Times have changed

[Hillbilly stalker]

Cut my teeth on a hay truck. Too young to throw square bales, so you drove. Old 4 speed on the floor with a granny gear. You didn't need much speed in a hay field. When I was big enough to hit the road, it was 3 on the tree with a unsynchronized transmission, you had to double clutch it alot. Juice clutch.

 

[NCHillbilly]

Cut my teeth on a hay truck. Too young to throw square bales, so you drove. Old 4 speed on the floor with a granny gear. You didn't need much speed in a hay field. When I was big enough to hit the road, it was 3 on the tree with a unsynchronized transmission, you had to double clutch it alot. Juice clutch.

Same.

 

[huntersluck]

I learned to drive on a manual at 12 My son is 22 and drives a manual now. I am not surprised by the lack of know how I doubt slot of young men can even change a tire, might as well light their man card on fire they don't need it

 

[Lilly001]

Back when I was on the job as a Deputy Sheriff (early 80’s) I got one of my agencies first take home vehicles. It was a Chevy PU with a manual 3 on the tree transmission. The Sheriff said that since I was the only one who would drive it for me to take it home with me to give more parking for the other cars. (We worked out of the courthouse and parking was dear).

 

[Silver Britches]

I learned to drive on a manual at 12 My son is 22 and drives a manual now. I am not surprised by the lack of know how I doubt slot of young men can even change a tire, might as well light their man card on fire they don't need it

 

[BassRaider]

My 1st car was a 1960 Peugeot 403 and it was 4 on the tree. As a 17yr old, it was interesting to clutch at lights on a hill. Had several VW's, jeep, Pinto, PU, and camaro's all with MT. As I got older, I will stick with auto.

 

[transfixer]

Less than 2% of personal vehicles are sold with manual transmissions these days.

Even the giant tugs used to move 747s were automatics.

I will confess to enjoying mastering their steering system. You could 2 W steer like a P/U or 4 W steer where the back wheels turned opposite the front for tight turns. Then there was oblique, all four tires turned the same direction, move like a crab. It made getting big vehicles in tight places easy.

It was virtually a necessity for the tugs to be automatics, wouldn't want jerky starts pulling that much weight around, and clutches likely wouldn't have lasted very long,

I've rebuilt a few of those tug transmissions over the years, most were C6 Ford units , and the majority of them only had 1st and 2nd gear, 3rd was blocked out in the valvebody on most of them.

 

[transfixer]

I learned on a 68 Dodge van 225 with three on the tree, and a 73 F250 4wd 360 with granny 4spd, taught my stepson and stepdaughter to drive a stick with a Nissan Maxima 5spd and a Ford Ranger 5spd, If I'm still around in 9 or 10yrs I'll find some manual transmission vehicle to teach my granddaughter how to drive one as well !

 

[Stob]

I once had the pleasure of checking in and out of a spot in the military where you were delivered in a 15 passenger van and then assigned a car or whatever vehicle- they were all auto's. Lets just say those ole Dodge vans had the power. The trannies not so much. Drove in R for 6 miles once.

Was probably a late 80's Dodge Van with a V8.

Sounds wild but I lived it.

The military also converted to Auto's in the late 80's, hence the above. All the way to HEMTTs, 5t's, vans, cars etc. This is not something new.

 

[Dub]

Manual transmissions.....most kids don't know how and their parents don't teach them.

Writing in cursive.....same.

Basic math......on the chopping block next.

 

[Railroader]

My grand boys will absolutely know how to drive a manual shift truck and tractor ...

 

[DAVE]

I learned to drive a 3 on the tree in 1963, at 9 years old in my daddy's 62 Chevy Impala SS. Only took about 10 minutes, a couple of burn outs and several jerky starts to figure the clutch out. Things were different then for sure as I did my learning on a state highway. After that first teaching I would always ask Dad to let me drive anytime we went anywhere and he usually allowed it. It does not take any special skill or ability to learn a stick, only takes someone with patience and willing to take the time to teach a person. I believe you could teach a monkey to drive stick without much problem.

 

[furtaker]

Manual transmissions.....most kids don't know how and their parents don't teach them.

Writing in cursive.....same.

Basic math......on the chopping block next.

Lots of teenagers don't know how to read a clock with hands. And if they are told to print their name and then sign right beside it, they print their name both times. It's sad really.

 

[Lukikus2]

I learned to drive in a 1970 1/2 Datsun 240z that was one of my dad's project cars.

he made sure all us kids could drive a stick....the 1978 Porsche 928s was my dream car!

I had a couple of manual transmission cars after that; a 1975 VW scirracco and a 1987 mitsufeces Cordia L..

That 240Z was wicked fast!

 

[Ruger#3]

It was virtually a necessity for the tugs to be automatics, wouldn't want jerky starts pulling that much weight around, and clutches likely wouldn't have lasted very long,

I've rebuilt a few of those tug transmissions over the years, most were C6 Ford units , and the majority of them only had 1st and 2nd gear, 3rd was blocked out in the valvebody on most of them.

Those tugs got me out of some nasty jobs in the military. I learned to run every piece equipment we had. I got real good at backing airplanes in hangars. It kept me from washing airplanes and changing tires many days.

 

[TJay]

I learned on a '65 Studebaker, three on the tree. I always drove some sort of stick til sometime in the nineties. My brother couldn't drive one to save his life. I remember one day I said we should go do that Nascar thing where you take a couple of laps in a cup car. Negative, cant drive a stick. Dang man.

 

[Cool Hand Luke]

'71 Ford F100 three on the tree here. Also had a '85 Nissan 5 speed truck. Been in automatics since about '96.

 

[Hoss]

Drove a manual for years for my work vehicle. Growing up on a farm, learned to drive on tractors. Taught my wife to drive a manual before we were married and we still got married. Changed to autos around 2005 cause driving a manual in Atlanta traffic sucked.

 

[sinclair1]

Drove a manual for years for my work vehicle. Growing up on a farm, learned to drive on tractors. Taught my wife to drive a manual before we were married and we still got married. Changed to autos around 2005 cause driving a manual in Atlanta traffic sucked.

That’s why I switched as well. My leg would be sore from 600 clutch presses each way in traffic.

 

[mrs. hornet22]

My Diddy taught me to drive a a stick shift. First car was a VW fast back. High school was a Nova. 3 on the tree. My son was taught on a stick shift. Hubby had a Prelude. You could go from second to 5th. That thing would fly.