You know you're getting old when.....

zzeris said:

My school used their own vehicle for training, but this is what my grandmother got me as my first car. I ran wild and it broke in a year(transmission). Fun times.

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the question was what car did you learn how to drive on and what was used for the test. is "vehicle" the brand of the car? never heard of it.

can't find pix like it, 68 ford camper special, black on top and white on bottom. did have the front spare and cab lights.

my school had 3 driver's ed cars. the road car was fairly new chevy (84-85ish) of some sort. they also had 2 cars just to use on little track, small oval with 4 way intersection in the middle and some parking places. they were both huge. the one i drove was late 70's lincoln.

lurkingdirk said:

1983 Chevette, 4 door, manual transmission. I loved that car.

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Manual transmissions exist any longer?

Brahma said:

Manual transmissions exist any longer?

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Is that a serious question?

Brahma said:

You spend 10 dollars on candy that used to cost a damn quarter....

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My mom used to give me a fistful of change and let me walk to the store by myself. Had less than a dollar but felt like a king. I'd come home with a decent stack of candy. Now, $1 doesn't buy anything.

Brahma said:

Manual transmissions exist any longer?

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It's actually hard to find on everyday cars. There are a few companies that still make them available in the US - Hyundai, Volkswagen, Subaru - but other than that it is really hard to find. They don't make the new Ford Ranger in a manual transmission at all. I really, really miss my manual transmission. Stupid car companies.

I drive a manual and have since I was in college in 2011. I was one of like 5 dudes that knew how to do it.

This was in Rhode Island. It was like being one of the last Romans who knew how to build a bridge in the Dark Ages.

Guurn said:

I learned on this, if you can parallel park something this large you can park anything.

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My first 2 cars were massive. 79 ford Ltd station wagon . ya know. Twin family truckster from Vacation.

And a 69 Fury 4door hardtop.

Your first car is really what you use to actually get good at driving. Kids today seem to all have new cars as their first cars and you can't really have fun with those without trashing them. You can't play bumper cars with your friends. Can't sit on your car's fender anymore. Can't pile a shitload of people in a newer car. Not much room to park with your gf and fuck around in the back seat .

Campbell1oo4 said:

I drive a manual and have since I was in college in 2011. I was one of like 5 dudes that knew how to do it.

This was in Rhode Island. It was like being one of the last Romans who knew how to build a bridge in the Dark Ages.

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Ya, been driving stick since 16. My last stick was a 5.0 Mustang about 20 years ago.

I think this is primarily true in USA. Even in Canada there are way more manual vehicles. Very common in Europe. Americans just can't work that hard while they drive, their leg gets tired.

lurkingdirk said:

I think this is primarily true in USA. Even in Canada there are way more manual vehicles. Very common in Europe. Americans just can't work that hard while they drive, their leg gets tired.

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Go rent a car in Europe and 9 out of 10 will be manual, which includes trucks and vans. Its definitely a lazy American thing.

lurkingdirk said:

I think this is primarily true in USA. Even in Canada there are way more manual vehicles. Very common in Europe. Americans just can't work that hard while they drive, their leg gets tired.

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A big part of it, but also as well the congestion and stop and go of every US city played a part too.
Used to be a sizeable difference in fuel econ and acceleration between manual and automatic but that is almost nil these days and in same cases automatic better.
Course it's harder now to beat up people who can't drive a stick when cars themselves can drive themselves.

I learned to parallel park in a Cadillac Eldorado, 1978. Look at this thing. The doors each weigh about a thousand pounds, and you could sleep a family of five on the hood.

Manual transmission…this is why I am glad I bought a GT350. Let’s me use my left foot.

Skeezer said:

Manual transmission…this is why I am glad I bought a GT350. Let’s me use my left foot.

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My old roofing pickup many years back was a stick. So was my 94 camaro. Worst one I ever had was a old 80s buick with column shifter. I hated it like that.
Worst stick experience I ever had was 4 hours of stop and go through Nashville on I65. My legs hurt so damn bad after that and I was a construction worker used to using my legs all day.
Last one I drove I didn't own but I drove it for 3 years 6 days a week down in Greenbriar TN was a ford ranger for work 2007-2010. Haven't used one since. Hard to find them these days.
Sadly the 98 TA we have isn't a stick. Shelly used to drive them as well but the day we bought her, she was on the lot and the only choice and we had a tradein deal and some other deals to make it too good to pass up. We've always regretted it. Nothing wrong with it, in fact in 23 years transmission wise I've replaced 3 filters and fluid 3x and that's it. We just both enjoyed manual trannies. The only tranny I ever liked.