View Poll Results: Do you know how to drive a manual transmission?
Yes : )
36
87.80%
No : (
3
7.32%
I try, but I grind : ( ^^^^^^^^the gears & `jerk : )
2
4.88%
Voters: 41. You may not vote on this poll
Do you know `How to ?
#1
02-28-2010, 10:26 AM
Do you know `How to ?
Do you know how to drive a manual transmission?
Check The Manual (Transmission): Stick Shift Cars Going Away
Usage In U.S. Drops Below 10%
Long a part of automotive culture, the shift-it-yourself transmission is going the way of the buggy whipCall it a love affair that began prenatally. I was born mere hours after my mom finished helping my dad install a Hurst floor shifter in his ’55 Chevy. Later, I remember at the age of four asking Dad why he pushed on the pedal every time he moved the lever between the bucket seats of our ’68 VW dune buggy. “That’s the clutch,” he told me. “I have to do that every time I want to change gears with the stick shift.”
And so the fascination began. Shifting gears was fun, looked cool and sounded even cooler when you really wound up the revs. And in my first car, a 1976 Chevrolet Chevette, a manual transmission was mandatory to wring out what little performance its 70-bhp, 1.6-liter four-cylinder could muster. I still recall the day Dad took me out in it for my first driving test. I got in, took off with no problems and shifted up and down the gears with nary a gnash or a grind. He shouldn’t have been surprised. I’d been studying his technique for years.
Now we come to the year 2010. The ability to drive a car equipped with a manual transmission is becoming a dying art. The sales numbers tell the story: In 1985, according to Ward’s Communications, 22.4% of all vehicles sold in the United States came with a manual transmission. By 2007, the number had plummeted to 7.7%.
A quick check of vehicles for sale on AOL Autos tells a similar story. Of the 4,391,747 vehicles recently listed for sale, only 241,560 -- or 5.5% -- came with a manual.
The reasons for this situation are many. First, driver’s education classes simply aren’t teaching students how to drive a manual. We spoke with Eric Tunell at the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving, perhaps the most well-known and highly regarded performance driving schools in the country, to get his perspective.
“With the teen drivers who attend our programs, their family car doesn’t have a manual transmission, so they don’t need to learn,” he explained. “We also find that parents are mainly concerned with the safety of their teen driver and a manual is one more thing to distract them from focusing on driving.”
Now we come to the year 2010. The ability to drive a car equipped with a manual transmission is becoming a dying art. The sales numbers tell the story: In 1985, according to Ward’s Communications, 22.4% of all vehicles sold in the United States came with a manual transmission. By 2007, the number had plummeted to 7.7%.
A quick check of vehicles for sale on AOL Autos tells a similar story. Of the 4,391,747 vehicles recently listed for sale, only 241,560 -- or 5.5% -- came with a manual.
The reasons for this situation are many. First, driver’s education classes simply aren’t teaching students how to drive a manual. We spoke with Eric Tunell at the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving, perhaps the most well-known and highly regarded performance driving schools in the country, to get his perspective.
“With the teen drivers who attend our programs, their family car doesn’t have a manual transmission, so they don’t need to learn,” he explained. “We also find that parents are mainly concerned with the safety of their teen driver and a manual is one more thing to distract them from focusing on driving.”
That is not to say that none of the teens who attend Bondurant classes are uninterested in the art of self-shifting. “A significant number really want to know the ins and outs of driving a manual transmission,” Tunell said. “What we emphasize at Bondurant is that ultimately it’s not about the car; it’s about the driver. Getting them training over and above what a basic driver’s ed course offers is essential.”
Another reason is fuel economy. In the past, manual transmissions got better fuel economy than automatics. Improvements in automatic transmission design, however, has helped them equal the fuel economy numbers of manuals, or at least come very close.
Modern traffic conditions have also helped contribute to the manual’s demise. In today’s stop-and-start traffic, the constant clutch-and-shift action is tiring. Combine that with the creaking knees of the aging baby boomer population and it’s no wonder manual transmissions are going the way of the dodo.
That doesn’t mean we have to like it, though. For the serious driver, piloting a car with a manual transmission is a badge of honor. Having control over your ride carries an appeal that may well go back to the time when man first rode astride a horse. That sort of intimate control over your steed is heady stuff, and a feeling not easily conceded. The conviction that the driver knows best also comes into play: an automatic transmission can’t see that just down the road is a decreasing radius turn that’s going to require you to downshift a gear or two so that you can launch yourself smartly out of the turn.
Then there is the pride one takes in a perfectly timed two-three upshift, wringing it out to the redline and listening to the symphony of pumping pistons and whirring camshafts, or perhaps mastering the black art of heel-and-toe shifting and precisely matching revs on a downshift as you drift into a corner.
Perhaps it is because, in a world that seems increasingly out of control, in the driver’s seat you are in complete control, and with a manual transmission and an open road to the horizon, that is as much as we can hope for these days.
Another reason is fuel economy. In the past, manual transmissions got better fuel economy than automatics. Improvements in automatic transmission design, however, has helped them equal the fuel economy numbers of manuals, or at least come very close.
Modern traffic conditions have also helped contribute to the manual’s demise. In today’s stop-and-start traffic, the constant clutch-and-shift action is tiring. Combine that with the creaking knees of the aging baby boomer population and it’s no wonder manual transmissions are going the way of the dodo.
That doesn’t mean we have to like it, though. For the serious driver, piloting a car with a manual transmission is a badge of honor. Having control over your ride carries an appeal that may well go back to the time when man first rode astride a horse. That sort of intimate control over your steed is heady stuff, and a feeling not easily conceded. The conviction that the driver knows best also comes into play: an automatic transmission can’t see that just down the road is a decreasing radius turn that’s going to require you to downshift a gear or two so that you can launch yourself smartly out of the turn.
Then there is the pride one takes in a perfectly timed two-three upshift, wringing it out to the redline and listening to the symphony of pumping pistons and whirring camshafts, or perhaps mastering the black art of heel-and-toe shifting and precisely matching revs on a downshift as you drift into a corner.
Perhaps it is because, in a world that seems increasingly out of control, in the driver’s seat you are in complete control, and with a manual transmission and an open road to the horizon, that is as much as we can hope for these days.
Last edited by Space; 02-28-2010 at 11:00 AM.
#2
02-28-2010, 10:33 AM
ive drove several cars with stick.
i learned on an 80's honda accord
escort
my buddys del sol
rx7
they all made it as though i was part of the car. its a nice feeling to have but not in a daily driver. i think this is why most regular car manufacturer are phasing out the manual tanny. its still an option in most sporty cars though, which is where i thnk it belongs. its a great option for the sunday driver.
i learned on an 80's honda accord
escort
my buddys del sol
rx7
they all made it as though i was part of the car. its a nice feeling to have but not in a daily driver. i think this is why most regular car manufacturer are phasing out the manual tanny. its still an option in most sporty cars though, which is where i thnk it belongs. its a great option for the sunday driver.
#3
02-28-2010, 10:35 AM
Member's, what cars have your driven
with standard transmissions ?
I prefer standard trans vs Auto
4-Sure
Thanks for your input..
__________________________
with standard transmissions ?
I prefer standard trans vs Auto
4-Sure
Thanks for your input..
__________________________
How Manual Transmissions Work
by Marshall Brain
Photo courtesy DaimlerChrysler
Mercedes-Benz Actros, manual transmission. See more pictures of transmissions.
If you drive a stick-shift car, then you may have several questions floating in your head.
How does the funny "H" pattern that I am moving this shift **** through have any relation to the gears inside the transmission? What is moving inside the transmission when I move the shifter?
When I mess up and hear that horrible grinding sound, what is actually grinding? What would happen if I were to accidentally shift into reverse while I am speeding down the freeway? Would the entire transmission explode?
In this article, we'll answer all of these questions and more as we explore the interior of a manual transmission.
How does the funny "H" pattern that I am moving this shift **** through have any relation to the gears inside the transmission? What is moving inside the transmission when I move the shifter?
When I mess up and hear that horrible grinding sound, what is actually grinding? What would happen if I were to accidentally shift into reverse while I am speeding down the freeway? Would the entire transmission explode?
In this article, we'll answer all of these questions and more as we explore the interior of a manual transmission.
Cars need transmissions because of the physics of the gasoline engine. First, any engine has a redline -- a maximum rpm value above which the engine cannot go without exploding. Second, if you have read How Horsepower Works, then you know that engines have narrow rpm ranges where horsepower and torque are at their maximum. For example, an engine might produce its maximum horsepower at 5,500 rpm. The transmission allows the gear ratio between the engine and the drive wheels to change as the car speeds up and slows down. You shift gears so the engine can stay below the redline and near the rpm band of its best performance.
Ideally, the transmission would be so flexible in its ratios that the engine could always run at its single, best-performance rpm value. That is the idea behind the continuously variable transmission (CVT).
Ideally, the transmission would be so flexible in its ratios that the engine could always run at its single, best-performance rpm value. That is the idea behind the continuously variable transmission (CVT).
A CVT has a nearly infinite range of gear ratios. In the past, CVTs could not compete with four-speed and five-speed transmissions in terms of cost, size and reliability, so you didn't see them in production automobiles. These days, improvements in design have made CVTs more common. The Toyota Prius is a hybrid car that uses a CVT.
The transmission is connected to the engine through the clutch. The input shaft of the transmission therefore turns at the same rpm as the engine.
Photo courtesy DaimlerChrysler
Mercedes-Benz C-class sport coupe, six-speed manual transmission, graphic illustration.
See more transmission pictures.
Mercedes-Benz C-class sport coupe, six-speed manual transmission, graphic illustration.
See more transmission pictures.
A five-speed transmission applies one of five different gear ratios to the input shaft to produce a different rpm value at the output shaft. Here are some typical gear ratios:
GearRatioRPM at Transmission Output Shaft
with Engine at 3,000 rpm1st2.315:11,2952nd1.568:11,9133rd1.195:12,5104th1. 000:13,0005th0.915:13,278
You can read How CVTs Work for even more information on how continuously variable transmissions work. Now let's look at a simple transmission.
GearRatioRPM at Transmission Output Shaft
with Engine at 3,000 rpm1st2.315:11,2952nd1.568:11,9133rd1.195:12,5104th1. 000:13,0005th0.915:13,278
You can read How CVTs Work for even more information on how continuously variable transmissions work. Now let's look at a simple transmission.
#4
02-28-2010, 11:06 AM
MCF Transmission Class
with Vid's : )
It's just amaz'in what a member can read/learn/watch on the MCF
most watched: car transmission and drivetrain system videos
Understanding: Drivetrain and Transmission Basics (1:26)
How Manual Transmissions Work (2:23)
How Clutches Work (1:52)
Understanding: High Tech Clutch (0:55)
How It's Made: Gears (2:59)
recently added: car transmission and drivetrain system videos
How It's Made: Gears (2:59)
Understanding: Drivetrain and Transmission Basics (1:26)
Understanding: High Tech Clutch (0:55)
Paddle Shifters (3:08)
Auto Transmission (1:30)
with Vid's : )
It's just amaz'in what a member can read/learn/watch on the MCF
most watched: car transmission and drivetrain system videos
Understanding: Drivetrain and Transmission Basics (1:26) How Manual Transmissions Work (2:23) How Clutches Work (1:52) Understanding: High Tech Clutch (0:55) How It's Made: Gears (2:59) recently added: car transmission and drivetrain system videos
How It's Made: Gears (2:59) Understanding: Drivetrain and Transmission Basics (1:26) Understanding: High Tech Clutch (0:55) Paddle Shifters (3:08) Auto Transmission (1:30)
#5
02-28-2010, 11:07 AM
The transmission doesn't really matter to me... I like my Torino's C-6 Automatic... all I have to do is put it in gear and smile 
The '50 Chevy truck has a 4 speed, I've driven 5 speed Mustangs and 6 speed Camaros. I've driven a 3 on the tree in a '51 Chevy car.... I've also driven a 10 speed Volvo truck around the yard and stuff.... it's like riding a bicycle or making love, once you learn how, you never forget 
The '50 Chevy truck has a 4 speed, I've driven 5 speed Mustangs and 6 speed Camaros. I've driven a 3 on the tree in a '51 Chevy car.... I've also driven a 10 speed Volvo truck around the yard and stuff.... it's like riding a bicycle or making love, once you learn how, you never forget
#6
02-28-2010, 11:15 AM
it's like riding a bicycle or making love, once you learn how, you never forget
LOL `Duane
Ok, next Thread Topic
How 2 ride a Bicycle
& How 2 Luv your Monte Once you learn `how, U never 4-get....
Oh, I'm still learn'in `bout `luv : )
Thanks `Duane 4 the ~>
#7
02-28-2010, 11:19 AM
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: West Coast !!
Posts: 4,930
my Monte Carlo I love just cruising any where but my Camaro is a 5 sd man and there is nothing like taking it up the curvy mountain roads out here just kicking through the gears
