Millennial Auto Theft Deterrent ...

[qtlaw]

Someone said the ultimate deterrent was a clutch because no one knows how to drive one anymore.

I learned 40 yrs ago in my dads truck, shifting from passenger side while my dad drove.

I just bought a clutch for first time since ‘89 and it’s a blast (07 Miata w hardtop Conv) with the top down. I guess I can leave it with key in since no one can drive them anymore.

anyone else drive a clutch anymore?

 

[PCLoadLetter]

Switched from manual to automatic 12 years ago.

Had a revelation back then when I had a loaner car for a few days while my car was in the shop. With the automatic I could make my commute through stop and go traffic without raging. Made the switch and I'm much happier for it.

 

[BTExpress]

Just about every rationale for manual (better mileage, better control, etc.) just does not apply in 2019, except for the unquantifiable "it's more fun" metric, which cannot possibly apply if you deal with stop-and-go traffic in any way.

 

[qtlaw]

Switched from manual to automatic 12 years ago.

Had a revelation back then when I had a loaner car for a few days while my car was in the shop. With the automatic I could make my commute through stop and go traffic without raging. Made the switch and I'm much happier for it.

I understand for sure; this is my 2nd car, still have a sedan for traffic.

 

[playthrough]

More like "Millennial Auto Text Deterrent."

 

[qtlaw]

That’s true too. Less time to screw around while driving.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

Millennials? Hell, I'm high-end Gen X and I can't steal a stick shift car, either.

 

[DanOregon]

Once had the "fun" of being at a stop sign on a steep hill in San Francisco in a VW Bus - kind of terryifying between the break, the clutch and the accellerator wishing I had three legs.

 

[Cosmo]

I haven't driven a stick in probably 18 years. Was one of big reasons why I didn't rent a car while I was in the UK, because nearly everything was manual and I didn't need the stress of figuring out how to drive on the left side of the road while shifting with my non-dominant hand. International incident waiting to happen.

 

[BTExpress]

I hear they're pretty polite when you run them over, though.

 

[qtlaw]

Once had the "fun" of being at a stop sign on a steep hill in San Francisco in a VW Bus - kind of terryifying between the break, the clutch and the accellerator wishing I had three legs.

That's when the emergency brake is your friend.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

Someone said the ultimate deterrent was a clutch because no one knows how to drive one anymore.

I learned 40 yrs ago in my dads truck, shifting from passenger side while my dad drove.

I just bought a clutch for first time since ‘89 and it’s a blast (07 Miata w hardtop Conv) with the top down. I guess I can leave it with key in since no one can drive them anymore.

anyone else drive a clutch anymore?

Still have yet to own a daily driver that didn't have a clutch. And ... have joked for years that a vehicle with a manual is a form of theft deterrent, however unintentional.

Once had the "fun" of being at a stop sign on a steep hill in San Francisco in a VW Bus - kind of terryifying between the break, the clutch and the accellerator wishing I had three legs.

Learn how to use a combination of the emergency, clutch and accelerator ... without frying the clutch and flywheel.

 

[Neutral Corner]

What you need is a Miata. The damn thing makes it fun to drive to the grocery store.

I know about the new autos in performance cars, but downshifting through a tight curve and then kicking it is a religious experience.

 

[maumann]

What you need is a Miata. The damn thing makes it fun to drive to the grocery store.

I know about the new autos in performance cars, but downshifting through a tight curve and then kicking it is a religious experience.

Always wanted a 914 as a kid, and ended up with a CRX for that same feeling: wanna-be sports car just so I could get the sensation without breaking my checking account or large bones in my body.

Have tested a Corvette and Ford Shelby Mustang GT. They are incredible cars but damn, you've got to have the confidence to have just the right amount of acceleration when you shift or they feel like they're going to snap around. OK when you're by yourself on the highway but not so great when you on I-85 in Atlanta rush hour traffic.

Gwen's VW Beetle had a carburetor issue. If you parked a certain way, the float would drain the reservoir and the car wouldn't start. But if you could get enough gravity, you could kick the clutch and the motor would eventually fire -- just like push starting a midget or sprint car. Not a big deal in Florida, but in California we'd always try to park it on a hillside or find someone who could push us up to a certain speed.

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

I had a Honda with paddle shifters. It was automatic, but it gave me the option of manually shifting without a clutch or without physically shifting gears with the stick.

I drove a manual for years, and the pain in the ass that is replacing the clutch every 70K miles or so broke me from that. Automatic all the way now.

 

[Neutral Corner]

Always wanted a 914 as a kid, and ended up with a CRX for that same feeling: wanna-be sports car just so I could get the sensation without breaking my checking account or large bones in my body.

Have tested a Corvette and Ford Shelby Mustang GT. They are incredible cars but damn, you've got to have the confidence to have just the right amount of acceleration when you shift or they feel like they're going to snap around. OK when you're by yourself on the highway but not so great when you on I-85 in Atlanta rush hour traffic.

Gwen's VW Beetle had a carburetor issue. If you parked a certain way, the float would drain the reservoir and the car wouldn't start. But if you could get enough gravity, you could kick the clutch and the motor would eventually fire -- just like push starting a midget or sprint car. Not a big deal in Florida, but in California we'd always try to park it on a hillside or find someone who could push us up to a certain speed.

That's the good thing about the Miata. It feels fast when you're driving moderately, and it can get fast if you want it to. Not big block Detroit iron off the line fast, but it's a momentum car. It takes turns like a slot car, and will eat up a lot of fast cars if you're in the twisties.

Or if you've got Shelby Mustang money, you can talk to Flyin' Miata. They have a well balanced Miata with a LSx motor and upgraded running gear. Essentially, it's the original Shelby Cobra formula, light car, good handling, add V8 muscle. The bonus is that it looks like a girly-man Miata until you put your foot in it, and then that local in his Mustang GT gets his ass handed to him. Ultimate Q-ship. They also make aftermarket turbo kits that will heat up a stock Miata very nicely.

https://www.flyinmiata.com/V8/index.php

 

[Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!]

I had a Honda with paddle shifters. It was automatic, but it gave me the option of manually shifting without a clutch or without physically shifting gears with the stick.

I drove a manual for years, and the pain in the ass that is replacing the clutch every 70K miles or so broke me from that. Automatic all the way now.

How the hell did you drive, that you had to replace a clutch every 70K miles?!?

 

[FileNotFound]

My mom has a BMW Z4. The first time I drove it, I put it in manual mode and thrashed it around some curves, and it was kinda fun. On the way home, I switched it back to automatic and realized that I was pretty arrogant for thinking I knew when to shift better than this car does. Ultimate Driving Machine, indeed.

I do miss my Mazda3 and its stick shift, though. I’ll have another manual-transmission car before I die.

 

[justgladtobehere]

I had a Honda with paddle shifters. It was automatic, but it gave me the option of manually shifting without a clutch or without physically shifting gears with the stick.

I drove a manual for years, and the pain in the ass that is replacing the clutch every 70K miles or so broke me from that. Automatic all the way now.

I was going to ask people about the mixed manual/automatic transmissions. I am driving a car with the option to change gears manually without a clutch, but the car prevents the driver from making mistakes with speed/rpms.

Do people who like to drive manual like this type of transmission?

 

[playthrough]

What you need is a Miata. The damn thing makes it fun to drive to the grocery store.

I know about the new autos in performance cars, but downshifting through a tight curve and then kicking it is a religious experience.

When I was in high school, a friend had a Miata (one of the originals, 'cause I'm old). A blast to ride in and sure looked like a blast to drive with that short-throw shifter, though he never let me try.