Could I Master A Stick Shift ?

[Plastic Flute]

I have always had an automatic. But .. I would love to learn to drive a shift.
Kind of scares me.

[open32]

Its not hard, some cars are easier then others. If someone teaches you, 2 or 3 days of practice is all it'll take. Hills are a totaly different story, I have been to NJ a few times, I know you have some serious hills. SFL is totaly flat, havent had much practice with that.

[Val]

Originally Posted by Plastic Flute

I have always had an automatic.

Women ... they always prefer the easy job!

Serious now!

Me for example, I really hate automatic transmissions as you could see in my topics here in the forum.
Michael Schumacher told once: There is no changing of gears faster than the manual.

Let's understand better.
What is a manual transmissions? It's a standard transmission. A transmission that is operated manually with a gear lever and a clutch pedal. In other words, you press the pedal and then, change the gear. Many things to do? Not exactly!!!
In tha AT, the engine does this job for you, but with a looooong time. And another very important thing: who decides to change the gears is not the car. It's you!!!

Check this video out using a stick shift :



In this video has my love. The Italdesign Lambo Cala that I asked for my secret santa. It's the yellow one.
See baby Flute?
With a MT we have emotion ... adrenaline ... changing the gears when WE want and not when the car wants.
This is the big difference.
I can change my mind after finishing a study that I'm doing about the PDK Porsche system. This is a semi-automatic gear that promises change the gears in 0,03 secs. Very fast huh?

Any more problems, let us know.

[Jocasta]

Gear Heads are so sweet when they talk about manual transmission over auto...a bit like the Amish but I'm not going to judge either group. Each to their own. But to a vast majority of car drivers driving is just a way to get from A to B and if you can do that with less effort but just as effectively then why not.
I can drive both, by the way.

[MSFixR]

I learned to drive a manual transmission car because that is what my parents owned. I also learned to drive in a cemetary, but that is another story. The first car I bought myself was a sports car with a manual transmission. After that I grew up and subsequent cars all had automatic transmissions.

[Val]

Originally Posted by Jocasta

I can drive both, by the way.

This is interesting, do you know why?
Because you can become accustomed to driving cars with automatic transmission and then, you don't want cars with manual transmission anymore. It happens a lot here in Brazil.
Like I said it's easier to driveability. Hands on the wheel and just the right foot for the gas pedal and brake. There is no use for the left leg in this case.

[Jocasta]

After that I grew up and subsequent cars all had automatic transmissions.

Ha! Yes, growing up will do that.
And Val, yes I do prefer and choose to drive autos but I can still drive my hubby's Land Rover.

[Val]

Daddy's car has manual transmission?