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alicat · 11-17-2009, 09:45 PM

Before I went to Driver's Ed in the mid 80's, my Dad decided to try to teach me to drive in our stick Cavalier wagon. We start, I can't get how to "blend" the clutch and gas, result is the typical herky-jerky. Over and over. He hadn't given me more than the base instructions and got so frustrated with me that he gave up, switched seats with me and drove the car back to our house.

It wasn't until Hubby (then boyfriend) bought his 82 Mustang GT in 89 and retrofitted it with some kind of racing transmission that he decided I needed to learn to drive a stick. He was all kinds of patient that my Dad wasn't (heller, nookie at stake!), but I for some reason took really quickly to managing that car! I'll never forget how powerfull that Mustang was and to this day, I love a stick for a quick take off and acceleration from a stop or stoplight. I HATE people that putter away from a stop! BUT, I don't typically drive more than 5 mph over the speed limit, I just love the get-up-and-go!

We, through happenstance and finances only, have had automatic car's for the past decade. My Dad and Sister are really close (geographically and lovingly) and we all loan car's if someone's got car trouble. Their families both have manual's. I'm only 5' 2" and have to pull the seat up pretty far, which in some cars also puts my feet at a tiring odd angle on the clutch and gas peddle. When I drive one of their car's, despite 23 years experience driving sticks, I always go through the herky-jerky before I "remember" their car and clutch!

I'm a smoker and non-multitasker so the two DO NOT mix when driving a stick-shift, the only reason I prefer an automatic.

Last anecdote, my very first car that I bought myself was a 1965 Ford Falcon (painted Honey Gold and Rustoleum) that had manual steering and brakes. THAT was way harder for little 'ol me to deal with than a stick shift!

11-17-2009, 09:45 PM	#71 (permalink)
alicat Baffled Location: West Michigan	Before I went to Driver's Ed in the mid 80's, my Dad decided to try to teach me to drive in our stick Cavalier wagon. We start, I can't get how to "blend" the clutch and gas, result is the typical herky-jerky. Over and over. He hadn't given me more than the base instructions and got so frustrated with me that he gave up, switched seats with me and drove the car back to our house. It wasn't until Hubby (then boyfriend) bought his 82 Mustang GT in 89 and retrofitted it with some kind of racing transmission that he decided I needed to learn to drive a stick. He was all kinds of patient that my Dad wasn't (heller, nookie at stake!), but I for some reason took really quickly to managing that car! I'll never forget how powerfull that Mustang was and to this day, I love a stick for a quick take off and acceleration from a stop or stoplight. I HATE people that putter away from a stop! BUT, I don't typically drive more than 5 mph over the speed limit, I just love the get-up-and-go! We, through happenstance and finances only, have had automatic car's for the past decade. My Dad and Sister are really close (geographically and lovingly) and we all loan car's if someone's got car trouble. Their families both have manual's. I'm only 5' 2" and have to pull the seat up pretty far, which in some cars also puts my feet at a tiring odd angle on the clutch and gas peddle. When I drive one of their car's, despite 23 years experience driving sticks, I always go through the herky-jerky before I "remember" their car and clutch! I'm a smoker and non-multitasker so the two DO NOT mix when driving a stick-shift, the only reason I prefer an automatic. Last anecdote, my very first car that I bought myself was a 1965 Ford Falcon (painted Honey Gold and Rustoleum) that had manual steering and brakes. THAT was way harder for little 'ol me to deal with than a stick shift! __________________ 'Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun, The frumious Bandersnatch!'--Jabberwocky, Lewis Carroll "You cannot do a kindness too soon because you never know how soon it will be too late."--Ralph Waldo Emerson