Can you drive a stick?

[oneheadlite]

I had my Chauffeur drive me in mine.
I wouldn't fool with menial things as 'changing gears..........

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[dpAtlanta]

Okay, Okay, Okay.... I'll be the first to admit.......... I CAN"T DRIVE A STICK!

Whew, I feel a lot better getting that off my chest. It feels like a huge weight has been lifted off my back.
I should have came out a long time ago.
Thanks Zane for giving me the platform to finally be free!

DISCLAIMER: Do not take any noun, pronoun, adjective, or verb in this post literally

 

[Mikepol2]

Obviously the younger you are, the less opportunities you had to learn how to drive a stick. The salesman at the dealership I bought my Mustang from looked pretty young and he told me I'd have to drive the car off the lot for the test drive because he didn't know how...

Based on chit chat at car shows over the years, the reason for getting the auto over the stick seems to be one of these:

1) I never learned how to drive stick and see no reason to start.
2) The automatic cars are quicker.
3) My car is a daily driver in traffic and I don't want the hassle of the clutch.
4) My knees are too arthritic and my stick days are over.

Funny story: Had to take my car in to the dealership and walked out to the car with the tech, who was going to pull it into the service bay, he looked to be in his 50's. He opened the door and said hey, I see you got the optional security system. I was stumped till he said nobody who is young enough to be a car thief could steal your car cause it's a stick!

 

[Bullitt0819]

I learned to drive stick in my dad's 1931 Model A. In addition to no synchros, you had to manually adjust the ignition timing after starting. Drove it all through high school and first time through JC.

 

[dogiebitt]

I bought the car (new with 40ish miles on it) at a dealership 100 miles away and learned how to drive it on the way back home. Salesguy at dealership drove it to an empty parking lot for me and gave me a 10 min crash course.

Anyone need a used clutch? "like new"

 

[Rock&Roll]

I bought the car (new with 40ish miles on it) at a dealership 100 miles away and learned how to drive it on the way back home. Salesguy at dealership drove it to an empty parking lot for me and gave me a 10 min crash course.

Anyone need a used clutch? "like new"

That’s awesome.

I talked my girlfriend ( now wife ) into buying a Nissan 240 SX with a stick in the late 80’s. She learned on the spot also. She loved that car and really liked driving a stick. She’d say it’s more fun.

 

[zworld]

LOl I taught my exwife to drive my 74 gto with a replacement 400 with a cam in it and a three speed manual

 

[Shifting_Gears]

Yes and like a bat out of hell.

1986 Yamaha FZ750
1989 Dodge Ram 50
2000 Mustang GT
2013 Focus ST
2016 Mustang GT

All stick.

Only slushboxes I’ve owned:
1997 Jeep Cherokee 4.0 and wish it was a stick
2004 Grand Cherokee 4.7HO stick not an option

Not against autos and for a truck/SUV I’m totally fine with it. If it’s performance oriented I would prefer a stick. Nothing like being able to dump the clutch and fry the tires with 100% control, give a quick clutch kick to step the rear out in a corner, etc.

 

[Järn]

I learned to drive a stick in a 1970(?) VW Beetle. 60 HP? In 40 years of driving, I have only used a stick maybe 10 times. I never got the appeal of it.

 

[Echo4papa]

Learned how to drive and took my first (and only) driving test in a manual. First mustang was a manual, both Jeeps and a few other vehicles along the way. I've also had a couple dual clutch transmissions and automatics, including both my current 2019 and my 2015 Mustang GT's. Traffic and a bad knee from the Marines means unless I'm picking up something just tool around with on the weekends, it's going to be an automatic.

Maybe it's youthful ignorance, but the amount of people who assume someone would select an automatic because they can't drive stick is astounding. I'm talking in general, not specific to anyone here, including the OP. There are plenty of reasons someone would choose an automatic over manual, especially given how far automatics have come over the past several years.

 

[Arcadia]

I'm just curious How many here bought an auto because they never learned to drive a stick? When I bought my car I asked why they had it on the lot as long as they did. He said 80% of the people when they opened the door and saw the stick they just passed on it. Now I know some will reply that they were looking for the new auto. But that's not my question, my question is how many out there just never learned to drive a stick shift? Oh I prefer a stick for the fun factor, I feel I can make the car do what I want when I want, which for me is more driver control.

I can drive one fine and sometimes I miss having one - but two hours in creeping traffic jam makes me smile that I got the auto.

 

[Roman]

I learned on an '81 Ford Fairmont wagon 4speed. It was a blast to learn on because I knew I couldn't get into too much trouble with it. I had 2 Probe GT's and 1 Mustang GT since then that were stick and I loved every second of them. I also resurrected my parents '90 Mustang GT 'vert that was auto and enjoyed the hell out of that too (they also had a '70 Mach 1 auto that was a blast to drive). When it came time for me to get my '19, I went from being dead set on getting a stick to getting the A10. My legs aren't great. And LA traffic is a killer. The A10 really impressed me and it, for me, was a no-brainer. I do miss rowing my own from time to time, but not as much as I thought I would.

 

[Mikepol2]

True story: Learned how to drive on an old beat-up 1971 GMC 1500 pickup with a 3 on the tree (Google it if you don't know what that is). Dad gave me a couple minutes of instruction in the driveway and then sent my younger brother and I to the store. Stalled it umpteen times and laughed like hell but learned quick. A few months later was driving it and all of a sudden couldn't shift, no resistance to the shifter. Looked under the truck and there was a joint where a pin should join the shifter linkage to the transmission. Looked behind the seat and found, of all things, a wire coat hangar. Unbent it and crawled under the truck and reattached the shifter with the coat hangar. Problem solved, never had a more permanent fix done.

 

[Blue Moon]

I've never owned an auto, only sticks.

 

[oneheadlite]

IF I hadn't listened to wifey, I'D have a manual.

"Honey, buy an auto so I can drive it"
She has driven the Mustang TWICE!!
Can't complain though, she only drove my '15 Camaro SS once.

Besides; it is her money that buys them for ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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