Standard Transmissions...How many can operate one ??

[Splitear]

I learned in my dad’s old standard GMC Jimmy. I also drove a lot of farm trucks and equipment back when I was working on the farm. I’m sure I’m a little rusty, but it’s like riding a bike. I know when we went to Italy a few years ago, it took a little while for me to get my shifting back on par, but I’m glad I was settled before we went to the hills of Sienna. Those Italian drivers don’t leave and inch between you at stoplights, no matter the grade of the hill you’re on. 

Edited December 16, 2020 by Splitear

[left field]

Three on the tree, a steering wheel knob and that little floor button on the left for high beams.

I always find it funny when Americans try to rent a car internationally and discover that the rest of the world drives a standard. 

[Nomad]

4 minutes ago, Splitear said:

I learned in my dad’s old standard GMC Jimmy. I also drove a lot of farm trucks and equipment back when I was working on the farm. I’m sure I’m a little rusty, but it’s like riding a bike. I know when we went to Italy a few years ago, it took a little while for me to get my shifting back on par, but I’m glad I was settled before we went to the hills of Sienna. Those Italian drivers don’t leave and inch between you at stoplights, no matter the grade of the hill you’re on. 

Did you ever get any of those BS traffic tickets for driving in a limited driving area ? They make millions off tourists , who are gullible and get the thicket a year later at home . 

[Bionic]

I can, took my road test on an auto because the damn state of NY said I had to due to my arm situation.  I took my road test without my arm on just to make a point, and my dad gave them a major ear full.  I have an automatic restriction on my license to this day, and also they want me to have a suicide knob.  Never have had a suicide knob, and never will, ef em.  I also have owned 4 daily driver standard shift commuter cars over the years.  Never an issue.

They say standard will be the best security system soon enough.

Edited December 16, 2020 by Bionic

[Pygmy]

1 minute ago, Bionic said:

I can, took my road test on an auto because the damn state of NY said I had to due to my arm situation.  I took my road test without my arm on just to make a point, and my dad gave them a major ear full.  I have an automatic restriction on my license to this day, and also they want me to have a suicide knob.  Never have had a suicide knob, and never will, ef em.  I also have owned 4 daily driver standard shift commuter cars over the years.  Never an issue.

I have a suicide knob on my 1949 Ford 9N tractor... That is standard shift also.....Hehehe

[Nomad]

5 minutes ago, Bionic said:

I can, took my road test on an auto because the damn state of NY said I had to due to my arm situation.  I took my road test without my arm on just to make a point, and my dad gave them a major ear full.  I have an automatic restriction on my license to this day, and also they want me to have a suicide knob.  Never have had a suicide knob, and never will, ef em.  I also have owned 4 daily driver standard shift commuter cars over the years.  Never an issue.

They say standard will be the best security system soon enough.

My wife’s cousin who,owns the farm I hunt has one arm ,due to a farming accident . He drives and operates everything imaginable. Works his ass off as well ,he’s and inspiration really . 

Edited December 16, 2020 by Nomad

[crappyice]

I ain’t scared to say it....I can’t!
My first car was my my grandpa’s ‘83 Ford Fairmount...bench seat in the front could comfortably sit 3.
My father had a stick and the patience of a pack of firecrackers! I had 1 lesson and that was that!!!
Guess I’m a snowflake!!!!


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[Bionic]

16 minutes ago, Nomad said:

My wife’s cousin who,owns the farm I hunt has one arm ,due to a farming accident . He drives and operates everything imaginable. Works his ass off as well ,he’s and inspiration really . 

Thats what I like to hear! Sounds like me, but good for him adapting so well.  I didn’t have to adapt due to being from birth.  I hate when people use it as an excuse to be lazy, you have to do what you have to do, too many don’t think that way.

[E J]

I drove tractors as a kid that had to be shifted but never learned on a road vehicle til I was about 30. Then it was driving duece and a half's from farm to farm that I learned on.

[mowin]

11 minutes ago, Bionic said:

Thats what I like to hear! Sounds like me, but good for him adapting so well.  I didn’t have to adapt due to being from birth.  I hate when people use it as an excuse to be lazy, you have to do what you have to do, too many don’t think that way.

Yrs ago when I used to ride dirt bikes, there was a guy with one arm that would ride with us. Never stalled the thing and could outride most of us. Was always amazed at how well he could ride. 

[Lawdwaz]

It’s been a couple years but yes, I can still grind ‘em. 
 

 

[Marion]

I suspect most here can.  I learned how to use a clutch on a Kawasaki kx80 as a kid and my first car was standard.   But I would bet very few of my sons generation can drive one.  Heck even sports cars are paddle shift now.  No need to learn to use a clutch. 

I ride motorcycles but have never driven a stick shift car. I can only imagine I can drive a standard, but I'm sure it may be a bit sketchy at least for the first few minutes

#ThankYouForLessOverzealousModding #WeDemandUnlimitedLikes
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[Robhuntandfish]

I can but I'm too old and slow to get both feet over to double clutch anymore. Lol. 

Worst standard vehicle I ever drove was a Mack state plow truck. What a POS. It had so many welds on it one of the guys there thought it had been on fire. It also had a separate floor shifters for high and low range and you could shift them both at the same time if you put your other hand thru the steering wheel. 

I was asked at the state as a laborer "Can you drive one of these?".

I said "I don't have a license."

He said " That's not what I asked you" . Lol, yup

Another quick standard story.  

  I was taking a class to become a 19A certified DMV examiner.  Well I was teamed up with the instructor and he was driving the bus first and I was supposed to test him. He was grinding every gear there was it seemed. And of course he is the instructor so when I give his eval I say "a difficult to shift vehicle" had to say something cause it was terrible and everyone else in the class is also in the bus. 

So now it's my turn to drive and the instructor is going to test me.  So I'm all worried about driving this terrible bus.  I get in it and never ground a gear , it shifted like a dream and prob didn't even need the clutch. Lol. He does my eval and puts in it I had a wasted shift once cause I just had to shift right back again. Lol really.  

[Stein13]

All big trucks are going to auto trannys cause can’t find driver who can shift cause they are 2 lazy or can’t figure out how those of us who can and feel it is safer are being pushed into auto tranny trucks 

[fasteddie]

My 1st car was a '59 Volkswagon . I have had several Standard shift cars since . My last was a 2001 Chevy S-10 pickup . 

[Kmartinson]

Only had 2 automatic.....

[Lawdwaz]

17 minutes ago, Lawdwaz said:

It’s been a couple years but yes, I can still grind ‘em. 
 

 

IIRC the only two vehicles with standard transmissions I had were a 1983 Ford Ranger and 1991 Ford F150.  They were fun but I don't miss them!

[ny hunter]

I learned to drive a stick on a VW Bug I can drive standard but hate to.

[Dinsdale]

1 hour ago, left field said:

Three on the tree, a steering wheel knob and that little floor button on the left for high beams.

I always find it funny when Americans try to rent a car internationally and discover that the rest of the world drives a standard. 

I drove a rented righthand drive manual Toyota around for 10 days on a trip.

Shift pattern the same, but with left hand. Took a few hours around town to get smooth, but was not as hard as I thought it might be.

Takes longer to get real comfortable at bigger intersections to make sure you're in the right lane. 

[Splitear]

1 hour ago, Nomad said:

Did you ever get any of those BS traffic tickets for driving in a limited driving area ? They make millions off tourists , who are gullible and get the thicket a year later at home . 

I did not, but I did way overpay for a toll because the automatic reader wouldn’t take my ticket, and the toll worker and I couldn’t communicate over the intercom. After backing up that lane for 5 minutes I just paid the toll for the whole route and went on. That was our first day there, and fortunately the only time I had issues. The drive through the mountains from Parma to Tuscany was crazy, and made all the more dangerous by the bicyclists, but that’s where I kind of got my shifting legs back underneath me. 

[Splitear]

7 minutes ago, Dinsdale said:

I drove a rented righthand drive manual Toyota around for 10 days on a trip.

Shift pattern the same, but with left hand. Took a few hours around town to get smooth, but was not as hard as I thought it might be.

Takes longer to get real comfortable at bigger intersections to make sure you're in the right lane. 

Same issue when I took a group to Scotland several years back. Fortunately the college I’d arranged with ended up taking us everywhere after the rental had a blowout and the rental company “lost” the car after having it towed. It was really a weird feeling shifting on the other side. 

[left field]

9 minutes ago, Dinsdale said:

I drove a rented righthand drive manual Toyota around for 10 days on a trip.

Shift pattern the same, but with left hand. Took a few hours around town to get smooth, but was not as hard as I thought it might be.

Takes longer to get real comfortable at bigger intersections to make sure you're in the right lane. 

Thank god the shift pattern is the same on RH drive cars.

When I first moved to Malaysia, I was coming home one night after a long day and I entered a roundabout the wrong way. That was a an exciting 20 seconds.

[hunterdan44]

First car was a stick 71 VW van . Had many manual transmission vehicles through the years. Also had motorcycle s for 25 years. Sadly all my cars are automatic, and even my atv is as well .


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[loworange88]

My truck is auto, but my 2014 Nissan Versa is stick.  It’s my commuter car, bought it new and now has 117,000 on it.  This is my 4th vehicle with manual transmission.

[Otto]

My first two vehicles were standard.  I had some experience on the farm with stick, but as a daily driver the Renault Alliance got a bit of a beating while I learned.  My second car, a Toyota Celica, had 6 speeds and a real tight gear box.  So much fun to drive! I still miss that car.  Sold it to my brother and bought it back from him two years later.  I traded it in for a family trickster Jeep, which when I asked the salesman if I could get it in standard, he laughed and said, you don’t want it in standard, believe me.