i took my hardship license test in 1976 when i was 15 in a 71 ford manual steering and 3 on the tree. you took your test with a DPS officer. you had to parallel park as well. when finished, he said you have obviously driven before. started driving farm truck a 61 ford when i was old enough to hold steering wheel. was pulling loaded cattle trailers down hwy6 when i was 12. Canyon i'm sure your history is about the same

rocky the dog said:

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I swear Rocky. You should be paid by the post! Always on point!

CanyonAg77 said:

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Definitely Not A Cop said:

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There is no button to start, just this weird slot thing on the side of the steering wheel, WTF?

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Steering wheel? I'm old enough to remember when they were always on the dash

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I just want to know where the foot pedal went, and I have an engine crank I dug up when we built on an old homestead site.

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CanyonAg77 said:

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Definitely Not A Cop said:

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There is no button to start, just this weird slot thing on the side of the steering wheel, WTF?

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Steering wheel? I'm old enough to remember when they were always on the dash

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Another thing that wonderful 53 year old truck has.

True, I have driven pickups where you turned the key, then pushed the starter on the floor.

Dad had a 1942 Studebaker in the early 2000s. You started it by turning on the key, then pushing the clutch to the floor to engage the starter

Yep, I literally do not remember learning how to drive because I was driving by 6 or so.

Germantown is right in between the DC burbs (super blue CommieLand) and rural Maryland (solid Trump country)

Doesn't surprise me to see their PD pretty conservative, even while dealing with DC thugs in their town

The first car I ever bought for myself was a '79 RX-7. It's been quite a while since I've driven a stick but some things you don't forget.

American Hardwood said:

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It sucks how hard it to get a decent vehicle with a stick in it. I miss my old CJ7.

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Apparently Acura brought back the Integra with manual transmission!

CanyonAg77 said:

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True, I have driven pickups where you turned the key, then pushed the starter on the floor.

Dad had a 1942 Studebaker in the early 2000s. You started it by turning on the key, then pushing the clutch to the floor to engage the starter

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I remember driving my friend's car that the shifter was on the steering column. That wa a total trip!

akm91 said:

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American Hardwood said:

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It sucks how hard it to get a decent vehicle with a stick in it. I miss my old CJ7.

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Apparently Acura brought back the Integra with manual transmission!

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I had a 1997 Integra manual coupe. First new car I ever bought. I loved it.

akm91 said:

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CanyonAg77 said:

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True, I have driven pickups where you turned the key, then pushed the starter on the floor.

Dad had a 1942 Studebaker in the early 2000s. You started it by turning on the key, then pushing the clutch to the floor to engage the starter

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I remember driving my friend's car that the shifter was on the steering column. That wa a total trip!

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What people in previous posts refer to as three-on-the-tree

My friend's mom in Jr high had a VW bus with 4 on the floor. She was the consummate hippie with her Jerusalem sandals picking us up from school in that 2-tone brown behemoth.

All I remember from learning to drive a standard is my college BF yelling CLUTCH!!!!! and me yelling I AM!!!!! for an hour going circles in a parking lot til he took back his Ford Ranger permanently. Good times.

When I was a kid, we had a BMW Isetta. The whole front end was the door, so the stick shift was on the left

CanyonAg77 said:

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akm91 said:

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CanyonAg77 said:

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True, I have driven pickups where you turned the key, then pushed the starter on the floor.

Dad had a 1942 Studebaker in the early 2000s. You started it by turning on the key, then pushing the clutch to the floor to engage the starter

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I remember driving my friend's car that the shifter was on the steering column. That wa a total trip!

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What people in previous posts refer to as three-on-the-tree

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Yeah I must have missed that post earlier

CanyonAg77 said:

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When I was a kid, we had a BMW Isetta. The whole front end was the door, so the stick shift was on the left

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Looks like something you would see on an episode of Mr. Bean.

Was in "The Mouse that Roared" and I'm told that "Steve Urkle" drove one on "Family Matters" on TV

Or original top gear.

Because I'm out on a mission, a stolen car mission
Had a small problem with the transmission
Three on the tree in the middle of the night
I have this steak on my head 'cause I got into a fist fight

CanyonAg77 said:

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Definitely Not A Cop said:

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There is no button to start, just this weird slot thing on the side of the steering wheel, WTF?

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Steering wheel? I'm old enough to remember when they were always on the dash

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Just a piece of history:

Porsche put the ignition switch on the left side of the dash so that their Le Mans race car drivers could start the engine while simultaneously putting the car in gear in order to save a second or two (Le Mans used to start w/ the drivers out of the cars, and they would sprint across the track to the cars, jump in, start the engine, and take off). To this day Porsche ignition switches are on the left side of the dash (and they still require turning a switch, just not with a key).

Except for the 924/944/928

The Fife said:

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Corporal Punishment said:

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Yep. Every car I've ever owned is a manual transmission. This is one of the hidden benefits. Whenever I take it to get serviced, I peek out the window to see if the attendant can move it. Runs 50/50. Best anti-theft device I've ever not paid for.

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My truck has a 3 on the tree. It's been years since I've run into anyone who knew how to drive it.

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I learned how to drive in a FJ40 (Toyota Landcruiser) with a 3 on the tree.

Both my manuals have the ignition safety switch so you can't turn it over using the starter with it accidentally in gear and cause it to lurch forward unexpectedly of the starter. You have to have the clutch in so the switch engages and then it will start. This means you can also turn the key to start, then push in the clutch to start the engine, as they both have to be done to engage the starter relay.

My first two vehicles were standard.

The last one was automatic

And yes, I am in my 50's and have owned 3 vehicles in my life.

akm91 said:

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American Hardwood said:

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It sucks how hard it to get a decent vehicle with a stick in it. I miss my old CJ7.

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Apparently Acura brought back the Integra with manual transmission!

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Wife's new car has paddle shifters on the steering wheel which she never uses. First time I drove it I shifted through the gears taking her out for a spin. Freaked her out.

I was in Mexico a few years ago and went on a scuba dive from the resort. We were supposed to meet at the front of the hotel to be driven to the marina. We all got in a pretty ratty looking vehicle and the guy that was taking us said that one of us had to drive since he didn't have a taxi license. He asked who could drive a manual transmission. Me. 4 in the floor. It was a bit of a surprise to find everything exactly opposite. Reverse was where 1st was in every other truck I had driven. I think the rest of the passengers had second thoughts initially.

My first vehicle was a 3-speed Dodge D50 little pickup, learned to drive it at 15 in Austin. Used to make deliveries for my dad's company and had to learn quickly how to use the clutch to hold the truck still on a hilly stop so I wouldn't roll back into someone.

Have an 84 CJ-7 now and always ask when I take it in for an oil change if they can drive stick.

Mayor West said:

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Great in theory until the jackers make you drive them instead of letting you go

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And that's when you just let off the clutch on a hill

Have a 05 caddy cts v ls6 corvetter engine 6 speed
Keep doors unlocked.
Car beaches can't drive it

Texasclipper said:

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The car owner was at a gas station and got jacked, but the "teens" who jacked him couldn't drive a manual, so they took off. Cops caught them and they are shockingly being charged as adults and held without bond. In Maryland of all places.

https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/police-teens-carjack-gas-station-couldnt-drive-away-manual-transmission/65-f18e8d3e-71bd-4d5d-87d3-8516700bae4c

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If you really want to confuse them, get a non-synchronous transmission.

I'd be shocked to find even one carjacker that knew how to double clutch.

FrioAg 00 said:

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Germantown is right in between the DC burbs (super blue CommieLand) and rural Maryland (solid Trump country)

Doesn't surprise me to see their PD pretty conservative, even while dealing with DC thugs in their town

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270 corridor is all pretty well overrun with liberals. Up through Frederick and east to about new market. So many fed gov employees buying houses there because they can't afford dc's crazy prices. Get too far off the highway and it's deep red. I used to laugh at the cars with bumper stickers "you know what's brave? Being a Carroll County democrat" every last driver looked like you'd expect.

Dp

harleyds2 said:

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i took my hardship license test in 1976 when i was 15 in a 71 ford manual steering and 3 on the tree. you took your test with a DPS officer. you had to parallel park as well. when finished, he said you have obviously driven before. started driving farm truck a 61 ford when i was old enough to hold steering wheel. was pulling loaded cattle trailers down hwy6 when i was 12. Canyon i'm sure your history is about the same

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Got my hardship at 15 as well.

That means we're old!