Manual shift?

[Speedbag]

Sticks rule.  Sucks that only one of four vehicles in my stable has one ('96 Mustang GT).

First car I ever drove was an early '70s VW Beetle, 4-speed of course. 14 years old. 

[roggie]

lots of jeep stories here...

same for me. i learned on my friends 94 YJ then i got my 97 wrangler. have had manuals ever since...

[somegirl]

Learned and got my first driving license with a stick shift.  I once owned an automatic (was dealing with lots of stop & go traffic at the time) but never again. 

One of the nice things about renting a car in Europe vs the US is that you can actually get a stick (actually it is usually the norm).

Knowing how to drive a manual definitely helped with learning the bike.

[the_Journeyman]

Today on a 2004 IHC Bus... *STOMP STOMP STOMP* (on the gas pedal) freakin' downshift already *grabs auto shifter and throws it from 4th to 2nd (where I was trying/it needed to shift to). 

'Nuff said.

JM

[Howie]

My first car was a three speed column shift, no synchro on first gear.  In no time at all I was double clutching into first so I could power slide that anemic six around corners.  I have only recently learned to deal with an automatic transmission.

[nateqwik]

Learned to drive in my aunt's nissan pulsar...age 6. Drove my grandfather's jeep pickup at age 8. Didn't get my first bike(a 1976 yamaha mx80) until I was 12. Learned it in 10 minutes on Christmas Day riding with my dad sitting behind me telling me to "SLOW DOWN!! You're not EVEL KENEIVEL!!!" That bike was stolen about 2 yrs later. Still miss it to this day. Every car I've owned except two were manuals. First car, Mom and Dad's 1987 ford escort station wagon- Manual no less! First car I bought..1966 VW beetle that you could Fred Flintstone it to get it to stop because of all the rust in floorpans, miss that one too... Currently Driving a 2007 Mazda 3(zoom-zoom) manual of course.

[red baron]

Ha, I learned on a tractor first.

Then dirt bike, then car.


Tractors rule plus you can steer with your feet.

[erkishhorde]

I learned to drive manual on a '76 VW Scirrocco from the back seat while my dad was teaching my sister. Learning on the car is much easier because you don't have to worry about balance and can focus on learning how to slip the clutch. Learning to match revs is also easier in a car since when you mess up you don't lose your balance.

[toaster]

stick all the way...

not sure what i learned first, but they were both around the same time.  i started riding my kx60 when i was 8, and i know i drove my parents jeep cherokee around that same time.  i didnt actually "learn" the stick in the jeep, but was taught again when i was around 15 before i got my license.

the last ex couldnt drive stick when we met, but now she can.  i taught her within 6 months of being together in a car i just purchased (about two weeks after the purchase).

as far as cars ive purchased, they have almost all been stick, except a few.  i like my jeep (mostly offroad toy) to be an auto because when you stop a stick car halfway up a really steep hill climb its a pita to get it moving again. 

[MendoDave]

I never thought about it before. But I guess I learned how to ride a motorcycle before I learned how to drive a car. My first Car had a 3 on the tree.

[mbalmer]

I learned stick in a 1960 something Rambler with a 3 speed column shifter. That was a tough car to drive. Starting on a hill was pretty exciting. My first moto-like shifting was a 250 quad at Pismo Beach. That was fun.

[Heath]

I messed around with a manual a couple times in a farm truck but never learned a thing.
In my MSF class I was having a hard time taking off until a father there explained the clutch gas thing.
After that I had it down.  I can drive a manual car but I am sure I would stall out a couple times before I got it for sure.

[geoffduc]

You guys kill me,
I spent 30 years building, fitting and road testing stick shifts for a well known auto manufacturer over here in the UK and i don't under stand this yearning you guys have for automatic transmissions. 

[tcspeedfreak]

You guys kill me,
I spent 30 years building, fitting and road testing stick shifts for a well known auto manufacturer over here in the UK and i don't under stand this yearning you guys have for automatic transmissions. 

i think that it is more likely a lazyness thing, and it is way easier to multitask with an auto; talking on cell phone, putting on make up, shaving, eating breakfast, or any other crazy thing that people do while driving when they dont need all four limbs to drive a car. myself i dont like driving anything other than a stick. i always find myself stomping that imaginary clutch and grabbing that non existant stick 

[sbrguy]

learned on an automatic, but had a stick shift montero in the famly so learned how to drive that soon after. 

had a stick shift car for a while but had to get an auto bc it was cheaper.

the whole thing about not being able to drive an auto, yes you can, you may be a control freak but you can.  its easy, gas and brakes... 

but defeinitely a good skill to have when you are in europe.