What Kind of Car Did You Learn Stick Shift On?

[BuickGN]

As I stated above, my "learning car" was a Datsun 310.

The first stick shift I actually drove every day was a friend's 5.0 Mustang GT. His parents gave it to him but he didn't have his license yet so I used to walk over and drive us to school. What a cool car to drive as a barely 16 yr old.

I pulled up next to some girls at a light in it one time. One looked over and smiled. I got nervous and accidentally started in 3rd instead of 1st. I didn't kill it but to avoid total embarassment (young and dumb), I slipped the clutch in 3rd with the gas to the floor holding the rpms at only 1,800 to make it sound like I was taking off normally. It took a week to get the burning clutch smell out of the car.

 

[nthach]

1988 Toyota Supra and a 2008 Honda Civic.

 

[gavinl]

Gen 1 Proton Saga 1.3

(that was back in Singapore)

Proton Saga

 

[aquariuscsm]

Me? On an old 1950`s era jeep at our deer lease when I was a kid.

 

[mrsilv04]

I learned to drive stick in a 1974 Ford F-100 with a 390 and a three on the tree.

That truck could easily smoke 'em in all three gears.

 

[smokey1]

VW Bug .

 

[StevieC]

A K-Car (Reliant) that had a hole in the oil pan and leaked oil like crazy and the clutch was hangin' on by a thread.

 

[olddognewtrks]

'65 Chevelle, 230 I-6, Three on the tree. (Did my drivers ed in a '70 Cutlass automatic.) Then it was on to Dad's Chevelle. Non-synchronized first, so I learned how to roll stop signs at three mph (a St. Louis tradition) and slip the clutch in second gear, just like Dad. Everyone else I knew rolled stop signs too (unless a cop was present) just because. Like I said, a St. Louis tradition. Every vehicle I've owned, with the exception of a used '64 Impala, has been stick, and my wife prefers stick shift also. Ain't love grand!

 

[bdcardinal]

2004 Mystichrome Ford Cobra with a Kenne Bell supercharger. i helped the owner install a new heat exchanger and he said that instead of paying me he would teach me stick on it. the car had about 600rwhp at the time.

 

[oilboy123]

1977 Chevy Vega Wagon. That was about 1977 that I learned, can't remember if it was a 3 or 4 speed?
It was when oil came in cans and a spout was pierced into the top metal part of the can. The good ole days. You had to work at getting the oil out of the container.....

 

[Rabbler]

Early 60's Fargo pickup
Perfected it in a 74 Datsun B210

 

[BR549]

1968 VW Bug, learned on the way home after having the 4 speed installed. When I bought the car it had a 3 speed auto, that didn't last long so in went the 4 speed.

 

[Silk]

My first car was a 1954 Morris Minor.It was many years before I drove an auto,they were pretty rare in NZ until recent years.

 

[jcwit]

First car I owned had stick shift, 1950 Studabaker Champ, w/overdrive.

 

[Brett Miller]

1990 Chevy S-10 2.5 Iron Duke. It was my first vehicle...only had 2 options- 20 gallon tank and rally wheels. Didn't even come with a radio. Paid $8,000 even. It was a great little truck and many times I wished I would have kept it.

 

[mpvue]

1st I drove was a '78 mustang II V6 4 speed. didn't get good on that though. my 1st car was a '65 malibu w/ a 283 that we put a muncie M-21 in after the powerglide lost 2nd gear. have had mostly stick cars since then, '70 nova, '80 malibu, '86 GTI, '83 F-100, '87 GTI, '02 saturn L200, '93 SC1, '04 VUE- all stick cars.

 

[StormRider]

1989 F-150 XLT Lariat 302. Dad's company truck. I was 10-11 at the time. That truck went through 2 transmissions over the 100K that my dad had it. I think it had the Mazda M50D trans in it. Dad had to drive home starting out in 3rd one time becuase he lost 1st, 2nd and 5th(OD) in it.

 

[KrisZ]

Does a tractor with unsynchronized 6spd forward 6spd reverse transmission count? Cause that's what a learned on to drive a manual

 

[Junior]

Late 60s Chevy grain truck when I was around 11-12. Moved up to a Ford 9000 semi tractor with a 10 speed and 42ft trailer when I was 17. Was able to have my full drivers license when I was 15 in rural ND.
Still haven't figured out how to correctly shift the old 5 and a 4 transmissions.

 

[Six_in_a_row]

I learned stick and passed my driver's test using my Dad's 1954 Chevy. Later, my first car was a 1960 VW. The Beetle's first gear wasn't synchronized. I learned to match the revs on downshifts in traffic because the engine and gearbox were so forgiving. I believe it had all of 34 HP and could get up to 75+ mph depending upon the wind and grade...