Spinoff: Do your kids (or you) drive a manual transmission?

[I Lean]

My son's TJ was a manual and he learned in my commuter TDI. He only wants a manual to replace the white TJ. Both of my other boy want manuals as well.

Reminds me, the TDI is currently parked needing a clutch that should be here tomorrow...😅

That's one of the things I like about manuals--I can change a clutch far more easily than rebuilding an automatic.

 

[nnnnnate]

I learned in drivers ed so I didn't have to share a car, it was a ford ranger. I drove a toyota pickup and a cj5 in high school.

I tried to teach my wife when I bought my 2013 jk. We were early to something and went over to the e-center parking lot. I made her cry. She has never tried again and has no interest at all. My boys are too young for me to be thinking about it but we'll see.

 

[mbryson]

I learned to drive @bobn's manual Samurai in the fields up around my grandma's house in Heber when I was 7. Always chose the manual Geo Metro on the driving range during drivers ed (though I had to take my driving test in the auto Taurus).
My wife also learned to drive on a manual and her first car, a '90 Pathfinder, was a manual that she drove for 10 years all over the country. So I lucked out there. She can even drive a manual in heels, which I find quite impressive!
Of the four cars we currently own; Samurai, Miata, Kizashi, and Armada, only the Armada is an auto. I plan on keeping the Samurai and Miata until I die, so my boys will learn to drive those, but I suspect that by the time they're old enough to drive finding a suitable daily for them with a manual will be a tall order.

Can YOU drive a manual in heels?

 

[Stephen]

Can YOU drive a manual in heels?

Never tried. Probably not.

 

[Rot Box]

I have more trouble driving the CVT in our Subicon than I do a manual in Tinky 🫤

 

[jeeper]

I think my first five or six cars were all manual transmission. My girlfriends car through high school was also a manual transmission. Shifting was so ingrained in me that it was fairly typical to accidentally mash the brake pedal on the rare occasions that I drove an automatic.

 

[Pile of parts]

My left foot instinctively lifts for the clutch and my right hand reaches to downshift when I'm coming to a stop...
I'd love for all my vehicles to be manual but they are hard to come by now.
I'm having an internal debate building my '49 GMC. I'm seriously contemplating a manual transmission for it.

 

[Pile of parts]

Oh, and my opinion on the comment in the thread this one spun off from... That "boy" friend doesn't know how to drive a stick, or have one.😉

 

[glockman]

My first 3 cars were manuals, have had probably 5 or 6 since. I currently have one in the fleet and it had been a few years since I drove one much. I half enjoy it and half loath it.

My 3 boys that can drive all have manuals at the moment. My 20 year old wouldn't even look at autos when he bought his current car. My wife can drive a manual, in flip flops, she doesn't even own heels . My daughter can't drive a manual, she can barely see over the steering wheel as it is. Her husband can drive a manual so she is proxied in I guess.

 

[TurboMinivan]

Back when I got my license, every car the family owned had a manual transmission... so I had no choice. I'm glad it was like that, since I enjoy rowing my own gears when I can. The first automatic I owned was my 4th car (a pickup, actually) IIRC.

My wife can drive a stick, and she actually prefers a manual over an automatic. I don't know if her (26-yr-old) daughter can drive a stick, though.

 

[TRD270]

No kids but manual cars currently out number autos 3-2 at the house. Others would probably be manuals if offered in one and wasn’t trash in the other.

 

[spaggyroe]

This thread made me realize that we currently own FIVE automatics, and ZERO manuals. Sorta depressing really...

Great,... now I'm going to have to fabricobble ANOTHER project together once the cruiser is done so that I can have a manual back in my life. Thanks Carl...

 

[I Lean]

This thread made me realize that we currently own FIVE automatics, and ZERO manuals. Sorta depressing really...

Great,... now I'm going to have to fabricobble ANOTHER project together once the cruiser is done so that I can have a manual back in my life. Thanks Carl...

My boy has been competing in autocross events.....it's giving me bad thoughts.

 

[Houndoc]

I've always rented a manual when out of the country. Often to persistent questions from the rental agent because they don't think Yanks know how to drive manuals!

Right hand drive manual is easier than I expected.

 

[UNSTUCK]

Livy drives the LJ (6 speed) daily and Ashlee is learning it now. Lucas (11 yo) has driven it a few times off road and has a pretty good feel for the clutch. I'm pushing hard to get them all taught before I do the engine swap this summer when the auto trans goes in.
Happy to also report that my wife has driven manuals for ever. She's actually driving the Jeep today while Livy is cleaning her car for her.

After we all have the manual transmission down we will start focusing on backing up a trailer. I'll need your prayers please.

 

[Stephen]

My boy has been competing in autocross events.....it's giving me bad thoughts.

@bobn was the 1973 SCCA San Francisco Region and National Solo II (autocross) champion in E-Stock with his 1970 Opel GT. I took up autocrossing briefly in 2002 with my bone stock Rabbit GTI, did OK but the best memory from then was my dad driving my car and coming across the line to the announcer's astonishment saying, "Robert Nielson in the GTI just crossed put in a time of 1:06. Uh... Wow! Thats faster than the fastest Street Prepared time today!" He went on to handily winning the class that day and I think came in 4th overall out of around 50 competitors. I only took 3rd.

In 2018 I went back and autocrossed my Kizashi. Competed all but two events that year, consistently came in 3rd in H-Stock. Problem was that H-Stock included Fiesta ST's, which are about half the size and weight of the Kizashi with more power. So on the days that they showed up, the rest of us in the class (Mazda 3's, 6's, Lancers, etc) just knew we'd end up behind them. Good times, still. I'd usually end up in the middle of the overall times too, which was fun. And most importantly, I was finally able to beat my dad!

 

[STAG]

The only manuals I’ve personally owned were my ‘99 PSD, 2 VW Jettas, a VW golf, and a Honda civic.

I do drive manual semi for work though.


*edit*
And my ‘84 Chevy K1500

 

[I Lean]

@bobn was the 1973 SCCA San Francisco Region and National Solo II (autocross) champion in E-Stock with his 1970 Opel GT. I took up autocrossing briefly in 2002 with my bone stock Rabbit GTI, did OK but the best memory from then was my dad driving my car and coming across the line to the announcer's astonishment saying, "Robert Nielson in the GTI just crossed put in a time of 1:06. Uh... Wow! Thats faster than the fastest Street Prepared time today!" He went on to handily winning the class that day and I think came in 4th overall out of around 50 competitors. I only took 3rd.

In 2018 I went back and autocrossed my Kizashi. Competed all but two events that year, consistently came in 3rd in H-Stock. Problem was that H-Stock included Fiesta ST's, which are about half the size and weight of the Kizashi with more power. So on the days that they showed up, the rest of us in the class (Mazda 3's, 6's, Lancers, etc) just knew we'd end up behind them. Good times, still. I'd usually end up in the middle of the overall times too, which was fun. And most importantly, I was finally able to beat my dad!

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Awesome! Come out on the 27th....Maverick Center. Assuming Carson has the day off, I'll also enter my Stupid Saturn. Should be fun, and I might claim the slowest time of the day.

 

[Stephen]

Awesome! Come out on the 27th....Maverick Center. Assuming Carson has the day off, I'll also enter my Stupid Saturn. Should be fun, and I might claim the slowest time of the day.

If I didn't have plans on the 27th I'd totally come. I'll have to keep an eye on the calendar.

 

[Spork]

I still daily drive a manual, when I got my license my folks didn't have an automatic so manual was the only option. I have one daughter that likes to drive my Tacoma (5 speed) and the other kids don't have a lot of interest.