easy to drive." While walking out to get it I wondered what was wrong with it, I quickly found out. I got in, pushed the clutch pedal to the floor, fired it up, put it in first gear and slowly let out the clutch. The car didn't move much but I did as the seat flew back to it's rearward most position. My foot came off the clutch, the engine coughed and sputtered, the bug lurched to a stop and the seat rocketed to it's forward most position slamming me into the steering wheel. At the same time my foot found the clutch pedal and pushed it in enough for engine to smooth out causing the bug to lurch forward, the seat once again flew back. From there use your imagination, "Wash, rinse and repeat" numerous times. :lol: 15 frustrating minutes later, hugging the steering wheel as tightly as I could, I finally got the VW into the service bay only to find all the employees including my uncle laughing hysterically. I did get a standing ovation when I got out of the bug.

After that I never had a problem driving a manual transmission. :D

 

[RugerForMe]

Little off topic but Speaking of starting out on a hill. Back when I was in collage, (30 some years ago) my car gave up the ghost, one of our neighbors offered me a '70 Ranchero, 351ci, 4 speed w/posi out back. It was used as a farm truck and real eye sore but ran like a top and came with huge snow tires.

My Dad and I had been Mushrooming and I was attempting to pull out of gravel road up a incline onto the blacktop. Without spraying gravel allover this jerk that pulled right up tight. He started right out blowing his horn and yelling when he yelled maybe I should buy an automatic I let it loose, I was able to grab second gear before I hit the black top.

My Dad was laughing so hard I thought he was going to pass out. The road was at the end of a long straight section, We never saw him pull out on to the black top.

 

[6gun]

Little off topic but Speaking of starting out on a hill. Back when I was in collage, (30 some years ago) my car gave up the ghost, one of our neighbors offered me a '70 Ranchero, 351ci, 4 speed w/posi out back. It was used as a farm truck and real eye sore but ran like a top and came with huge snow tires.

My Dad and I had been Mushrooming and I was attempting to pull out of gravel road up a incline onto the blacktop. Without spraying gravel allover this jerk that pulled right up tight. He started right out blowing his horn and yelling when he yelled maybe I should buy an automatic I let it loose, I was able to grab second gear before I hit the black top.

My Dad was laughing so hard I thought he was going to pass out. The road was at the end of a long straight section, We never saw him pull out on to the black top.

Must have took him awhile to pick the gravel out of his teeth :lol: I bet his attitude changed after that and that he learned to stay way back now. :lol:

 

[Charon]

The trick for a non-synchronized first gear (or reverse) is to push the shift lever toward one of the synchronized gears. This will stop the transmission shafts by "synchronizing" them to the non-moving output shaft.

 

[Jim Puke]

The trick for a non-synchronized first gear (or reverse) is to push the shift lever toward one of the synchronized gears. This will stop the transmission shafts by "synchronizing" them to the non-moving output shaft.

Bingo...2nd gear...then 1st or reverse.

Grew up with those column shift trucks and it was automatic, when stopping and starting.

 

[GunnyGene]

4 on the floor. 426 hemi up front. Burn rubber forever. Steer with the rear. Big fat cheater slicks. I hate front wheel drive. :wink:

 

[6gun]

^^ :roll: :roll:

 

[Fox Mike]

A friend of mine years ago had a 1950 Dodge with fluid drive.You could drive it like a stick or automatic. You only needed the clutch when you put it in gear for the first time or had to back up. You could come up to a stop sign and just put on the brake. You could shift it manualy if you wanted to. It a torque converter and a clutch.

Walter P. Chrysler.

Learned to drive in a DeSoto with that transmission/clutch assembly.