I first practiced driving and clutch control in an S2 Land Rover Defender, and became proficient in a 1300cc Fiat Punto.
What Kind of Car Did You Learn Stick Shift On?
- Thread starter The Critic
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Honda civic 1978 (the mini of Honda) horrible stick slack(baught used) but the transmission . Silk smooth
1992 Toyota Tercel
1963 Ford Galaxy 500. Three Speed column shift.
1970 International pickup. 304 and three on the tree.
Over here, when I was growing up manual gearboxes were the norm; it's what (almost) everybody learned to drive.
I first drove a car aged around 13 - a Fiat 126 with a 4-speed manual. After that it was a Peugeot 309, again a 4-speed. I then learned to drive on the road in a Vauxhall Nova (4-speed) and my first car was a 1977 Austin Mini (4-speed). I think the first 5-speed I drove was a 1989 Vauxhall Cavalier and the first 6-speed an Audi A3 3.2 V6 Quattro.
I have driven far more manuals than automatics and have only ever owned manuals. However I am awaiting delivery of a DSG-equipped car next month - a SEAT Leon FR with a 7-speed DSG.
I first drove a car aged around 13 - a Fiat 126 with a 4-speed manual. After that it was a Peugeot 309, again a 4-speed. I then learned to drive on the road in a Vauxhall Nova (4-speed) and my first car was a 1977 Austin Mini (4-speed). I think the first 5-speed I drove was a 1989 Vauxhall Cavalier and the first 6-speed an Audi A3 3.2 V6 Quattro.
I have driven far more manuals than automatics and have only ever owned manuals. However I am awaiting delivery of a DSG-equipped car next month - a SEAT Leon FR with a 7-speed DSG.
I learned on a 1989 Mustang 5.0
My dad's 1973 Chevy Vega with 4 on the floor.
Went to a drive-in movie the first night out and had to start the car on an uphill gravel driveway. Got nervous about rolling back into the car behind, so I gassed it and dumped the clutch, showering the car with gravel. The driver was NOT happy about that.
Went to a drive-in movie the first night out and had to start the car on an uphill gravel driveway. Got nervous about rolling back into the car behind, so I gassed it and dumped the clutch, showering the car with gravel. The driver was NOT happy about that.
`66 chevy pick up,283,3 on the tree
I had never driven one before I bought my MG(1970 MGB).
I handed over the cash, signed the papers, and hopped in the car to drive it home(~60 miles).
I bucked it, squealed the tires, and stalled it plenty of times on the trip home, but I made it. I went straight to work, and then ended up driving home that evening in a rain storm(there wasn't a top frame even installed in the car at the time-the co-worker who drove me up to get the car took it home in his car) and out of the three wipers on the car there was only one that was sort of functional. I ended up driving with my glasses off and looking over the top of the windshield just to see where I was going.
In any case, the car wasn't bought as a main car, and never has been for me. It didn't take me too long for it to become second nature, though-the key was just getting out and driving it. Learning about ignition timing and actually getting it set more or less correctly so that I didn't have to rev it to 2500 rpms to get torque helped a lot on hill starts also
. I don't deny running a few red lights, though, when I was still learning(of course making sure things were clear) to avoid a hill start.
I handed over the cash, signed the papers, and hopped in the car to drive it home(~60 miles).
I bucked it, squealed the tires, and stalled it plenty of times on the trip home, but I made it. I went straight to work, and then ended up driving home that evening in a rain storm(there wasn't a top frame even installed in the car at the time-the co-worker who drove me up to get the car took it home in his car) and out of the three wipers on the car there was only one that was sort of functional. I ended up driving with my glasses off and looking over the top of the windshield just to see where I was going.
In any case, the car wasn't bought as a main car, and never has been for me. It didn't take me too long for it to become second nature, though-the key was just getting out and driving it. Learning about ignition timing and actually getting it set more or less correctly so that I didn't have to rev it to 2500 rpms to get torque helped a lot on hill starts also
I practiced in the driveway on my aunt and uncle's 1974 Toyota Celica ST with 4 on the floor. My first road experience with a stick was on my neighbor's 1975 Plymouth Valiant with a slant 6 and a three on the tree.
To this day I would love to own a V8 car or truck from the '50s or '60s with the three on the tree with the electric overdrive option.
This usually gave you a 3.70 or 4.11 rear gear for great acceleration along with an electric kickdown to disengage overdrive when the accelerator is floored. Let off on the accelerator and it shifts back into overdrive. This setup gave you six possible forward ratios. Just like in today's cars, the overdrive kept the RPMs down on the highway in spite of the numerically high rear end gear.
Here is a good video of how this setup works:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmcPtca9MC0
...and another from the same owner:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26pQioiKaOs
Love it...
Andrew S.
To this day I would love to own a V8 car or truck from the '50s or '60s with the three on the tree with the electric overdrive option.
This usually gave you a 3.70 or 4.11 rear gear for great acceleration along with an electric kickdown to disengage overdrive when the accelerator is floored. Let off on the accelerator and it shifts back into overdrive. This setup gave you six possible forward ratios. Just like in today's cars, the overdrive kept the RPMs down on the highway in spite of the numerically high rear end gear.
Here is a good video of how this setup works:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmcPtca9MC0
...and another from the same owner:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26pQioiKaOs
Love it...
Andrew S.
1965 Lotus Cortina Mk1
One of my first experiences was my friends 72 vette with a zoom competition clutch. I drove around the neighborhood for about 10 minutes and had leg cramps. That was a horrible setup.
My 79 trans am is all stock and its pretty effortless. I do have the idle jacked way up so I'm not stalling it all over town.
My 79 trans am is all stock and its pretty effortless. I do have the idle jacked way up so I'm not stalling it all over town.
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1991 Ford Escort GT
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