Cars, First cars?

I learned to drive on an automatic transmission but how did you guys learn to drive a stick?


I needed a daily driver(typical Southern California commuter) for college so I got an early 90s Toyota Pickup.
Dad drove it home then I just jumped in and took off.

The majority of my cars have had Manual Transmissions.
My current car has 9 soulless speeds which has it's moments but my left foot is restless.

My last car was a Mazda 6 5spd Manual that racked up 300k Miles in about 7 years. Only replaced the clutch once at around 220K. That was a great car for me.

I've never driven stick in my life. If you were born in the late 70s or thereafter, there was little point in ever learning. By the time you were old enough to learn to drive automatic transmissions were cheap enough and had advanced to the point where manuals were obsolete, for all practical purposes.

Learning to drive stick goes in the same category as:

- you better learn how to do math and long division because you won't have a calculator everywhere you go

- you better carry a paper copy of maps in your glove compartment

- you better keep a quarter on you at all times in case you need to use a pay phone

I could drive a stick at one time, barely

I did some work on a farm one summer in college and the guy I worked with had a pickup with a stick, one day he asked me to drive and I was too embarrassed to say I didn’t know how so I just winged it lol, I guess from playing driving games in the arcade I had enough basic knowledge to pull it off, again, barely

I've never driven stick in my life. If you were born in the late 70s or thereafter, there was little point in ever learning. By the time you were old enough to learn to drive automatic transmissions were cheap enough and had advanced to the point where manuals were obsolete, for all practical purposes.

Learning to drive stick goes in the same category as:

- you better learn how to do math and long division because you won't have a calculator everywhere you go

- you better carry a paper copy of maps in your glove compartment

- you better keep a quarter on you at all times in case you need to use a pay phone

Once you learn how to drive a stick ,you can drive anything.It's true.

I bought my first car as a junior in HS for $100 from a neighbor's friend. It was a used, manual transmission, 1980 Honda Civic hatchback that the friend had brush-painted bright yellow.

I sanded it down and used various cans of spray paint "gifted" me by a buddy who worked at Hechinger to paint it like a WWII P-40 Warhawk Flying Tiger; complete with camo stripes and the shark mouth.

It was 1994, so there were still a bunch of WWII vets around and I'd routinely get stopped to say how much they loved the car and how they had a buddy who flew a P-40. I taught a bunch of friends to drive stick in that car since it was such a piece of junk I didn't car if they'd grind the clutch.

Driving stick may be obsolete, but it's also awesome (except for in traffic jams). I've had a few relatively recent situations in rural areas and in other countries when I needed to drive stick, so I guess it still can come in handy.

I bought my first car as a junior in HS for $100 from a neighbor's friend. It was a used, manual transmission, 1980 Honda Civic hatchback that the friend had brush-painted bright yellow.

I sanded it down and used various cans of spray paint "gifted" me by a buddy who worked at Hechinger to paint it like a WWII P-40 Warhawk Flying Tiger; complete with camo stripes and the shark mouth.

It was 1994, so there were still a bunch of WWII vets around and I'd routinely get stopped to say how much they loved the car and how they had a buddy who flew a P-40. I taught a bunch of friends to drive stick in that car since it was such a piece of junk I didn't car if they'd grind the clutch.

Driving stick may be obsolete, but it's also awesome (except for in traffic jams). I've had a few relatively recent situations in rural areas and in other countries when I needed to drive stick, so I guess it still can come in handy.

I know it's just me but I thought they handled better in the snow.

I know it's just me but I thought they handled better in the snow.

Yeah, downshifting going down a hill in the snow is a good strategy. No need to brake.

Also got my license at 19. Drove around my parents' car.
Then lived in downtown Boston and San Fran, so didn't buy a car.
Finally got one in 1991 (at 34 yo): a '88 Toyota MR2. Except for some rust damage it still works great. (Never had a breakdown except for flats.)
But I had to get another car since the 6 kids and my wife complained that it was awfully crowded when we all piled in, so we got a (used) 8-seat Toyota Sienna. But they all fight for who gets to ride with me in the MR2 when we take both cars.

(When I bought the MR2, I had reduced the choices down to 2 types of sportscar, and I obviously had to get the one with my initials on it.)

Got my license at 18. As really do not and still do not like to drive. Drove like a Yugo like car in 1993 after graduating HS. As it only worked very temporary for me as still only to drive around the block for a temporary job at a small market and gas station. Forget the name of it to be honest with you.

My first car was a 98 Olds with a 454 gas sucking machine. Paid $75 for the car because it had no reverse. The car was so big I could get 8 people in the car and not be cramped. Drove it for a year then the entire trans went. Sold it for $350 so I did pretty good.

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