Is this common?

[Earl Marischal]

Never heard of an equivalent over here.

steve

 

[MeatMan]

4 hours ago, Earl Marischal said:

Never heard of an equivalent over here.

steve

 

?With so few cars being produced today, young people don't have the opportunity, or need to learn how to drive a standard shift vehicle.
The service probably can't find enough/any drivers that can drive one to park it. Also, it could be that the one stick shift driver they have is unavailable on some days.

[espo]

5 hours ago, Earl Marischal said:

Never heard of an equivalent over here.

steve

 

As Dennis mentioned, most of the new drivers here have no idea of how to coordinate their hands and feet at the same time in order to operate a vehicle with a manual transmission. Case in point, when I used to take our Jeep Wrangler into the Jeep dealer for service, they had to go get the "older salesman" that we ordered it from to drive the Jeep up to return it when they were done. The mechanics never seemed to have a problem, but the lot boys were at a loss. 

[Brian Austin]

I wonder if there might be a liability problem as well.

[deuces wild]

It is a great theft deterrent....(sp)

In the 5 years I've owned my 2019 GT/CS with a 6-speed manual trans, no one has ever tried to steal it.... Knock on wood!!!!!.. ?

Edited May 20, 2024 by deuces wild

[Ace-Garageguy]

I think it was 2017 I first read that, at the time, only 20% 18% of American drivers could work a manual gearbox.

I imagine the percentage is smaller now.

Of course that's still a whole lot higher than the percentage that can successfully work a shovel, a hammer, any kind of wrench, change a flat, or check their own oil.

Edited May 20, 2024 by Ace-Garageguy

[espo]

Another mention about manual transmission vehicles. We ordered a new '09 Wrangler with a 6 speed manual that we intended to go off road on a fairly regular basis. We attended many Jeep Jamborees in several central and eastern states. Something we noticed was that most people were buying Wranglers with the Automatic Transmissions. While I did see where they could have an advantage in curtain off- road applications one thing that tickled us was after negotiating a very difficult obstacle was the reaction from other drivers when the realized we had a stick. We had a 4-inch suspension lift, 33-inch BFG KM2's and when we sold the Wrangler at 130k miles it still had the original clutch and drive line with zero breakage. Who says you can't have fun crawling over rocks, running through streams, playing in the mud, then drive it through a car wash and drive it to work on Monday.  

[Can-Con]

On 5/19/2024 at 10:04 AM, MeatMan said:

?With so few cars being produced today, young people don't have the opportunity, or need to learn how to drive a standard shift vehicle.
The service probably can't find enough/any drivers that can drive one to park it. Also, it could be that the one stick shift driver they have is unavailable on some days.

Do you have any idea how hard it is to text when you need one hand to work the steering thingy and one to work that gear thingy? ?

Edited May 20, 2024 by Can-Con

[thatz4u]

2 minutes ago, Can-Con said:

Do you have any idea how hard it is to text when you need one hand to work the steering thingy and one to work that gear thingy? ?

that says it all  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[Rodent]

20 minutes ago, Can-Con said:

Do you have any idea how hard it is to text when you need one hand to work the steering thingy and one to work that gear thingy? ?

I can do it! My Mazda 3 6MT has Android Auto. Just push a button on the steering wheel and talk. ?

 

[JollySipper]

31 minutes ago, Rodent said:

I can do it! My Mazda 3 6MT has Android Auto. Just push a button on the steering wheel and talk. ?

 

and It's probably a Darn Good car, too......... I look at the 3s and 6s when perusing ads online. If I was searching for a car, that would be what I would get!

With a manual, of course.......

[Mark]

This has been a thing for a bunch of years.  My first three daily drivers (one car, two pickups) were manuals.  The first (1979 AMC Spirit GT) once got taken to the dealer, or for tires, I can’t remember which.  This would have been in the Eighties.  None of the men working there that day knew how to drive a stick, but the (female) service writer did...

[PatW]

We've always had manual gear shifts, far easier to control than auto's I've tried in the past have been uncontrollable in cold/frosty/slippery conditions and we've only been driving for 40+ years when (as now) automatics were so much more expensive and if you passed your test in an auto, you weren't allowed to drive a manual gearbox version. Although we won't as pensioners be able to afford to buy an EV, being all auto we wouldn't drive one anyway. We also couldn't afford an EV battery replacement.

[StevenGuthmiller]

I work as a valet at a local medical facility.

the ability to drive a manual transmission is a requirement of employment here.

No stick shift, no job.

 

 

 

Steve

[StevenGuthmiller]

16 hours ago, deuces wild said:

It is a great theft deterrent....(sp)

In the 5 years I've owned my 2019 GT/CS with a 6-speed manual trans, no one has ever tried to steal it.... Knock on wood!!!!!.. ?

I recently heard a story about a person who was the target of a carjacking.

When the thief got behind the wheel and realized that the car was equipped with a manual transmission, he abandoned his theft and ran away.

Even the thieves have become inept! ?

 

 

 

 

Steve

Edited May 20, 2024 by StevenGuthmiller

[iamsuperdan]

3 hours ago, Can-Con said:

Do you have any idea how hard it is to text when you need one hand to work the steering thingy and one to work that gear thingy? ?

All while enjoying your Timmies.

 

[MeatMan]

4 hours ago, Can-Con said:

Do you have any idea how hard it is to text when you need one hand to work the steering thingy and one to work that gear thingy? ?

Touche!!

[StevenGuthmiller]

4 hours ago, Can-Con said:

Do you have any idea how hard it is to text when you need one hand to work the steering thingy and one to work that gear thingy? ?

Not to mention the fact that you have to learn how to use your left foot!! ?

 

 

 

Steve

[Brian Austin]

I can just picture old-timers a century ago belittling younger drivers who didn't have to hand-crank their engine to start due to the new-fangled electric starter motor.

?

[Can-Con]

2 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Not to mention the fact that you have to learn how to use your left foot!! ?

 

 

 

Steve

WHAT !!! LEFT FOOT??? ?

[Can-Con]

3 minutes ago, Brian Austin said:

I can just picture old-timers a century ago belittling younger drivers who didn't have to hand-crank their engine to start due to the new-fangled electric starter motor.

?

Well, bet you guys didn't know it but I have a "hybrid" in the garage , , , , 

Get this ,, the Trans Am uses a battery powered electric motor to start the gas powered 5 liter engine !! ??

[Ace-Garageguy]

40 minutes ago, Brian Austin said:

I can just picture old-timers a century ago belittling younger drivers who didn't have to hand-crank their engine to start due to the new-fangled electric starter motor.

?

'Course, any young low-earner who couldn't afford a late-model electric-start vehicle would have had to learn how to hand-crank an engine on whatever cheap older ride he could get.

SOP today is usually just to whine about how unfair everything is, followed by "I caaaaannnnn'ttttt!!!!!!!"

EDIT: I learned to hand-crank an engine WAY after everything had gone to electric starters. But then I can ride a horse, too. Whatever level of technology is available, I'll probably get where I need to go.

Edited May 21, 2024 by Ace-Garageguy

[von Zipper]

[StevenGuthmiller]

1 hour ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

'Course, any young low-earner who couldn't afford a late-model electric-start vehicle would have had to learn how to hand-crank an engine on whatever cheap older ride he could get.

SOP today is usually just to whine about how unfair everything is, followed by "I caaaaannnnn'ttttt!!!!!!!"

EDIT: I learned to hand-crank an engine WAY after everything had gone to electric starters. But then I can ride a horse, too. Whatever level of technology is available, I'll probably get where I need to go.

I used to kick start my '75 Honda 350 by choice, even though it also had an electric start.

It always fired up on the first crank!

 

So yeah, it is possible to cross the boundaries of automotive evolution. 

 

 

 

 

Steve

[OldNYJim]

I told the kid at the tire shop that my Mustang was ‘in gear’ to make sure he didn’t accidentally crank it and drive it thru their planter at the weekend - he said “oh…it’s a stick?  Cool!!!”

Im sure he’s seen plenty before, but I was surprised it was uncommon enough to be worth mentioning.

I suck at driving my wife’s (auto) Passat - I’m always trying to pump the non-existent third pedal and reaching down instinctively to change gear when the autobox isn’t quite doing what I wanted ?