• AA5B@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    2 minutes ago

    Chevy Chevette. This may have been one of the worst cars built, take minutes to get up to speed and over-rev cruising in the highway, but it was also a tank that lived through 6 people learning to drive a stick and probably close to two decades.

    It was also really easy to work on, but

    • when I replaced the springs I found them light enough to compress by hand
    • when my brother replaced the clutch he said it’s the only car he saw where the transmission was light enough to hold one handed while replacing
  • Professorozone@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    2
    ·
    58 minutes ago

    Learned to drive manual on a 1981 BMW 320i. All of my cars are still manual to this day. 1999 Toyota Solara, 1988 Toyota Corolla GTS, 2003 Toyota MR2 Spyder and 2020 Hyundai Veloster N. But mostly I ride my bike, which is also a manual.

  • zod000@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    edit-2
    1 hour ago

    I learned to drive on two cars because my parents were divorced: my Dad’s Ford Ranger (manual) and my Mom’s silly “talking” Chrysler Laser (it literally talked to you, felt weirdly futuristic see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_voice_alert ). I never really had a problem with using a clutch, it was the lack of power steering on that truck that sucked. I made sure that I never bought a car without power steering after learning on that truck.

  • IamtheMorgz@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    1 hour ago

    Chevy S-10. I think a 1999? Around that anyway.

    Still miss that little truck. The clutch had two positions - on and off. It was a pain to drive but once I learned on it I could drive anything.

    I still drive stick today.

  • BackgrndNoize@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    2
    ·
    2 hours ago

    As someone who learned driving using a manual transmission car, automatic transmission is much better for city driving, I hated having to be careful with the clutch in stop and go city traffic, my left leg would get so sore after a while, plus I’ve stalled the engine more than once by letting the clutch go too fast.

    • AA5B@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      41 seconds ago

      Yeah I finally went over to the dark side because of bostons horrendous stop and go traffic

  • teslasaur@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    3 hours ago

    Learned with and still using stick.

    I think it was a Renault Megane. Hopeless car. Left it outside in the cold one night. Every bit of wiring had shorted and if i turned on the wipers, the lights would flicker and the radio turned on.

  • justsillyme@lemmynsfw.com
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    4 hours ago

    I forget what the cat is even called, but it was an old Subaru hatchback. I wanna say GT? Maybe there’s a number… I dunno but it was a tiny lil thing.

    Haven’t given one since then, though. And I didn’t do too well with it either, but I am not a car guy, and I don’t drive in crazy road situations that would make it useful.

    I’m still glad I learned that way though, as my cars since then made more sense to me. At least until now, since I have a hybrid with a CVT.

  • Pringles@sopuli.xyz
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    4 hours ago

    Nissan vanette and ford focus. Don’t miss either of those and have an automatic now. I still drive a friend’s van from time to time which has a clutch, whoch is good so I don’t forget how to drive it. Although it still feels completely natural since I drove manual for 2 decades.

  • dejected_warp_core@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    4 hours ago

    I learned on a 1st gen Saturn. That’s before GM ruined the brand. It had a good deal of pickup to it, and was a lot of fun in the snow.

    I don’t miss it though. If I lived somewhere I could joyride with zero hills, traffic or parallel parking, sure. Otherwise? It’s not worth it.

  • RattlerSix@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    2
    ·
    5 hours ago

    When I was 15 in the 90s, every adult in the family, and adult friends of the family, said “You’re 15? Let’s go drive for an hour or two!” I’m pretty sure that, legally, a parent was supposed to be with me, but I guess any random adult was close enough.

    I just added up 14 different vehicles I “learned on,” including an old pickup with “three on the tree”, a Corvette, a 280z turbo, a 68 Chevelle, an International Scout. The rest were boring vehicles. If I remember correctly, 9 were manuals.

  • Hossenfeffer@feddit.uk
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    5 hours ago

    OG Mini. So, yes, had a manual clutch. Now, 40-something years later I’m driving an automatic for the first time because they don’t make the car I wanted at the spec. I wanted in a manual.