Can you drive a standard transmission ??

[67440chrg]

Yes I have owned as many standards as autos. I took my drivers test in a 6 cyl chevy truck with a truck 4 speed. Its odd that I have had as many over the years but dont have one now. I can remember at 15 driving my grandmother to church in their vega. That little 6 cyl 4 speed car was fun on dirt roads when I was 14 & 15. We lived in the sticks and were aloud to drive pretty young.

[73chgrSE]

I've driven more trucks with a manual transmission than cars though. Living in the Atlanta area a stick would be a hassle in this traffic.

[NHCharger]

Learned on a three on the tree.

[myk]

Learned on a Geo Metro in '98.  I could probably still do it but it's been years since I've touched a manual...

[Kern Dog]

I could probably still do it but it's been years since I've touched a man...

What ? ? ?   

[myk]

Oi vey...

[Kern Dog]

Come on, man....THROW one back at me !

[Nacho-RT74]

My first manual transmission experience was at the age of 14 or so with the Test Drive PC game on an EPSON APEX LOL.

But being serious, I learnt by myself using the video game experience. I stolen couple of times my Dad's 1988 Jeep Wrangler Limited ( long chassis ) and went pretty much well. He was out of the country for couple of months and my Mom never noticed I took the Jeep. Then after that went to a driving school just for practice with their car, not really to learn.

Some years later got my Charger ( Auto ), and being driving my Dad's W116 Mercedes ( Auto ), while at work I was driving a T1 VW panel. That was pretty much my only relation with manual transmission on last 10 to 12 years.

Being now in Spain, I'm driving a 1997 Range Rover P38 ( with a SLOOOOOOOWWW 2.5 diesel BMW engine , 5 speeds ).

Well, I'm driving is just saying! It has being more time at the mech shop than on the streets.


OH, forgott also drove couple of times my Dad's 1980 Manual Range Rover before get my Charger operative but this was under permission. Then he changed it for the Mercedes.

Just to say, my Dad never got all these cars at the same time

.

[XH29N0G]

Come to think of it, It must have been a manual transmission I was driving in the early 1980's when I hit my dad's charger in the driveway.    Wonder if I popped the clutch.  Only thing I remember was panic when I hit the car and then my dad saying "you might want to back up" when I asked min what I should do next. 

[68RT440]

When I learned how to drive, it was in my dad's Ranger which was a manual. This was in 1999 and all of my friends cars were automatics and none of them could drive stick. I was lucky because I didn't have to worry about any of my friends wanting to borrow the truck once I bought it from my dad. I have a 03 Mustang now that's a street/strip car with a manual transmission. I know automatics are faster in the quarter mile but there's just something about powershifting at 7K that lets you know that you're in control of the car! 

[71charger_fan]

I learned to drive on manuals in a '66 Beetle and a '66 Chevy truck. When my kids were ready to learn to drive, I made them learn on a manual in my '83 Shelby Charger. I think they hated me for it at the time, but, in the long run, I think they're glad I did that. Over the years I've had a lot of manual trans cars ('68 Barracuda, '83 Shelby Charger, '82 Camaro, 2000 Neon, 2003 Neon, 2004 Neon, '10 Challenger SRT8, '15 Challenger Scat Pack, '17 Corvette, '10 Wrangler, '13 Wrangler, '94 Cherokee, '95 Wrangler, '55 Plymouth and probably a couple more that I'm forgetting).

I took the '55 Plymouth to the local Quick Lane to have the differential and transmission oil changed as I didn't feel like crawling under there. They gave the job to a very young tech. I watched him get in the car, start it, then just stare at the shifter for about 30 seconds. Then he shut it off and walked back in and asked one of the older guys how to drive it. The "three on the tree" baffled him.

[c00nhunterjoe]

Im 36 and can drive and race stick shift cars. I have been told my 4 speed shifts on the track sound like automatics.

[lloyd3]

Sticks require you to become part of the machine. A mixed blessing these days, of course, as most of the traffic conditions around any modern metroplex are misery itself for stick cars.  In something like a sportscar or a traditional American musclecar, however,  they are much-preferred by the "purists" because the real fun of driving is embodied in the immersion of the man (or woman) into the machine. In musclecars the pleasure is doubly-fun as you can be a total horses-ass with a clutch, coupled with just about any big block V-8.  Impressive to both behold and employ, especially at closing time at roadside speakeasies back in the days before predatory policing.  In all likelihood however, a few nimrods still practice such late-night festivities to this very-day... at the more-rural establishments scattered around the flyover parts of this country. It usually starts with the classic pronouncement of "here, hold my beer...".

[John_Kunkel]

My dad was born in 1914 and drove only stick shifts until '53 when he bought a '50 Olds with a Hydramatic and stayed with automatics after that. In '58 we flew far away to visit my grandparents and he borrowed grampa's '53 Chevy with a stick. At one point he was getting ready to back up and pulled the shift lever all the way down where Reverse was in the Hydro; as he eased the clutch pedal out I warned him he was in 1st and not Reverse.

He cussed and said "I can't believe I did that, never thought I'd forget how to drive a stick". Never made that mistake myself (yet).

[myk]

Ive been driving the girlfriend's 2019 Elantra with the auto-stick and it's made me realize that although I love my Charger, I really wish I had held out just a few more weeks for this red with black vinyl top 68 Charger R/T with the 4 speed that came up for sale in the auto trader magazine, just weeks after I bought my car back in 1994.  If you are able and truly enjoy driving,  manuals are the only way to go...

[Mike DC]

 
I wouldn't wanna be daily-driving a stick in modern L.A. traffic.  That would get old real fast. 
 

[Mytur Binsdirti]

I could probably still do it but it's been years since I've touched a man...

What ? ? ?   

Come on, man....THROW one back at me !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCQ-zml9rfc

[Back N Black]

I bought a corvette last year for a quick flip (Stick) I like banging the gears and can't seem to let it go.

[myk]

 
I wouldn't wanna be daily-driving a stick in modern L.A. traffic.  That would get old real fast. 
 

Eh.  Good point...

[HANDM]

Yesterday I drove my sons 91 Prelude si with 4 wheel steering 5 speed, fun car!  Like driving a go cart!

[6pkrtse]

My daily is a 2012 Challenger R/T Classic with a 6 spd manual.

[RiverRaider]

Column or floor shift, synchro or non synchro, straight rod pull, oval track sliders and couplers.
Almost a third of all the miles I have ever driven were in a vehicle with a manual transmission.
I prefer manual transmissions, they just last longer and I can get a lot of mileage out of clutches.

[billssuperbird]

My friends 1969 Pontiac Firebird 400 4 speed 

[69wannabe]

Have driven many different manual transmission vehicles from older honda accords and preludes to old ford trucks with the three on the tree and the old granny four speed transmissions. I had two 69 F100's that were both 3 speed on the column trucks and my dad's old 85 F350 which I still have has the granny 4 speed in it which usually you just use 2nd through 4th in normal driving. 1st gear is really really low which most everyone know's which is why I call it the old granny gear four speed. My charger is a factory 4 speed car which was pretty neat I thought when I bought it and I recently purchased a newer dodge challenger and I actually test drove a 6 speed which was nice out on the open highway but in stop and go traffic I got tired of gear shifting really quick and it was a little out of my price range but i'm not 20 years old anymore and actually wound up with a low mileage 2010 challenger R/T with the automatic in it.  I don't mind a straight shift but the older I get I really just like dropping into drive and driving comfortably from there. I still enjoy the 4 speed in my old charger tho, the old 4 speed really makes driving it the fun factor but I only drive it when the weather is good so lately it's not getting driven much since it rains here every day now it seem's.

[mr. hemi]

I learned to drive in a 1955 Dodge military Power Wagon. 4 spd un-synchronized trans. The only time I have owned an automatic since then was when a manual was not available in the vehicle. Like the Jeep Liberty CRD's that are our current daily drivers.