What Kind of Car Did You Learn Stick Shift On?

[rationull]

I learned piecemeal on a 1983 Chevy S10 5 spd, a 1976 VW Beetle 4 spd, and a 1988 Toyota Tercel 4 spd.

Learned the basics in the S10, learned that worn clutches and extremely loose shifters can make things difficult in the Beetle, and got comfortable with it in the Tercel (which I drove around for a couple years).

 

[Rob_Roy]

I first drove a stick shift in a 1967 Ford F250. It was a good confidence booster since the 390 V8 and 4.56 gears made it almost impossible to stall.

 

[d00df00d]

Piecemeal as well. I had my first exposure on a friend's Jeep Wrangler, but I barely knew how to drive at all at that point so I'm not sure if it counts...

Another friend of mine got me started on her '95 Honda Civic sedan. She wasn't really a good teacher, but I learned the basics. I did most of my learning on yet another friend's '02 RSX Type-S. That was a GREAT car to learn on once I had the basic knowledge. It didn't kill me for making mistakes, but it sure as heck let me know I had done something wrong.

I still miss that RSX. Great freakin' car.

 

[tmundal]

1981 Honda Accord hatchback. The "blue love" lol

 

[My442]

1968 Mustang 289 V-8 and a 3 speed stick.

Also, a 1966 Rambler station wagon with a 3 on the tree.

 

[wwillson]

A 1978 HD 3/4 ton Chevy truck and a 1977 International Class 8 cab-over with a 10 speed RoadRanger. I was way to young to have a drivers license, but that's just the way it was done in rural Iowa.

Wayne

 

[tomcat27]

my first CAR was a 76 Vega. by then I had already mastered a clutch which I leared (Stupidly!) on a dirt bike in the woods. not very smart since I had no one to coach me and once you are moving there's already alot going on - being a dirt bike! I had a few scary moments! of course, before I got on it, they asked me if I knew how to ride: of course I said "yes"

 

[John_K]

1978 Chevette. Pretty easy except the first time I encountered a hill. Had stick shift ever since (although my wife wants me to buy an automatic next time so she can drive my truck, darn her!)

John

 

[duaneb9729]

i learned on a 1958 ford F350 flat bed truck out in my uncles farm field.

 

[Colt45ws]

1994 Saturn SC2 with the 1.9L DOHC. I dislike standard transmissions. Can never keep from stalling. Then I did a 5-2 at 70 getting off the highway. Thought I blew up the engine when I saw the [censored] tach swing over to 8 grand.

 

[mstrjon32]

1984 BMW 633CSi. Picked it up in no time, but never developed mastery for driving stick until I owned one myself. My first, and so far only stick vehicle has been my 1999 Cherokee, which in my opinion is quite challenging to drive (smoothly).

Driving a front wheel drive car with a stick after driving the Cherokee is a walk in the park. Though I've stalled a few times in unfamiliar cars, since I'm now so used to the incredibly heavy clutch in the Jeep.

 

[flanso]

1956 Ford Fairlane, 292 cubic inch V8, three-speed column shift. I can still smell the clutch.

 

[Win]

'65 Econoline with three on the tree.

First stick was probably a '63 Apache with four on the floor, first being a granny gear, so most starts were in second.

Only have one manual left in the fleet - the '99 S-10. Hope it's the last.

 

[rat]

'84 Mazda B2000. Dad gave me the keys and pointed me toward grandparents open field.

 

[XS650]

1956 Chevy 6 with three on the tree in 1957.

 

[Pop_Rivit]

1955 International R180. Blue with a farm/grain box.

 

[GMFan]

The one in my signature. I've driven many stick shift cars. I'd say Hondas are by far the easiest I've experienced. Some cars take an hour or two to get used to, but my brother's 2008 Honda Accord w/ the 5spd shifts like hot butter.

My dad's 1997 Chevy S-10 was kinda tough. I kept stalling out when I began driving his truck for a period. You had to give it way more gas than what I was used to and it didn't have a tachometer in it.

It's all what you're used to. The easiest stick shift car/truck to drive is your own that you drive every day.

 

[Nick R]

I "learned" on my dad's friend's custom built jeep. It has a custom built transmission. first is unsynchronized, the gears don't follow the standard shift pattern, and the 79' Ford 5.4 packs a ton of power. It was a pain in the arse. Part of it lay in the fact that the gas pedal was very hard to push, and if I pushed it, it would push down alot and take off. I stalled it a few times. He said I can't compare it to a regular road-going stick shift.

 

[panthermike]

1973 Ford F250. Had a 400hp 460 motor

Oh yeah, this was my first vehicle and I had to drive myself home, about 40 miles. That's how I learned how to drive a manual.

 

[Turk]

Great topic!

1962 Chevy Pick-up out in a Corn Field when I was 12 years old.

No shift pattern on the ball - so it was trial and error.

Dad: "Move the truck up".

Oh man, that was crazy!