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Automobiles | Pad Patter January 24

weaselwatchr

weaselwatchr

Viva, Las Vegas!
Pollywog
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For my first car my parents bought me a Mustang. It was a stick shift. My father was not a very patient man and every time he tried to teach me how to drive it, it never went well. He even tried to teach me in a very inclined parking lot. Of course all it did was just roll. Needless to say the mustang was returned and I got a Ford escort to replace it. Not necessarily an even trade by any means. Flash forward a decade and my husband gets a mustang stick shift. Once again I tried to learn how to drive stick what was mostly unsuccessful. I’m not sure if the experience brought back flashbacks to my youth of my dad trying to teach me or if I was just afraid that I might wreck the car. I still don’t know how to drive stick shift. For all the years that we owned that mustang I was happy and content to be chauffeured around in it.

To this day I still don’t know how to drive a stick shift. To be honest the only ever time that I even think about it is when we’ve watched a movie with fast cars in it. I always think to myself would it be fun to really drive fast and shift gears. Fortunately that feeling doesn’t last very long.

Do you know how to drive stick? If you do, how did you learn. I can’t wait to hear your stories.
 
I do know how to drive a stick. When I was younger for some reason I really wanted to know how to do it. I worked for a Tool and Die shop in the summers between my college years and the owner had a little Chevy S-10 pickup that was a stick. I mentioned it in passing around him and he basically dropped what he was doing and took me out and taught me how to drive it. I was very fortunate that he was really patient with me and he let me learn on HIS vehicle. Crazy, but I learned well enough that my first brand new car after college that I bought had a stick shift in it. AND it came in handy a couple of times in college when I had to drive drunk friends home. :giggle
 
When I got my license my dad had a pick-up truck that was stick but he would not let me drive it. They preferred I use Mom's car which was automatic. He ended up getting rid of it within a year of me getting my license and every vehicle after that was automatic.

I did drive stick one time... when I was test driving a vehicle. I did it but wasn't comfortable with it. With my knee issues my knee hurt from just a 15 minute test drive. I ended up getting that model of car but an automatic. Since then I've always had vehicles that were automatic. No way I could drive stick now. That test drive was 40 years ago and my knee couldn't handle the clutch back then.
 
I learned on an automatic, and except for a couple of lessons by hubby when we were dating, I've never driven stick. I probably should develop this skill, but honestly I don't know anyone who drives stick anymore. LOL
 
I learned to drive on my parent's American Motors Rambler station wagon that had a stick shift on the column. It was only a 3 gear so it was relatively easy to learn. He took us out to a dead-end road not far from our house and made us practice until we got it down.

My first car was a 1959 VW Bug. I loved that thing. I had to get rid of it when I moved from California to Wisconsin because it wouldn't make the trip, and it wouldn't survive the Wisconsin winters.

I'm so glad I learned to drive stick. It's come in handy so many times, especially when I needed to rent a truck to move and all they had was clutch. I prefer stick shift over automatic because you have such better control over the car, especially in inclement weather. But with my back issues I could no longer drive one, especially when driving in bumper-to-bumper rush hour traffic.
 
When I first wanted to learn to drive, both of my parents had stick shift Ford Capris. They both tried to teach me, but when I tried to park the one car and ran it into the back of the other one, that was the end of driving lessons! :duh
I learnt on an automatic after I started work, then my hubby (much more patient) taught me to drive a stick shift on his GM truck (on the column). I've always been glad that I learnt, as we have had many standard shift vehicles over the years and they were a lot of fun to drive. When it came to teaching our girls to drive, they both had to learn stick shift and are really glad they did.
 
Yes!! I love driving stick shift so much!! I would much prefer to have one!
Your story of learning is so similar to mine. My dad bought me a Pontiac Fiero stick shift when I was about 20ish. He takes me to a hill by our house, puts me behind the wheel, and says "go" :giggle He was not a patient man, either. We had a cemetery behind our house, so he took me there next and all I remember is him fussing the whole time. I finally just pretty much taught myself. It came in handy when I worked at a car wash where we had to pull the cars out of the bay. I was one of the few that could actually go get the stick shift cars that came through.
The last car I had that was a stick was a 1999 Mustang. I loved that car so much, but traded it when I got pregnant with #3. It just didn't have enough room.
 
My first car was a stick- a little Honda I called the turd since it was poop brown! lol! My dad said I HAD to learn to drive a stick so that I could always get myself out of a situation if I had to. The funny thing is that car was the EASIEST stick to learn on ever. You could look at the clutch & still shift gears! lol.

As an adult, the first car I bought for myself was also a manual/stick. It was a bright red Volvo s40. Man I loved that car- it was SO fun to drive. Once I had kids & needed a more practical car, I've always owned automatic transmission cars. Kids ruin everything! ;) ;)

As a parent now, I understand my dad's reasoning, and while I agree- I just don't' think my daughter would benefit from learning a stick now- since they aren't really widely sold anymore. I guess learning to drive the 4wheeler & gator is enough for her! ;)
 
@weaselwatchr - my first car was a Ford Escort...and it was a stick.

I vividly remember the day we bought it. My dad and I bought it in downtown Orlando and I desperately wanted to drive it home...but he made me wait until we got closer to home when we got to the one and only hill in town and he told me to get in the driver's seat and I drove it all the way home. I don't remember it being too difficult. I had already been driving for about a year...in a big ol' Lincoln Towncar or a 15 passenger Ford van (these were our family cars and if I wanted to drive anywhere I had to drive them)! I was totally NOT cool! And look at me now...driving a 12 passenger van.
 
Yes, I can drive a stick shift. When I got my learner’s permit my parents owned a 1969 nine passenger “three on the tree” (column) Chevy station wagon ... it was a tank to drive ... and a ‘64 Jeep (3 on the floor). My father was determined that I would learn to drive that wagon. OH EM GEE!!! ... another impatient father. After months of torture, my parents bought my great-aunt’s automatic Ford Custom 500 and my father allowed me to take my DL test in it.

That was lots of fun b/c I hadn’t driven in months (my learner’s permit had expired), plus I’d never driven the car. First up: parallel parking. I got the car into the spot, but the test instructor told me he’d never seen anyone “wiggle” a car into a spot like I did. The rest of the test was to drive less than a block ... out one side of the DMV lot, right at the light, then right back into the DMV lot.

Once I had my license I eventually learned to drive that station wagon and the Jeep. The best thing anyone ever told me was that once you let the clutch out to a certain point (different point in different cars), the clutch acts like a brake and you won’t roll backwards on a hill.
 
When I was 17, my boyfriend taught me to drive his manual VW Bug. They are one of the most forgiving cars to learn on. You could honestly even slip between a couple gears gently without using the clutch. I didn’t get a lot of practice, though, until my mom and I went on a several day road trip and split driving her manual Subaru SUV. She was very patient with me on the hills. it’s been a while but I think once you know, you know.
 
Most people here drive a stick shift, few drive an automatic. I tease my hubby that he isn't old enough for an automatic yet.
My first car was a baby blue Datsun 120Y, then his Hyundai, then a friends Corolla, I needed a bigger car to take the three children and the Hyundai died, next was the Corolla Verso - which I am still driving although as the kids have grown up and left home a seven seater for just me seems a little extra.
 
I can drive a stick but I prefer not. It's been years. Most cars I've had are automatic. I honestly don't like driving and would prefer someone else to for me. I had an accident that kind of gave me ptsd... I'm not scared of my own driving as I'm pretty darn safe.. it's other drivers that scare the sh*t out of me.
 
I learned to drive on an automatic. However, when it came time to buy another car I found this cute car that was cheap on gas and the right price so I bought it. It was a stick shift, I had to learn how to drive it, lol. Haven’t driven a stick in 20 years but I’m sure I could pick it up.
Funny enough my son did the same thing. Found a car he really liked, good price and a stick. He had a ten minute lesson in the dealership parking lot and then drove the car 45 minutes home.
 
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