Should Men Be Able To Drive Stick?

[MaTH716]

Originally Posted by Bigsmc

Strong.

Sorry Bigs, but you know I gotta represent.

[somerfrost]

When I got my license most cars were stick so I learned and owned a couple but it's been about 30 years since I drove one. I have no interest in owning one, a real pain! After I got my license and came home first year from college, I got a job over the summer driving a Charlie Chip truck making rural deliveries. The truck was stick of course and I told my boss..."no problem". I practiced about 15 minutes in the back lot and off I went. Couldn't understand why the truck was bucking and didn't seem to have any pickup, could not get above 40mph. Suddenly my boss pulled up behind me, I'd forgotten my coin purse. When I explained to him he told me that I'd been driving in first gear! I made it through the summer, many times hopping through stop signs but took most of the summer to get use to the damn truck....after that, no more stick shifts.

[OldDog]

Originally Posted by randallscott35

No question where you live makes a huge difference in this.

True, but one of my rides is a stick and I don't mind driving it in traffic - but then I don't drive in traffic much. I learned to drive as a kid in a Ford pickup with "3-on-the-tree." Trucks have a heavy duty clutch and those are no fun in stop and start traffic. My truck today is an automatic, and I like it that way. But I like sporty cars, too, and to me an automatic takes the "sports" out of sports cars.

[clyde]

Stick shifting is fun and I recommend learning to drive one even to the most club a foot.

I was trained to drive on one...savagely beaten by my Father each and every failed outing until I got it right.




The best thing about a girl who can stick it is riding in the passenger seat and watching their legs move in fluid symmetry.....a skirt or dress being the best attire ( them...not you) as the muscle,tendon and yer so forth movement is to do die for.













Oh my God.








Another woody.

[Danzig]

i learned to drive a standard shift in a one ton chevy c-30 pickup, 1984 model, with no power steering. love driving a standard, and hate that my current car only came in automatic.

our truck is a standard, so i love driving that. f250 long wheel base four door. and you should see the faces when i back the trailer down the boat ramp for tony. yeah, i do that.


geez randall, turn in your man-card!!

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by Bigsmc

That explains a lot.

I've owned two different cars and an F150 that were manual shift. That first time your sitting at an uphill stoplight hoping you don't roll backwards into the guy that is 6" behind you when you start again, can be a bit intimidating, but as Santana said, it becomes second nature even in stop and go traffic. When the right foot goes for the break, the left foot automatically starts for the clutch to begin downshifting.

i fell into the habit of putting my left foot on the clutch even when there wasn't one...it because automatic, you get so used to it.

as for downshifting, never really do that. coming to a stop, i just put it in neutral.

[AeWingnut]

Originally Posted by Bigsmc

That explains a lot.

I've owned two different cars and an F150 that were manual shift. That first time your sitting at an uphill stoplight hoping you don't roll backwards into the guy that is 6" behind you when you start again, can be a bit intimidating, but as Santana said, it becomes second nature even in stop and go traffic. When the right foot goes for the break, the left foot automatically starts for the clutch to begin downshifting.

I still remember the 1st time I had to do that. When I went from manual to automatic... I pushed in the phantom clutch constantly
oh the good ole days

[AeWingnut]

Originally Posted by randallscott35

I can't and I don't want to learn. It seems very busy to me. I like to space out when I drive.

Meanwhile my wife can drive stick but she is from Vermont and it is a Suburu cult up there so it is kind of a must.

At times I felt like less of a man because of this....but I've come to grips with this.

inattentive drivers are the number one reason for accidents/ road rage

[GPK]

Originally Posted by Antitrust32

great picture Kev... she's almost as tall as you already!

Thanks LF. She's amazing.

I learned to drive both at the same time. My old man was a hunter for a long time and I remember growing up, he had an old '77 Dodge 4x4 with 3 on the wheel. In '85, he bought a Toyota 4X4 and that was the stick I learned to drive. He put 33's on it, and it was flat bad ass. I used to get home from school on Fridays and wash it so he would let me drive it for the weekends to football or basketball games.


Ok, the redneck is leaving now...

[hi_im_god]

i don't think it's any less manly to drive an automatic but you're really missing out on a joy. sticks are fun. that's why people like them. downshifting into a turn and accelerating out of it makes you smile.

and while we're on the subject of driving, rear wheel drive rocks. but even if you have front wheel drive, manual is more fun than auto.

[GPK]

Originally Posted by hi_im_god

i don't think it's any less manly to drive an automatic but you're really missing out on a joy. sticks are fun. that's why people like them. downshifting into a turn and accelerating out of it makes you smile.

and while we're on the subject of driving, rear wheel drive rocks. but even if you have front wheel drive, manual is more fun than auto.

I drove a Honda S2000 for a little while (divorce present to myself) and it was 6 speed. I couldn't imagine driving a car like that with an automatic. Would have been incredibly boring.

[hi_im_god]

Originally Posted by GPK

I drove a Honda S2000 for a little while (divorce present to myself) and it was 6 speed. I couldn't imagine driving a car like that with an automatic. Would have been incredibly boring.

friend of mine has one i've driven a few times. i bust on him a little about the miata like gayness when we're in it together but it's a fun drive.

[GPK]

Originally Posted by hi_im_god

friend of mine has one i've driven a few times. i bust on him a little about the miata like gayness when we're in it together but it's a fun drive.

Never thought about the possible gayness of it. I was just happy to find a big boy car that I could reach the pedals and still see over the steering wheel at the same time.