Rep Retirement Lodge #112: Son of "Filling in for the night shift"

[legal_hit]

Re: Rep Retirement Lodge #112: Son of "Filling in for the night shift"

Fair enough - I was always told never shift an automatic while it's moving.

While you don't want to do it a lot, you probably won't cause damage by dropping an automatic into neutral while moving.

That said, I do agree with the control factor of having a manual transmission.

 

[walrus]

Re: Rep Retirement Lodge #112: Son of "Filling in for the night shift"

So what? That's not a good reason not to know.



So, it wouldn't be hard to learn, yet you still refuse. And they say New Englanders are stubborn!

I'm thinking these guys need to turn in their Man cards, can't drive a standard transission, never heard of such a thing

 

[Bakunin]

Re: Rep Retirement Lodge #112: Son of "Filling in for the night shift"

Little more to it than that. Drop the clutch too fast and you'll lurch/stall. It's one of those "happy medium" things that has to be practiced in person.

Like I said - 30 min is probably sufficient to figure that part out.

Wally - that's hardly fair - my parents didn't have any cars w/ manual transmission when I was growing up (the last one would've been a GTO which my dad got rid of before I was born). So, when I learned to drive, I did so with an automatic (both theirs and whatever I had for behind the wheel) - and thus, when it came time to buy a car, that's what I went for.

 

[mookie1995]

Re: Rep Retirement Lodge #112: Son of "Filling in for the night shift"

I think if you got a hold of one and had an empty parking lot to practice in, you could probably figure it out within a half hour.

CBG - it's not so much a refusal to learn as it is a lack of opportunity / need to learn. If I was thrown into a situation where I absolutely had to drive a stick shift, I could probably figure it out pretty quickly (isn't it basically letting off the gas / depressing the clutch pedal when you want to shift, and when you finish shifting into gear, you release the clutch?).

yup.

i had a friend at BU who had a mazda rx7. he offered to let me drive it.... of course i took the keys w/o ever having tried to drive it before. sure, so it stalls a couple times... but you figure it out.

 

[mookie1995]

Re: Rep Retirement Lodge #112: Son of "Filling in for the night shift"

and i'm not sayin i can DRIVE one.... though i did get it from logan back to allston without stalling

 

[walrus]

Re: Rep Retirement Lodge #112: Son of "Filling in for the night shift"

Wally - that's hardly fair - my parents didn't have any cars w/ manual transmission when I was growing up (the last one would've been a GTO which my dad got rid of before I was born). So, when I learned to drive, I did so with an automatic (both theirs and whatever I had for behind the wheel) - and thus, when it came time to buy a car, that's what I went for.

He got rid of a GTO because of you, I'll bet that ****ed him off . I learned on a standard so its second nature for me but like you said a parking lot and some time, done deal. You stall it a few times in traffic and every one behind is POed, you learn not to stall it

 

[Bakunin]

Re: Rep Retirement Lodge #112: Son of "Filling in for the night shift"

He got rid of a GTO because of you, I'll bet that ****ed him off . I learned on a standard so its second nature for me but like you said a parking lot and some time, done deal. You stall it a few times in traffic and every one behind is POed, you learn not to stall it

It wasn't because of me. I think he got rid of it at least a couple years before I was born (I'm the youngest of three).

 

[MarkEagleUSA]

Re: Rep Retirement Lodge #112: Son of "Filling in for the night shift"

Fair enough - I was always told never shift an automatic while it's moving.

While you don't want to do it a lot, you probably won't cause damage by dropping an automatic into neutral while moving.

From Drive to Neutral (and vice versa) isn't a problem. In fact, most automatics allow you to move the shift level freely from one to the other, but you need to press a button or something to go from Drive to Reverse.

Now, if you're moving and go from Drive to Reverse it can get... um... interesting. I think some of the newer cars with electronically controlled transmissions might even prevent it from happening even though you move the shifter.

Another consideration with a manual transmission is clutch wear/replacement. The clutch can and will eventually wear out and need to be replaced (much like brakes). In many of today's vehicles that can be an expensive repair.

And for all you truck fans who think a stick is better than an automatic for towing or hauling, think again. Today's 5 and 6 speed automatics run circles around most manuals. I've been driving wreckers part-time for the better part of the last 30 years and have driven just about every make and model out there (in addition to towing them). These days I'll take an automatic anything over a stick for not only the power but also the convenience (at my age I just hate the whole concept of using a clutch).

 

[walrus]

Re: Rep Retirement Lodge #112: Son of "Filling in for the night shift"

Another consideration with a manual transmission is clutch wear/replacement. The clutch can and will eventually wear out and need to be replaced (much like brakes). In many of today's vehicles that can be an expensive repair.).

I put 190,000 miles on a clutch in one of my service trucks, I had 160,00 on a VW clutch. Depends on how you drive them as to whether you kill a clutch. On the other hand, my dad took a clutch out of a ford at 18,000 miles.

 

[St. Clown]

Re: Rep Retirement Lodge #112: Son of "Filling in for the night shift"

Your boobs are too small to be the favorite waitress anywhere.

Oh, the dark haired waitress at the Refuge. Those things are some nice, natural hangers, they are. If I could build a woman for looks, it'd be her.

 

[mookie1995]

Re: Rep Retirement Lodge #112: Son of "Filling in for the night shift"

....... These days I'll take an automatic anything over a stick for not only the power but also the convenience (at my age I just hate the whole concept of using a clutch).

old people...

 

[Bakunin]

Re: Rep Retirement Lodge #112: Son of "Filling in for the night shift"

Oh, the dark haired waitress at Pat's. Those things are some nice, natural hangers, they are. If I could build a woman for looks, it'd be her.

FYP

 

[St. Clown]

Re: Rep Retirement Lodge #112: Son of "Filling in for the night shift"

I put 190,000 miles on a clutch in one of my service trucks, I had 160,00 on a VW clutch. Depends on how you drive them as to whether you kill a clutch. On the other hand, my dad took a clutch out of a ford at 18,000 miles.

I have 138,000 on mine. Keep up on the maintenance, and drive it without trying to be an idiot, and you'll keep the thing around for a while.

Speaking of Fords, my buddy went through two clutches on his Escort within about 20,000 miles. of course, we were in high school, and it was an 80's Escort. Then again, my 90 Probe failed on me because of a hydraulic leak after I was out of college in 2000.

FYP

I'll take your word.

 

[legal_hit]

Re: Rep Retirement Lodge #112: Son of "Filling in for the night shift"

From Drive to Neutral (and vice versa) isn't a problem. In fact, most automatics allow you to move the shift level freely from one to the other, but you need to press a button or something to go from Drive to Reverse.

Now, if you're moving and go from Drive to Reverse it can get... um... interesting. I think some of the newer cars with electronically controlled transmissions might even prevent it from happening even though you move the shifter.

Another consideration with a manual transmission is clutch wear/replacement. The clutch can and will eventually wear out and need to be replaced (much like brakes). In many of today's vehicles that can be an expensive repair.

And for all you truck fans who think a stick is better than an automatic for towing or hauling, think again. Today's 5 and 6 speed automatics run circles around most manuals. I've been driving wreckers part-time for the better part of the last 30 years and have driven just about every make and model out there (in addition to towing them). These days I'll take an automatic anything over a stick for not only the power but also the convenience (at my age I just hate the whole concept of using a clutch).

Agreed (except the being old part, I'm not *that* old) every truck we had for towing anything after the first one was an automatic.

I put 190,000 miles on a clutch in one of my service trucks, I had 160,00 on a VW clutch. Depends on how you drive them as to whether you kill a clutch. On the other hand, my dad took a clutch out of a ford at 18,000 miles.

I've got 123,000 miles on the clutch in my Civic. It's the longest I've owned a car, so I really have no idea when I'll manage to kill this one. On the good side, I'm still on good terms with the ex, so when it's time, I shouldn't have to pay too much for labor.

 

[Sloe Gin]

Re: Rep Retirement Lodge #112: Son of "Filling in for the night shift"

Yes. For showing too much tattooed Fooper skin.

just for being Foxton2. I can guarantee she won't meet my standards for a server.

 

[Scarlet]

Re: Rep Retirement Lodge #112: Son of "Filling in for the night shift"

The only two reasons I can this of are: 1. cars with manual transmissions are generally less expensive and generally get better gas mileage.

Given the amount that I drive, this isn't a selling point. The amount would be so ridiculously minimal. I have thought about that though.

2. what if it's an emergency and the only car available has a manual transmission?

The chances of this happening are so slim. If it happened, I could probably figure it out.

According to this, it's a minimal difference: http://www.wisegeek.com/are-stick-shifts-cheaper-than-cars-with-automatic-transmissions.htm

I'd say the odds of this are awfully low:
a) how often is there an emergency where you need a vehicle immediately?
b) out of those times that you need one, how often are there only manuals?

Plus if there really was an emergency involving only stick shifts, I'm going to venture a guess that someone would be there that owned one of those vehicles and could quickly explain how to drive it. It's not like you'd be learning how to drive - you'd just be learning how to handle the shifting. Given the number of yokels that drive in this country, it can't be that difficult to learn/figure out.

Or what Commie said.

to me it seems too complicated. I'd probably hit the wrong pedal at some point.

This. It's something extra I would have to think about while driving. I don't want to have to deal with it. Too much effort. I just want to drive a car from here to there.

Driving a manual transmission isn't rocket science, its just something folks do who have manual transmissions. If you are into driving there is something about the control of the gears that makes driving more fun at times. If driving is a chore you have to do I doubt you'd think driving a standard transmission was fun.

Thank you. It would not be fun. I could give a rat's *** about having control of the gears.

So what? That's not a good reason not to know.

So, it wouldn't be hard to learn, yet you still refuse. And they say New Englanders are stubborn!

I also don't go to self serve gas stations either. I choose to not pump my own gas. I can and I have. I don't like to and I actually have to read how to do it because I do it so infrequently. But why should I when I can pay someone to do it for me? And not have to get out of my car? Maybe it's laziness. Actually, it probably is laziness. BFD. You still have given me nothing close to a reason to know how. No one in my family has a manual. None of the cars I learned to drive on had a manual. If I were chosen to be a designated driver I would use my car. Rental cars are far and beyond automatics. If there was some edict from above that said everyone had to learn on one, so be it. But there wasn't, and I've been driving for probably as long as you've been alive. Never had the need to know nor has it come up as a situation where I would.

The big draw is that it puts you in full control over what the car is doing at any given moment. You're not at the mercy of some computer that changes gears whenever it decides is best - you can put it in any gear and work the throttle to get whatever amount of power you need at any time. (You can also instantly cut off power to the wheels if you put it in neutral, something you can't do on an automatic.) All this makes it really handy on ice/snow, which is a big reason I'd want it.

But it's not a big draw for me. I'd rather have a computer do that for me. I just want to drive. From here to there. Having a manual in bad weather, for me, would just be worse because it's one more thing I have to think about/deal with while trying to deal with people who don't know how to drive in bad weather.

 

[Gonzo]

Re: Rep Retirement Lodge #112: Son of "Filling in for the night shift"

A Manhattan sounds very tasty. Perhaps that'll be on the menu in a bit... and that reminds me, I still have Makers for it.

I'll go with a Bombay tonic tonight

He got rid of a GTO because of you, I'll bet that ****ed him off .......

When my uncle went to Viet Nam in 1969, he had two '65 GTO's. One mint and one for parts he got from a bone yard. While he was gone, his brother Al wrecked the mint one, fixed it with the spare and wrecked it again. Obviously there was a brotherly beat down upon his younger brothers return from service. And always put your money on the guy who just spent 11 months in country. My Grandpa didn't even try to break it up until uncle Al was basically unconscious. Heh. Farm boys.

I really have to bite down hard and chill while my house is under construction the next 4-5 weeks. Coming home from work and not being able to park in my driveway due to four trucks, two trailers and a 30 yard roll off, not to mention all the debris everywhere, is really frustrating. In the long run I'll be pleased, but it's going to be a lot of crap to cope with. The roof is nearly done, but then we have to take all pictures and stuff off the interior walls when they start on the siding.
I took "before" pictures and will provide before and after photos when it's all done

 

[MarkEagleUSA]

Re: Rep Retirement Lodge #112: Son of "Filling in for the night shift"

Depends on how you drive them as to whether you kill a clutch.

No argument there... the biggest problem with a clutch, especially today's hydraulic ones, is riding the pedal. Most noobs can't take their foot it for some reason.

old people...

Kids...

 

[walrus]

Re: Rep Retirement Lodge #112: Son of "Filling in for the night shift"

I really have to bite down hard and chill while my house is under construction the next 4-5 weeks. Coming home from work and not being able to park in my driveway due to four trucks, two trailers and a 30 yard roll off, not to mention all the debris everywhere, is really frustrating. In the long run I'll be pleased, but it's going to be a lot of crap to cope with. The roof is nearly done, but then we have to take all pictures and stuff off the interior walls when they start on the siding.
I took "before" pictures and will provide before and after photos when it's all done

I'll tell whats more frustrating is when they don't show up or they leave early or the boss(the guy that gets the production out of the crew) isn't there and they F off all day

 

[crazytechfan]

Re: Rep Retirement Lodge #112: Son of "Filling in for the night shift"

Because Sloe Vag is such a dick, I'm just going to be a terrible server if he ever comes in. I mean, come on, if someone tells you they won't tip you, are you going to treat them well? Hell no.