Who here can drive a stick?

[A-Branger]

yes and no ^^ it all depends on your car sweet spot for peak torque. Mine is at 4000RPMs which is hard to tell people to "its ok, this car loves to rev" it sits at 4000rpms at 100km/h

put it this way, if you drive your car on an uphill at 2000rpm you would be wasting more petrol than on a downhill at 2000rpm.... because on one you would have your pedal all the way down, while on the other scenario your foot would be out of the pedal

 

[p0ke]

yes and no ^^ it all depends on your car sweet spot for peak torque. Mine is at 4000RPMs which is hard to tell people to "its ok, this car loves to rev" it sits at 4000rpms at 100km/h

put it this way, if you drive your car on an uphill at 2000rpm you would be wasting more petrol than on a downhill at 2000rpm.... because on one you would have your pedal all the way down, while on the other scenario your foot would be out of the pedal

True, but I'm talking flat, even road Like I said before I always put the pedal to the metal before hills (and possibly switch down as well) so I won't have to accelerate uphill. Whereas my wife tries to do 2000rpm all the time no matter what. It's something that's stuck with her from driving school, the instructor had told her to drive that way at some point - I guess that was about right for the specific car at the specific place. I don't recall anyone ever telling me anything like that, but that's probably because I already knew how to drive when I went to driving school and the instructor basically said he'd give me the license straight away if he could.
I also tend to accelerate as hard as possible when I get going and usually accelerate all the way up to 100km/h in 3rd or 4th gear, because like you said, there's a certain sweet spot for the torque and it's just easier to accelerate that way. I have a 1.4 engine, so the sweet spot is pretty high too.
I sit at roughly 4000rpm too at 100km/h because I only have 5 gears with pretty small intervals between them, not much you can do about that really. Apart from trying to adjust the gearbox that is

 

[bostjan]

That's what second gear is for.

Right, on a manual, it'd be one thing, but with an automatic, it's hard to shift into second gear, unless your shifter specifically offers that option. That's why I thought the story was relevant.

 

[TedEH]

"oooh the car does parallel parking by itself :O "..... really? fucking realy???

I'm all for fiddly nonsense, but I do tend to think that things that make driving too easy make for lazy/inexperienced drivers. If your car parks for you, what happens when you have to park a car yourself? What happens when you have to back up somewhere with no reverse camera? What happens when you need to change lanes without the beeper sound to tell you someone is there? So many people I encounter "drive" every day but don't know how to reverse or parallel park or change lanes without the beeper to tell them when to go.

 

[bostjan]

The million dollar question is "Can I get a self-driving car with a stick shift?"

 

[_MonSTeR_]

View attachment 62283 Let the fun begin...wait till you start messing with twin trannies, twin-stick transfer cases and PTO winches...good times!!

Wait WHAT ?!?!?!?

 

[p0ke]

I'm all for fiddly nonsense, but I do tend to think that things that make driving too easy make for lazy/inexperienced drivers. If your car parks for you, what happens when you have to park a car yourself? What happens when you have to back up somewhere with no reverse camera? What happens when you need to change lanes without the beeper sound to tell you someone is there? So many people I encounter "drive" every day but don't know how to reverse or parallel park or change lanes without the beeper to tell them when to go.

Yep. I actually would like the automatic parallel parking feature, but not because I don't know how to do it. I parallel park at work and reverse the car into my driveway at home (which is pretty tight by the way) almost every day when I don't ride my bicycle to work, no problem, but sometimes it can be a bit tedious if you're tired or your mind's a bit somewhere else for some reason. Or when the kids are screaming loud af in the back seat

 

[StevenC]

Right, on a manual, it'd be one thing, but with an automatic, it's hard to shift into second gear, unless your shifter specifically offers that option. That's why I thought the story was relevant.

Oops, don't know how I missed that!

 

[A-Branger]

btw here in Australia all hired cars are auto (as my experience goes).... which makes way more sense

also aparently you can have an auto drivers license and a manual one.....????? like I ahve seen adds with "manual drivers licence required"... and I was like WTF?.... as I only driven manual but yeh its a thing here

 

[mongey]

We call it manual , but yeah I
My first car was manual and probably half I have owned have been.

Here in oz these days you need to do your driving test In a Manual if you want to be licensed to drive one , so most don’t bother and stick to auto

 

[Randy]

View attachment 62283 Let the fun begin...wait till you start messing with twin trannies, twin-stick transfer cases and PTO winches...good times!!

Not as elaborate as that but I used to have a CJ7 on 35"x13.5" Baja Claws and surpringly mostly stock drivetrain (Iron Duke 151cu.in., T4 transmission, Dana 300 TC, Dana 44 and AMC 20 axles). Only upgrades were the lift, a lunch box locker and the twin stick TC.

Was fun for finesse driving, especially since that engine was only good for 89hp, but the low gear on the T4 and the gearing in the 300 got me through most anything. Then I got stuck in a clay pit once and had to leave it overnight, and the embarrassment led me to swap the 151 for a Ford 302. Got it build and installed, fired up but never on the road. Needed custom driveshafts and my gf got sick of it sitting in the driveway, so out it went. Women

What were we talking about? Oh yeah, stick. That T4 is my favorite transmission I've driven.

 

[NateFalcon]

Not as elaborate as that but I used to have a CJ7 on 35"x13.5" Baja Claws and surpringly mostly stock drivetrain (Iron Duke 151cu.in., T4 transmission, Dana 300 TC, Dana 44 and AMC 20 axles). Only upgrades were the lift, a lunch box locker and the twin stick TC.

Was fun for finesse driving, especially since that engine was only good for 89hp, but the low gear on the T4 and the gearing in the 300 got me through most anything. Then I got stuck in a clay pit once and had to leave it overnight, and the embarrassment led me to swap the 151 for a Ford 302. Got it build and installed, fired up but never on the road. Needed custom driveshafts and my gf got sick of it sitting in the driveway, so out it went. Women

What were we talking about? Oh yeah, stick. That T4 is my favorite transmission I've driven.

T4 and spicer 300 is a pretty bulletproof combo, twin sticks are fun, front drive only (front dig) is priceless for downhill descents and great on the ice for not kicking your rear end out. I also had a ‘74 K5 blazer on 39.5 Iroks and 1 ton axles (Dana 60/GM 14 bolt) with twin stick/twin transfer cases (np203/205) and a np435 4spd...I had 4 shifters in it...it would climb a tree at 1/2 mph lol

 

[groverj3]

for some of the sutff that you mention yeah, but nowadays most of those "innovation" are true nonsese.... like really is it THAT hard to close your own door that you NEED a button for it?, or another button to open it, or basicall 80% of the electronic stuff taht now comes in new cars

"oooh the car does parallel parking by itself :O "..... really? fucking realy??? it takes no time to learn how to do that you lazy %^&#^#$!!! LEARN!! FFS

I get it, having perfect temperature electronic controled AC is "cool", but I much rather having my 1/2/3 fan speed and a lever to go between cold/hot.. bam simple done! none of that touchscreen bullshit.

whic btw, Its ilegall to use your phone while driving, but its perfectly fine to have the equivalent of an ipad as a control dash in your car now?

"oooh look at the digital controls/speedo in your car?...." fuck is wrong with the mechanical clock with the needle going around?... its simple an beautiful

I know.... I know...... "old man yells at cloud" simpson reference

I don't completely disagree with you, but it's not like power locks and windows, or cruise control are some of newfangled ipad-dash

 

[Randy]

T4 and spicer 300 is a pretty bulletproof combo, twin sticks are fun, front drive only (front dig) is priceless for downhill descents and great on the ice for not kicking your rear end out. I also had a ‘74 K5 blazer on 39.5 Iroks and 1 ton axles (Dana 60/GM 14 bolt) with twin stick/twin transfer cases (np203/205) and a np435 4spd...I had 4 shifters in it...it would climb a tree at 1/2 mph lol

That's a nice rig. I've had other stuff but the CJ7 was the most built vehicle I had, between being a driveway mechanic and most of my offroad vehicles doubling as my daily driver.

I'm not much of a rock crawler/mud bogging kinda guy, so I'm not sure how 'big' I'd build my dream rig.

Two of the builds I've had in my head, one would be an expedition rig similar to the Pinzgauer a buddy of mine has. Wouldn't have to be that though, maybe start with a MitsuFuso box truck, tall and narrow knobby tires and a smaller turbo diesel powerplant. Trans and TC options are wide open, but I wouldn't want too much weight. Another finesse driver, but benefits of the longer wheelbase and not have it a nightmare on the road for long trips (overdrive?)

Second would probably be a near stock LR Series I with the PTO, plus modest lift and power plant upgrades. Softroader, grocery getter and double duty as a yard machine. I miss the CJ7 but not the rust issues, and the aluminum body + a galvanized frame is tempting.

I'm realizing we need an offroad thread on here.

 

[NateFalcon]

Totally agree...I’ve love to build a CJ8 scrambler (my dad had 3 over the years). My buddy chad also had a Pinzgauer...they’re awesome. I also had a beat to shit ‘66 Benz 404 Unimog on 44” tractor paddles about 12 years ago that had 12 forward gears and 6 reverse gears -it reminded me of the ‘jeepers creepers’ truck. I’ve had a couple military rigs, a Jeep/Kaiser M175 5/4 ton truck, an m1008 blazer, a ‘52 Dodge WC power wagon, a (late?) ‘50’s Dodge M37. I love pre-war (ww1) 4x4’s...

 

[Furtive Glance]

I can't which makes me a PoS... Literally every car I would want to buy is a stick, too. I had about a 10 minute "lesson" with my dad back in high school where I went up to maybe 3rd gear in a parking lot but that was it.

If we still had the rep system I would welcome the negz, haha.

 

[Vostre Roy]

I'm 30. First ride was a 97 Geo (Chevy) Tracker with a manual transmission. Loved it, allowed me to really uses all of the 95hp available out or that useless angine lol.

Second daily driver / winter beater has been my automatic Hyundai Tucson. Good vehicule but boring as hell to drive.

Last car I got myself is my 87 Trans Am. Wanted it black, t-top and more important, wanted it with a manual transmission (pretty hard to find) and its a pleasure to drive

 

[Necris]

I honestly can't recall even being in a car with a stick shift at any point in my life. I have no interest in cars, either, so there is very little motivation to learn.

 

[p0ke]

Had to come back here to fix my previous statement My car sits around 3500rpm at 120km/h (I said 4000rpm at 100km/h).

 

[Headache]

68 Ford shortbed was my first.
Had that thing for 30 years.

Two hands yanking hard to get into low sometimes kind of thing.

These newer sticks are a breeze.