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Who Drives a Stick-Shift Car?

willie_fugalwillie_fugal 1,862 Posts
edited August 2010 in Strut Central
Anyone out there drive a REAL car or is most of SoulStrut rocking the granny panties of transmissions?

:real_headz:

  Comments

  • BreezBreez 1,706 Posts
    Our house hold has 3 cars and 1 is a stick. I haven't taught the wife how to drive a stick yet, so that puppy's all me.
  • hcrinkhcrink 8,729 Posts
    I do.
  • DJ_EnkiDJ_Enki 6,475 Posts
    Right here. Learned to drive on a stick-shift car, stay rockin' a stick-shift car.
  • pimlicosquirrelpimlicosquirrel 772 Posts
    I have a powerful hate for auto transmissions. So much so that once in a fit of lag rage, I spat a rental's gear box all over the road when I jammed the fucker into reverse.

    :talib:
  • tallbobsmoketallbobsmoke 715 Posts
    Two cars. Both stick.
  • marumaru 1,450 Posts
    Just got my first stick shift and learned how to drive it a few months ago. It's fun.
  • holmesholmes 3,532 Posts
    only ever drove stick shift up until 2005 when i bought an auto for the first time because I was sick of driving manual in city traffic. as long as I live in the city I will never own a manual again. can't believe I held out for so long. we have a classic car which is a manual column change, but that's not for day to day city use.
  • BurnsBurns 2,227 Posts
    I took my car to a shop to get my tires balanced, both techs couldn't drive a manual transmission, they had to get the manager to drive my car up on the rack.

    It should be prereq. to drive a manual at a car shop.
  • tripledoubletripledouble 7,636 Posts
    i got one.
    ou tin italy, automatics are practically unheard of
  • DelayDelay 4,530 Posts
    I learned on and owned stick shifts since 94. My girlfriends car is an automatic and that's mostly all I drive now. I borrowed my moms manual Honda last night, and enjoyed it a lot.
  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
    My first car was a p.o.s. Chevy Citation w/ a manual 4 speed transmission. Crappy car but it was fun to learn how each car's clutch is a little different and tempermental. Up until earlier this year, my wife's car was a manual Acura Integra but alas, its engine was about to go and we ended up buying my mother-in-law's Prius. Suffice to say: not a stick.
  • Hotsauce84Hotsauce84 8,450 Posts
    Everybody should know how to drive a manual. Sh*t, everybody should learn to drive on a manual.

    That said, until the day I get off my ass and buy me a classic, I'm never going back to that.
  • DJ_EnkiDJ_Enki 6,475 Posts
    To longtime manual transmission folks: When you first started driving an automatic transmission car, did you keep stomping your left foot on the footrest expecting there to be a clutch pedal? I never realized how habitual shifting had gotten until I started doing that.
  • brokenrecordbrokenrecord 338 Posts
    DJ_Enki said:
    To longtime manual transmission folks: When you first started driving an automatic transmission car, did you keep stomping your left foot on the footrest expecting there to be a clutch pedal? I never realized how habitual shifting had gotten until I started doing that.

    Whenever I drive an automatic, I swipe in the air for the phantom shifter about 30 or so times until my brain finally gets the message.

    I'm thoroughly convinced owning a car w/ a manual transmission is a somewhat effective theft deterrent.
  • hcrinkhcrink 8,729 Posts
    brokenrecord said:
    I'm thoroughly convinced owning a car w/ a manual transmission is a somewhat effective theft deterrent.

    That's funny. I actually had never thought of it, but you're probably right.

    I'm surprised how many people my age (I'm 32) are like "Wait, you have one of these???" when I'm driving them around.
  • UnherdUnherd 1,880 Posts
    I had one in college, a nissan sentra. manual was good in the vermont snow, but once I moved back to the city I gave it to my pops. Driving that thing in stand-still city traffic is a cruel fate.

    I actually think I'm gonna help him trade it in for a comparable automatic soon, because my girl can't drive it, and it's sort of difficult for my 92 year-old grandmother too. She really doesn't need anything extra to think about when she's driving.

    Anyway, not to threadjack, but does anyone know a place on the internet that can help make that trade happen? preferably with the minimal amount of work on my part. i assume there's something more specialized than craigs list or ebay ...
  • ReynaldoReynaldo 6,054 Posts
    My work truck is a stick. Makes driving more interactive, which is probably good for mental acuity. My car is an automatic--for when I don't want to think.
  • street_muzikstreet_muzik 3,919 Posts
    Manual.
  • hcrinkhcrink 8,729 Posts
    Reynaldo said:
    My work truck

    A LITTLE PART OF ME JUST DIED.
  • Big_StacksBig_Stacks "I don't worry about hittin' power, cause I don't give 'em nuttin' to hit." 4,670 Posts
    Reynaldo said:
    My work truck is a stick..

    "You ain't go no job, maaaaan!!!!" :lol:



    Peace,

    Big Stacks from Kakalak
  • DJ_EnkiDJ_Enki 6,475 Posts
    brokenrecord said:
    I swipe in the air for the phantom shifter about 30 or so times until my brain finally gets the message.

    Hahaha, yeah, that too.
  • smoking_robotsmoking_robot 346 Posts
    i oretty much always drove a stick shift and learned on one too.

    then i sold my car recently because i have a bike and i just dont need a car in philly. it makes digging trips outside the city difficult, but whatever, im happier without a car.

    i really enjoy driving a stick shift over an automatic, it makes me feel like im more involved in what im doing - just a more active roll in the whole "driving" thing. its only difficult when you have to piss in a cup in bumper to bumper traffic because there's no shoulder or anywhere to pull over. that takes skill.

    also your bladder is bigger than 16 oz.
  • ReynaldoReynaldo 6,054 Posts
    hcrink said:
    Reynaldo said:
    My work truck

    A LITTLE PART OF ME JUST DIED.
    I work for myself and with friends if that helps. More cowboy than office drone.
  • JimBeamJimBeam Seattle. 2,012 Posts
    never owned an automatic, but i can see the appeal-- especially in traffic.

    it just bugs me that i can't work on the transmission like i can with a manual. clutch/synchros whatever, it makes sense. torque converters and dial gears are a bit out of my technical capacity though.
  • SoulOnIceSoulOnIce 13,027 Posts
    holmes said:
    only ever drove stick shift up until 2005 when i bought an auto for the first time because I was sick of driving manual in city traffic. as long as I live in the city I will never own a manual again. can't believe I held out for so long. we have a classic car which is a manual column change, but that's not for day to day city use.

    This logic seems backwards to me. I only really prefer automatic transmission for highway driving, when you want to just cruise and not be all involved in the driving. Manual seems essential to me in the city. It keeps you more engaged in driving and the idea of having more control is palpable.

    I learned to drive stick only a few years ago, when the work truck I drove was put out to pasture and replaced with a manual (6 ton Isuzu NPR HD reefer model). But after learning I never looked back, and my next personal ride was a 5-speed transmission pick-up.
  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
    City driving with a stick is fine

    and go traffic + stick = fookin hell.
  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
    City driving with a stick is fine.

    In stop and go traffic + stick = fookin hell.
  • Mr_Lee_PHDMr_Lee_PHD 2,042 Posts
    I'm a UK dude, so manual transmission accounts for the majority of cars on the road.

    Nothing better than the engine control of a stick...

    Ya wanna suddenly boot it like schitt off a shiny shovel to overtake ? Go ahead! Ya wanna drop it down for some hardcroe engine breaking on a steep-ass hill ? No problem!! Ya wanna block change from 2nd to 4th ? Hellz yea! Ya wanna get maximum revs in each gear ? Boo-yeaow! Ya wanna blip the throttle mid-change to keep the revs up ? Mothafunk!!

    Mmmm.. sticks!

    :necessary:
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