Save the Manuals (Malibooya's Project Thread)

[mjd4277]

In my life I've only had 2 vehicles with an automatic:a 1988 Ford Tempo GL sedan and a 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe with the 5-spd "Tiptronic" (I did use the manual mode on it a lot,but it wasn't the same as a true "wrist flicker").

It's coming down to where driving a manual transmission and driving a vehicle so equipped is starting to become a "lost art" of sorts.

[Minchkin]

Originally Posted by Crunchy

They still love manuals in Europe. Some Europeans say that Americans have little idea what makes a great car. But is it any wonder when many of us don’t even know what makes a great road? Here in pancake-flat Illinois (state motto – Tolls R Us) all the roads are laid out on a grid: you drive straight for a while, turn 90 degrees, then drive straight some more. Sometimes the most exciting thing is dodging the potholes. And those are the kind of roads that influence an American’s idea of what a luxury car is: one that insulates you from those potholes, insulates you from the road, insulates you from the driving itself. Have you ever driven a manual in a Chicago freeway traffic jam, averaging 3-4 mph for half an hour? Why bother engaging yourself in the driving experience when the roads just aren’t that engaging?

That said, there is one thing you can do with a manual that you cannot with any other transmission, whether it’s a regular automatic or a fancy dual-clutch paddle-shifter, and that’s heel-and-toe a perfectly matched downshift while braking hard into a corner with all four tires right at the limit of adhesion. When I can string a couple of those together in the big end of the powerband (not often!), it never fails to put a huge grin on my face and make me feel like Mario Andretti. Maybe I would be faster through those corners with a paddle-shifter, but I don’t care. To me, rowing that stick around is what spirited driving is all about.

(If the gif is too much, I am sorry I can remove it if need be...)

Dude, seriously... Bravo. Bra-vo. I don't think there is a deeper way to really explain why manuals need to stay. I do know that there will be no car in my future that won't be a manual.

[indy_11]

Originally Posted by mjd4277

In my life I've only had 2 vehicles with an automatic:a 1988 Ford Tempo GL sedan and a 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe with the 5-spd "Tiptronic" (I did use the manual mode on it a lot,but it wasn't the same as a true "wrist flicker").

It's coming down to where driving a manual transmission and driving a vehicle so equipped is starting to become a "lost art" of sorts.

America is a lazy country. And if that's an insult to anyone, its sad to say but its true. People want power but they don't want to work for it. And the thing that always gets me is (I don't want a manual because of traffic" really? If you kept your distance its just as easy as driving an automatic. Now there's this talk about cars thar drive themselves. I'm sorry, I'd rather drive a Geo metro with a manual before I'm caught dead in something as lame as yhat

[Minchkin]

Originally Posted by blueflow94

America is a lazy country. And if that's an insult to anyone, its sad to say but its true. People want power but they don't want to work for it. And the thing that always gets me is (I don't want a manual because of traffic" really? If you kept your distance its just as easy as driving an automatic. Now there's this talk about cars thar drive themselves. I'm sorry, I'd rather drive a Geo metro with a manual before I'm caught dead in something as lame as yhat

I agree, my roommate knows how to drive, but he won't go and get his license until he has mastered my car. And when he found out that my car is a manual, he literally say,"You are bad ass."
"Why?"
"Because you drive a stick. Anyone who drives a stick is badass."

From then on, he has been learning.

[Malibooya]

Bump! I'm starting to get all of this together, so I can start shooting. I'm aiming for weekends to travel and shoot, but if anyone has other availabilities I'm open to change.

Also, let me know if you're gonna autox or drag and such - that stuff makes for excellent footage.

[ZimDalf]

I can't even drive auto anymore!

Hey where is the clutch? Where is the stick? Oh right it's auto... 5 seconds latter... Hey where is the clutch? Where is the stick? Oh right it's auto...


I really have not driven anything auto in 2-3 years now though.

Oh yes, and I am a trucker who takes pride in shifting unsynchronized gears.

If you want to interview me I'm game.

[MisterH]

Originally Posted by ZimDalf

I can't even drive auto anymore!

Hey where is the clutch? Where is the stick? Oh right it's auto... 5 seconds latter... Hey where is the clutch? Where is the stick? Oh right it's auto...

I've done that before.

[Malibooya]

Originally Posted by ZimDalf

I can't even drive auto anymore!

Hey where is the clutch? Where is the stick? Oh right it's auto... 5 seconds latter... Hey where is the clutch? Where is the stick? Oh right it's auto...


I really have not driven anything auto in 2-3 years now though.

Oh yes, and I am a trucker who takes pride in shifting unsynchronized gears.

If you want to interview me I'm game.

I wish Canada was closer and I had a big budget production team to head there, but I'm based in NYC.

Unless there's some big even going on up there to coincide with my filming that I could work with, it's tough to make it work logistically.

All: Here's the linklink to a Google Doc I just set up to keep track of who I'm going to talk to/film and when/where interviews will happen. Of course, PMing me on here works too.

I'm ready to start shooting at the beginning of October.

[Miller88]

Originally Posted by MisterH

I've done that before.

I test drove an identical to mine Focus for a friend of mine. It was an auto. I really tested out the integrity of the brake lines ... must have pushed the brake pedal to the floor 20 times trying to shift.

[indy_11]

:( i'm 61 miles too far.