What Kind of Car Did You Learn Stick Shift On?

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I learned on my friend's 89 Jeep, and my mom's 81 Buick Skylark. The Jeep was a pain in the neck because the seat was not right and my feet couldn't reach the pedal to push it all the way down. Lots of gear grinding.

The Buick was great in one respect- it had 200000 miles on it (it was my grandfather's commuter car for 10 years, and he had a long commute) so everything was nice and worn in. But the gas pedal was stiff and the idle was about 400 rpm, so it was a real pain to get right. Only once did I stall it so badly that I separated the exhaust manifold from the rest of the exhaust system.

But I turned pro when I bought a 99 Ford Contour for my own commuter car. 130,000 miles in 8 years. That was the smoothest shifting and smoothest engaging clutch I've ever seen. I was so proud of it when a couple of (muscle car/ truck driving) buddies took it out for a spin and said it was a really fun car to drive.

(I also enjoyed driving my buddy's Civic SI with the weird shifter. I couldn't drive it if I looked at the shifter- it confused me. But if I just put my hand on it and worked it, it was fine. My only problem with the car was that it has no low end torque. It winds up to 8000 no problem, but I don't like driving like that.)
 
'67 Chevelle wagon with 230 I-6, 3 on the tree, unforgiving clutch and a very impatient instructor (Father). It wasn't until my Mother started taking me out for lessons that I finally got it up to 3rd gear.

In 2001, trip to Scotland. Rented a Vauxhall with a 5 speed. Learned to shift LEFT handed, along with the entire right hand drive experience.
 
'60 Mercury Comet with 144 cid 6 cyl. My brother and I wore that thing out driving around in the field out back... It must have gotten about 50 MPG (gas cost $0.30/gal back then)..
 
my dad's 1984 vette.chevette that is.it had a monstrous 4 cylinder with all of 60 horsepower.my dad was a field rep for a textbook company so he actually drove to every school in mississippi.he really liked econo cars that got excellent mileage.not the coolest but i have fond memories of that old 4 speed.with my dad was when i got inducted to the diy backyard oil changer.he used to chage the oil in that chevette,and the one he had 4 years before,every 4,000 miles with quaker state.when he traded it in 1989 for a honda accord,for me,it had 212,000 miles on it.i bet it was the only chevette that had that many.cheap car but he liked it because he wore them out too fast to get a decent one.
 
I learned on a 1979 Kenworth W900 Log truck with an eaton fuller roadranger transmission. i can't remember off the top of my head, but i believe it was a 12 speed
 
I learned on a Ford 9N tractor.

The first on the road vehicle I drove with a stick was a mid-90's Chevy 1/2-ton with the 4.3L V6.
 
Originally Posted By: swalve

But I turned pro when I bought a 99 Ford Contour for my own commuter car. 130,000 miles in 8 years. That was the smoothest shifting and smoothest engaging clutch I've ever seen. I was so proud of it when a couple of (muscle car/ truck driving) buddies took it out for a spin and said it was a really fun car to drive.


One of the big car magazines once called the Contour a budget 3 Series, or something like that. I think it also made Car & Driver's 10 Best list one year. A lot of people trash talk Contours, but they are fun to drive for what they are.
 
My 1999 Ford Contour was by far the worst car I have ever purchased new. It was a GL model with a four. It was in the shop more then the road the paint job was awfull...First and last Ford that I ever purchased....
 
Originally Posted By: rszappa1
My 1999 Ford Contour was by far the worst car I have ever purchased new. It was a GL model with a four. It was in the shop more then the road the paint job was awfull...First and last Ford that I ever purchased....


Weird. I had exactly an opposite experience.

99 Mercury Mystique (same car as Contour). Had the 2.0 engine in it. Ran it to 150K with zero problems and sold to uncle. He is driving it currently with 175,000 on it and not troubles either.

I would consistently get 36 mpg highway in that car.
 
Russ Boltz's Dad's 1955 Chevrolet 2 Door, inline 6 and "3 on the tree"...

I was 15.

1st stop sign on a really steep hill=spinning rear tire. Once it hooked up we were off to the races!

Cheers!
 
1970 Chevy 3/4 ton P.U., three on the tree. Only drove it a couple times before my dad sold it. Didn't own a stick 'til almost 10 years later.('81 Corolla)
 
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