I get to drive my wife's 6-speed 2010 Miata once in a while, when she lets me. We've both driven sticks for years. She also had a 5 speed Maxima that was fun. My first was a 76 Chevy step side, 350, with a 3 on the tree - had to double clutch that old boy down and up
To start my '08 Dodge Ram manual, you have to push the clutch WAY down to hit the neutral safety switch. I have 2 friends who are about 5'9". Neither can get the clutch down far enough without sliding off the seat. There's a switch that moves all 3 pedals forward for shorter people but then I have to mess around with it to get it back so I can drive it.
βIn a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.β β George Orwell
It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.
Found by playing around on the Toyota website. They have a "build your own Toyota" type of feature. Went through picking out a wish list of features I wanted. I wanted the 2 door with the extended cab, the 6 foot bed, 4wd, skid plate, V6, and manual transmission. Didn't think they'd have any near me. When I was done it showed available vehicles in the area. There were only 2 within 100 miles of Denver. Wrote down the pertinent info and drove to the dealer. Drove it home in 4wd in a blizzard.
Couple of weeks later, guys at work work lamenting obout the longevity of the CVT transmissions and asked what kind of transmission was in my new Tacoma. I told them it was a 6 speed manual. It should last quite a while.
Another time I was having an oil change and the sales guy was hinting at getting the transmission fluid changed too. I told him it didn't take automatic transmission fluid. He disagreed, and I left. Turns out, the guy who had the shop retired and sold it and the new owners kept the same sign. Went somewhere else. Shame. We'd been going there for years. Fast, reasonable, and honest work. Place closed later and a jiffy lube or some other chain bought the location.
For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat."
Another time I was having an oil change and the sales guy was hinting at getting the transmission fluid changed too. I told him it didn't take automatic transmission fluid. He disagreed, and I left. Turns out, the guy who had the shop retired and sold it and the new owners kept the same sign. Went somewhere else. Shame. We'd been going there for years. Fast, reasonable, and honest work. Place closed later and a jiffy lube or some other chain bought the location.
The Tacoma MT does take oil and they do recommend periodic changing.
I'm not quite 53, I've been driving manuals for forty years. Mom and Dad let my sister and I learn up north on dirt roads in Mom's '79 Bronco. These days my daily driver is an '05 K1500 standard cab 4x4 with the 4.8 and a five speed.
Anymore, all the drivers are autos, just the farm trucks and the Kenworth have sticks. And even the new Kenworth that's coming next month will have an automated transmission. In the semi, the fuel savings are undeniable (although I still will argue that they should not be -- and lose the argument, lol).
For the rural driving I do for the most part, rowing gears is nbd. Downshifting on hills can be done with both style transmissions, but I just prefer the level of control I get with a stick.
Alas, times are changing. I still believe autos are much shorter lived than standards (maybe just be cause people abuse them and fail to maintain them), but that's the world we live in.
In my previous post I forgot to add a pic of my 47 Willys. 4 speed T-18 with granny low. Here it is with the 02 Jeep TJ that had an auto and I really like it. And the old 71 F100 that has a NP 435 4 spd behind a 351W.
Life (and forums) is like a box of animal crackers----There's a Jackass in every box
I got tickled at my wife when she drove my new 88 GMC pickup. She grew up in a rural area and drove, pretty much out of necessity, from the time she was 12. The GMC had a floor shift and a light on the dash that came on as the motor was winding up. It was triggered by a vacuum system somehow to give you a hint when to change gears. Well, she was drivingalong and asked me why that light kept coming on. When I told her, she literally yelled at it," I've been driving for 30 yeaars and you've been driving for two weeks, and you're going to tell ME how to drive!".
My 92 Chevy 2500 3/4 ton Ranch Truck with the manuel transmission has that damn light. At 380,000 miles, youβd think that damn light would have burned out by now. π€ͺ
"Allways speak the truth and you will never have to remember what you said before..." Sam Houston Texans, "We say Grace, We Say Mam, If You Don't Like it, We Don't Give a Damn!"
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