The Future Of The Manual Transmission

Replies to this message:
• nippononly (Dec 05, 2008 1:32 pm)
  • ateixeira (Dec 05, 2008 1:34 pm)
    • nippononly (Dec 05, 2008 1:50 pm) and 7 more...

Replying to: ateixeira (Dec 05, 2008 12:00 pm)

My count is at 3 - 2 friends and a niece. Unfortunately, none of them owns a car right now, so I have no way of knowing if it "took"!
 
All 3 became totally proficient after a few short sessions however. All 3 already knew how to drive - they learned and tested on automatics. When I learned to drive, I learned on a stick, so I learned driving and the manual shifter at the same time.

Replies to this message:
• ateixeira (Dec 05, 2008 1:34 pm)
  • nippononly (Dec 05, 2008 1:50 pm)
    • kyfdx (Dec 05, 2008 2:02 pm) and 1 more...
    • steve_ (Dec 05, 2008 2:16 pm) and 3 more...
    • razorasdf (Dec 07, 2008 12:05 pm)

Replying to: nippononly (Dec 05, 2008 1:32 pm)

St. Peter will let you take the FasTOLL lane in to heaven, then.

Replies to this message:
• nippononly (Dec 05, 2008 1:50 pm)
  • kyfdx (Dec 05, 2008 2:02 pm)
    • xwesx (Dec 05, 2008 2:12 pm)
  • steve_ (Dec 05, 2008 2:16 pm)
    • nippononly (Dec 05, 2008 2:19 pm) and 2 more...
  • razorasdf (Dec 07, 2008 12:05 pm)

Replying to: ateixeira (Dec 05, 2008 1:34 pm)

Replies to this message:
• kyfdx (Dec 05, 2008 2:02 pm)
  • xwesx (Dec 05, 2008 2:12 pm)
• steve_ (Dec 05, 2008 2:16 pm)
  • nippononly (Dec 05, 2008 2:19 pm)
    • kyfdx (Dec 05, 2008 2:22 pm)
    • steve_ (Dec 05, 2008 2:24 pm)
• razorasdf (Dec 07, 2008 12:05 pm)

Replying to: nippononly (Dec 05, 2008 1:50 pm)

Replies to this message:
• xwesx (Dec 05, 2008 2:12 pm)

Replying to: kyfdx (Dec 05, 2008 2:02 pm)

I suspect, in the absence of external influence, you are probably right. I taught my wife to drive a manual when she was 22, and she did okay at it even to the point that I gave her full access, in the winter (which does mean constant snow/ice here), to my '69 Chevy pickup. She used it almost daily, but one night she took a corner too fast and swung it into a sign post in the median of the road. For some reason, that small incident broke her spirit with that truck and she did not drive it again for years. A short while later, we purchased our '96 Outback. I did not even think of looking for a manual given her sudden fear of it. But, after a few years, she started saying that she would not mind having one (still would not drive my truck!). As fate would have it, the '96 was destroyed two years ago, so sure enough she said she wanted a new Outback, manual transmission. I had my doubts but certainly was not going to argue. I forced her to test drive one, after which she still wanted that transmission type, so that is what we purchased.
 
Oddly, after we had to sell it and go Subaru-less for a while, she will not touch the Escort. It is probably her disgust of the car itself rather than not wanting to drive a manual, though. I can't blame her - it is a homely little thing.

Replying to: nippononly (Dec 05, 2008 1:50 pm)

Replies to this message:
• nippononly (Dec 05, 2008 2:19 pm)
  • kyfdx (Dec 05, 2008 2:22 pm)
  • steve_ (Dec 05, 2008 2:24 pm)

Replying to: steve_ (Dec 05, 2008 2:16 pm)

Replies to this message:
• kyfdx (Dec 05, 2008 2:22 pm)
• steve_ (Dec 05, 2008 2:24 pm)

Replying to: nippononly (Dec 05, 2008 2:19 pm)

Somehow... that just sounds wrong..

Replying to: nippononly (Dec 05, 2008 2:19 pm)