Manual Transmission Foils Car Theft for the Billionth Time

[night_son]

I will not buy manual trucks anymore. After spending dozens of hours per week in stop go rush hour traffic after moving here I went automatic and will never go back.

That's funny because I've always preferred stick-shift cars! From a dead stop you get so much more acceleration than an automatic and better gas mileage and better climbing power up a steep grade. And it's so much more fun if you throw fast shifts as you accelerate. In my entire life I'm proud to say I've never owned a car with an automatic tranny; my right arm and left foot need something to do while I'm driving.

My second car was a five year old 1985 Mazda RX-7 5 speed. I ran that thing hard; on weekends from Fort Hood to Galveston and on the ferry over to Port Bolivar and up the peninsula. Her rotary engine would purr at 105 and leave just about anything in the dust off highway on-ramps. The control afforded by a manual transmission cannot be matched, however the Nissan breed of CVT transmission comes close.

Mazda has a long history of high quality cars. Anyway, you get so much more control of the engine's exact RPMs with a stick, it makes the engine's power so easy and instant to adjust. Because a manual transmission is so mechanically simple, it's a box with two rows of gears riding on each other. An automatic tranny has so many moving parts that a lot of power is lost due to the physical laws of friction; cars with an automatic even need an extra tiny radiator to keep the tranny oil cooled down - that shows how much heat/friction an automatic sucks out of any engine.

The only problem I had with the Mazda was the left flip-up headlight never working too well. The "rubber band man" CVT in my Nissan seems to engine break going down steep declines and "hill hops" with the best of them. The 5 speed in my old Saab Viggen rocks. Now, if only the Swedes had put the cup holders somewhere else.

 

[ricechickie]

Manual Transmission Foils Car Theft for the Billionth Time

Quote:

"Nashville police arrested two teenagers last Wednesday, after a press release from the department said they attempted to carjack two women that day. The statement said the teens ultimately failed both times, with the second being because the car had a manual transmission. They had to run away on foot."

________________________________________________________________________________________

Can you drive a manual transmission?

How did you learn?

/——-/ On a 1956 VW bug that was sitting in the back of a dealer. It was 1968 and I was saving up for my first car. The salesman knew I couldn’t afford a car but he taught me anyway. I then practiced a little on my brother’s 1965 Austin Healy. When I finally got my first car, a 1960 VW Karmann Ghia from the salesman who first taught me, I was OK with a stick. I had a part time job at a sports car clinic whose owner raced Bug Eyed Sprites. He taught me how to shift like a racer. My clutches would last 100,000 miles. My neighbor had a 4 speed Chevy who burned his clutch every 20k Miles. I tried to teach him but he wouldn’t listen. At 67 I gave up the stick for an automatic because my wife and I share the same car sometimes. This is more info than you wanted. Sorry.

Speed-shifting, aye? I can do that. Just have to have the right RPMs.

/——-/ You could also skip 2nd and go from 1st to 3rd with some practice

My dad had a stick that could be tricky to find first. I learned to start from 2nd.

 

[ricechickie]

I will not buy manual trucks anymore. After spending dozens of hours per week in stop go rush hour traffic after moving here I went automatic and will never go back.

I can understand that driving a stick is annoying if you always drive in stop-and-go traffic. But luckily, I live in a rather rural pocket of this fucked-up state (CA of course) and the rural, mountain road driving I do is a gazillion times more fun and efficient with a stick shift than an automatic. Bottom line, if your car is a 4-banger you need a stick to get decent power from it.

I also like a manual transmission in snow.

 

[WillMunny]

I will not buy manual trucks anymore. After spending dozens of hours per week in stop go rush hour traffic after moving here I went automatic and will never go back.

I can understand that driving a stick is annoying if you always drive in stop-and-go traffic. But luckily, I live in a rather rural pocket of this fucked-up state (CA of course) and the rural, mountain road driving I do is a gazillion times more fun and efficient with a stick shift than an automatic. Bottom line, if your car is a 4-banger you need a stick to get decent power from it.

I also like a manual transmission in snow.

Of course, because you have total, exact control over how fast your wheels dig into the snow & ice and adjust as needed.

 

[ricechickie]

I will not buy manual trucks anymore. After spending dozens of hours per week in stop go rush hour traffic after moving here I went automatic and will never go back.

I can understand that driving a stick is annoying if you always drive in stop-and-go traffic. But luckily, I live in a rather rural pocket of this fucked-up state (CA of course) and the rural, mountain road driving I do is a gazillion times more fun and efficient with a stick shift than an automatic. Bottom line, if your car is a 4-banger you need a stick to get decent power from it.

I also like a manual transmission in snow.

Of course, because you have total, exact control over how fast your wheels dig into the snow & ice and adjust as needed.

And you can slow down without hitting brakes, by downshifting. Which will help prevent skidding.

 

[WillMunny]

Manual Transmission Foils Car Theft for the Billionth Time

Quote:

"Nashville police arrested two teenagers last Wednesday, after a press release from the department said they attempted to carjack two women that day. The statement said the teens ultimately failed both times, with the second being because the car had a manual transmission. They had to run away on foot."

________________________________________________________________________________________

Can you drive a manual transmission?

How did you learn?

/——-/ On a 1956 VW bug that was sitting in the back of a dealer. It was 1968 and I was saving up for my first car. The salesman knew I couldn’t afford a car but he taught me anyway. I then practiced a little on my brother’s 1965 Austin Healy. When I finally got my first car, a 1960 VW Karmann Ghia from the salesman who first taught me, I was OK with a stick. I had a part time job at a sports car clinic whose owner raced Bug Eyed Sprites. He taught me how to shift like a racer. My clutches would last 100,000 miles. My neighbor had a 4 speed Chevy who burned his clutch every 20k Miles. I tried to teach him but he wouldn’t listen. At 67 I gave up the stick for an automatic because my wife and I share the same car sometimes. This is more info than you wanted. Sorry.

Speed-shifting, aye? I can do that. Just have to have the right RPMs.

/——-/ You could also skip 2nd and go from 1st to 3rd with some practice

My dad had a stick that could be tricky to find first. I learned to start from 2nd.

Some older vehicles with manual trannies are geared so that first-gear is only for very slow, exact parking and whatnot. But normally in the older days, it was normal to start out from second-gear in regular driving.

 

[Remodeling Maidiac]

I will not buy manual trucks anymore. After spending dozens of hours per week in stop go rush hour traffic after moving here I went automatic and will never go back.

I can understand that driving a stick is annoying if you always drive in stop-and-go traffic. But luckily, I live in a rather rural pocket of this fucked-up state (CA of course) and the rural, mountain road driving I do is a gazillion times more fun and efficient with a stick shift than an automatic. Bottom line, if your car is a 4-banger you need a stick to get decent power from it.

I also like a manual transmission in snow.

I got 4x4 for that. The only thing I dont like is a truck when we have ice storms here. So little weight in the back makes slipping super easy.

 

[miketx]

Manual Transmission Foils Car Theft for the Billionth Time

Quote:

"Nashville police arrested two teenagers last Wednesday, after a press release from the department said they attempted to carjack two women that day. The statement said the teens ultimately failed both times, with the second being because the car had a manual transmission. They had to run away on foot."

________________________________________________________________________________________

Can you drive a manual transmission?

How did you learn?

/——-/ On a 1956 VW bug that was sitting in the back of a dealer. It was 1968 and I was saving up for my first car. The salesman knew I couldn’t afford a car but he taught me anyway. I then practiced a little on my brother’s 1965 Austin Healy. When I finally got my first car, a 1960 VW Karmann Ghia from the salesman who first taught me, I was OK with a stick. I had a part time job at a sports car clinic whose owner raced Bug Eyed Sprites. He taught me how to shift like a racer. My clutches would last 100,000 miles. My neighbor had a 4 speed Chevy who burned his clutch every 20k Miles. I tried to teach him but he wouldn’t listen. At 67 I gave up the stick for an automatic because my wife and I share the same car sometimes. This is more info than you wanted. Sorry.

Speed-shifting, aye? I can do that. Just have to have the right RPMs.

/——-/ You could also skip 2nd and go from 1st to 3rd with some practice

Up out and down!

 

[WillMunny]

I will not buy manual trucks anymore. After spending dozens of hours per week in stop go rush hour traffic after moving here I went automatic and will never go back.

I can understand that driving a stick is annoying if you always drive in stop-and-go traffic. But luckily, I live in a rather rural pocket of this fucked-up state (CA of course) and the rural, mountain road driving I do is a gazillion times more fun and efficient with a stick shift than an automatic. Bottom line, if your car is a 4-banger you need a stick to get decent power from it.

I also like a manual transmission in snow.

I got 4x4 for that. The only thing I dont like is a truck when we have ice storms here. So little weight in the back makes slipping super easy.

Do you have any heavyweight objects you can pile in your truck's bed for that purpose? It should give the rear half a bit more traction in bad conditions.

 

[Remodeling Maidiac]

I will not buy manual trucks anymore. After spending dozens of hours per week in stop go rush hour traffic after moving here I went automatic and will never go back.

I can understand that driving a stick is annoying if you always drive in stop-and-go traffic. But luckily, I live in a rather rural pocket of this fucked-up state (CA of course) and the rural, mountain road driving I do is a gazillion times more fun and efficient with a stick shift than an automatic. Bottom line, if your car is a 4-banger you need a stick to get decent power from it.

I also like a manual transmission in snow.

I got 4x4 for that. The only thing I dont like is a truck when we have ice storms here. So little weight in the back makes slipping super easy.

Do you have any heavyweight objects you can pile in your truck's bed for that purpose? It should give the rear half a bit more traction in bad conditions.

I do but I have to keep it empty most days for work.

 

[WillMunny]

Mine also, first driving experience was on a Chevy 1/2 ton 3 on the tree. I've owned plenty of cars with manual transmissions over the years, but none recently.
Now you can't even buy a new pickup with a manual transmission from the big 3, they are now only offered in performance vehicles.

Same here. 1967 C20 small block 3 on the tree.It was at the Esso I worked at. Parts running truck

I'm just barely old enough, I remember Esso turned into Exxon, right?

 

[Muhammed]

Manual Transmission Foils Car Theft for the Billionth Time

Quote:

"Nashville police arrested two teenagers last Wednesday, after a press release from the department said they attempted to carjack two women that day. The statement said the teens ultimately failed both times, with the second being because the car had a manual transmission. They had to run away on foot."

________________________________________________________________________________________

Can you drive a manual transmission?

How did you learn?

I learned how to drive at 11 with a 1/2 ton Chevy van.

3 on a tree.

I hate those. They just feel so unnatural. I still have an old '76 Chevy pickup that had 3 on the tree. After about a month I installed a Hurst shifter.

 

[WillMunny]

Manual Transmission Foils Car Theft for the Billionth Time

Quote:

"Nashville police arrested two teenagers last Wednesday, after a press release from the department said they attempted to carjack two women that day. The statement said the teens ultimately failed both times, with the second being because the car had a manual transmission. They had to run away on foot."

________________________________________________________________________________________

Can you drive a manual transmission?

How did you learn?

I learned how to drive at 11 with a 1/2 ton Chevy van.

3 on a tree.

I hate those. They just feel so unnatural. I still have an old '76 Chevy pickup that had 3 on the tree. After about a month I installed a Hurst shifter.

Do you mean those stick shifters mounted on the steering columns of some older cars? As a small child my parents had this weird Dodge Dart with that. I've never driven one myself, every stick shift I've ever driven has been 4 or 5 on the floor.

 

[airplanemechanic]

Manual Transmission Foils Car Theft for the Billionth Time

Quote:

"Nashville police arrested two teenagers last Wednesday, after a press release from the department said they attempted to carjack two women that day. The statement said the teens ultimately failed both times, with the second being because the car had a manual transmission. They had to run away on foot."

________________________________________________________________________________________

Can you drive a manual transmission?

How did you learn?

/——-/ On a 1956 VW bug that was sitting in the back of a dealer. It was 1968 and I was saving up for my first car. The salesman knew I couldn’t afford a car but he taught me anyway. I then practiced a little on my brother’s 1965 Austin Healy. When I finally got my first car, a 1960 VW Karmann Ghia from the salesman who first taught me, I was OK with a stick. I had a part time job at a sports car clinic whose owner raced Bug Eyed Sprites. He taught me how to shift like a racer. My clutches would last 100,000 miles. My neighbor had a 4 speed Chevy who burned his clutch every 20k Miles. I tried to teach him but he wouldn’t listen. At 67 I gave up the stick for an automatic because my wife and I share the same car sometimes. This is more info than you wanted. Sorry.

Speed-shifting, aye? I can do that. Just have to have the right RPMs.

What the hell is speed shifting? I'm a truck driver and I've never heard of that. Are you talking about floating the gears?

 

[Cellblock2429]

Manual Transmission Foils Car Theft for the Billionth Time

Quote:

"Nashville police arrested two teenagers last Wednesday, after a press release from the department said they attempted to carjack two women that day. The statement said the teens ultimately failed both times, with the second being because the car had a manual transmission. They had to run away on foot."

________________________________________________________________________________________

Can you drive a manual transmission?

How did you learn?

/——-/ On a 1956 VW bug that was sitting in the back of a dealer. It was 1968 and I was saving up for my first car. The salesman knew I couldn’t afford a car but he taught me anyway. I then practiced a little on my brother’s 1965 Austin Healy. When I finally got my first car, a 1960 VW Karmann Ghia from the salesman who first taught me, I was OK with a stick. I had a part time job at a sports car clinic whose owner raced Bug Eyed Sprites. He taught me how to shift like a racer. My clutches would last 100,000 miles. My neighbor had a 4 speed Chevy who burned his clutch every 20k Miles. I tried to teach him but he wouldn’t listen. At 67 I gave up the stick for an automatic because my wife and I share the same car sometimes. This is more info than you wanted. Sorry.

Speed-shifting, aye? I can do that. Just have to have the right RPMs.

What the hell is speed shifting? I'm a truck driver and I've never heard of that. Are you talking about floating the gears?

/——-/ People often get confused when talked about speed shifting. They believe it is a technique of shifting by not using the clutch. ... In actual, speed shifting means changing the gears by not uplifting your right foot off the accelerator. This practice helps the racers to attain the greatest acceleration while driving.

 

[airplanemechanic]

Yea shifting without the clutch is floating the gears. Speed shifting is.....whatever you said. I'm not familiar with that technique. Nothing happens quickly in an 80,000lb rig.

 

[Cellblock2429]

Yea shifting without the clutch is floating the gears. Speed shifting is.....whatever you said. I'm not familiar with that technique. Nothing happens quickly in an 80,000lb rig.

/——/ we’re discussing cars and pick ups not rigs.

 

[airplanemechanic]

Yea shifting without the clutch is floating the gears. Speed shifting is.....whatever you said. I'm not familiar with that technique. Nothing happens quickly in an 80,000lb rig.

/——/ we’re discussing cars and pick ups not rigs.

Yes, but as I quoted, he talked about shifting but just "had to have the right speed." That's floating the gears, which is not done in cars, just big rigs.

 

[Cellblock2429]

Yes, but he said

Yea shifting without the clutch is floating the gears. Speed shifting is.....whatever you said. I'm not familiar with that technique. Nothing happens quickly in an 80,000lb rig.

/——/ we’re discussing cars and pick ups not rigs.

Yes, but as I quoted, he talked about shifting but just "had to have the right speed." That's floating the gears, which is not done in cars, just big rigs.

/——/ Do big rig drivers still freewheel?

 

[airplanemechanic]

I don't know what that is. You mean coasting in neutral?