Just because they say they know how, dont believe them.

[Twidget]

Lesson learned at a young age. In my younger days, my wife and I took a coworker and her husband out on our boat. The launch ramp was pretty steep at the lake and the pickup I was using to tow the boat had a manual transmission.

My wife only drives automatics, so our usual system was that she would stay with the boat and I would get the trailer, back it in, go back get the boat and load it. I would then crawl out and pull the boat up the ramp. The husband volunteered to pull the boat out for me, swearing he knew how to drive a manual. I had one of 'those' feelings about it, but agreed anyhow.

He gets in the truck, revs the heck out of the engine and we dont go anywhere. I asked if he took the brake off, he said yes and tried again and again. Now the S10 I was using wasnt a powerhouse, just a 2.8 V6, but the boat was only a 16 ft Bayliner. On the fourth try, smoke starts coming out from under my truck and it finally heads up the ramp. I asked him what the problem was, because I had never had any difficulty at all pulling the boat out. He said I dont know and showed me that he put it in '1st gear'. I almost lost it, he pulled the boat up the ramp in 2nd gear!

 

[jerryjerry05]

EGO is a horrible thing.

 

[MH Hawker]

I bet you could smell the clutch at 100 yards.

 

[CVX20SPRINT]

It seems to me that most people want a standard trans these days in their vehicles.All you have to do is drive behind most of them and you can tell they don't have a clue.My wife being one of them.She thought she knew,but I couldn't drive with her.I think it payed to grow up on the farm and learn how to drive tractors and old farm trucks before hitting the road.Some people should never ever drive a standard(not just talking about women either).JMHO.

 

[Twidget]

Chris, I would have to agree.

My first car was a '64 Nova, 3 on the tree with a bad throw out bearing. When I finally got that throwout bearing replaced, it was sooo easy to drive.

 

[mla2ofus]

And todays clutches aren't as forgiving as the old ones were. I've seen lots of kids w/ loud riceburners make them sound like an automatic taking off. Makes me wonder how long their clutches last.
Mike

 

[bassman284]

It seems to me that most people want a standard trans these days in their vehicles.All you have to do is drive behind most of them and you can tell they don't have a clue.My wife being one of them.She thought she knew,but I couldn't drive with her.I think it payed to grow up on the farm and learn how to drive tractors and old farm trucks before hitting the road.Some people should never ever drive a standard(not just talking about women either).JMHO.

Well, I'm not sure MOST people want a manual trans, but agree that some folks shouldn't have them. I learned to drive on manual trannies in the mid 50s and I'm still comfortable with one if I happen to encounter it. However, I have no desire for a manual these days, particularly for towing. When I was driving semis in the 70s and 80s I enjoyed driving with a 10 speed, 13 speed or 4x4, but I also had a big enough clutch and enough torque to make any start pretty easy.

There is simply no reason to have a manual transmission any more other than a bragging point.

 

[mla2ofus]

Yeah Bassman, I worked for a farming family for a few yrs and they had one truck w/ a 13 speed. Trying to explain to everyone who drove it when to use the clutch and clutch brake and when not to use the clutch got very trying,LOL!!
Mike

 

[drrpm]

Actually, there are reasons to have a manual. #1 is that they are more reliable. #2 They give the driver a better feel for the vehicle and additional control. #3 Who cares about unintended acceleration-just step on the clutch. Probably more reasons too.
I've been driving manuals since 1991 and never had to replace a clutch, even after teaching 2 daughters to drive. Everyone in my family prefers driving manuals, though I will admit launching and retrieving was easier with an automatic, its still pretty easy with the manual.

 

[Twidget]

I would prefer a manual transmission myself. Unfortunately, after three knee surgeries, my knees prefer an automatic.

 

[dwco5051]

. When I was driving semis in the 70s and 80s I enjoyed driving with a 10 speed, 13 speed or 4x4, but I also had a big enough clutch and enough torque to make any start pretty easy.

The jack bar was also a big help when starting up on a hill. You didn't have to worry about rolling backward when you took a foot off the brake and went for the throttle.

 

[Water logged]

We just got back from almost 2 weeks in Europe and rode in a lot of vehicles from little Fiats and Opals, vans, high end Mercedes and large buses and every one was a manual tranny. I also looked in parked cars as I went past and saw manual shifters. I asked one van driver about it and she said all of their tour company vans were manual, and she had never driven an auto tranny.

 

[drrpm]

We just got back from almost 2 weeks in Europe and rode in a lot of vehicles from little Fiats and Opals, vans, high end Mercedes and large buses and every one was a manual tranny. I also looked in parked cars as I went past and saw manual shifters. I asked one van driver about it and she said all of their tour company vans were manual, and she had never driven an auto tranny.

My European relatives put it in a non PC way: Automatics are for cripples.

 

[WrenchHead]

After several terrifying experiences I don't let anyone drive my automatic f-150 up the ramp with me in the boat. First guy I let do it just took his foot off the brake and stomped the gas pedal. I rolled backwards 3 inches and then he jerked the boat and it almost fell off the side of the trailer with me in the boat. Another guy would step on the gas pedal and then let off, step on it again and then let off. I was in the boat and went up the ramp in jerks. I now have two buddies that I let drive the boat on the trailer but I drive the trailer out. I am the only person who drives the boat out. It can be work to back the trailer in, get in the boat, drive it up on the trailer and climb down to get into the truck. But heck, I have to do that when I'm alone. The way I drive my boat out is by keeping my left foot on the brake, putting the tranny in drive, increasing the gas with my right foot, and then releasing the pressure on the brake until the truck starts moving forward. Very smooth. I once had a fellow at the ramp ask me to back his trailer down the ramp and then pull the boat out. He had a manual tranny. I learned to drive them in the 1950's. The way to do that on an incline is put the tranny in first gear, left foot on the clutch, right foot on the brake, ease off the clutch until you feel the engine slightly bog down, then take your foot off the brake and give it some gas and then ease on off the clutch. Learning to take off on an incline without rolling backwards was part of the driving test in the 1950's.

 

[Tnstratofam]

It's funny how we assume that other people are a good enough driver to pull our boats up a ramp when most can't even park corectly. My wife can drive the largest millitary transport there is (Dragon Wagon), yet even she can get flustered at the ramp. It's definatelty a finess thing pulling out of some of our local ramps. No matter how good a driver you are, or what you're driving.