Who still drives a stick in 2025?

[masseyrider]

1965 Chevy C10 with 230 straight 6. 3 on the tree. I had one in high school and always regretted selling it. Found one several years ago and did frame off restoration. Really enjoy getting it out and driving it . Don’t want a manual for everyday though.

My parents had one.
I was aboot 8-11 at the time.
The column shifter would sometimes get stuck between 1st and second if I remember right.
It was my job to go with my mother if she took the truck into the Co-op or town to pop it out of the stuck position.
As a little guy I'd pop the hood open, scramble up on the fender and with a small crowbar pop the linkage back into place.
It didn't happen often and Ma could have done it but I guess she liked having me along.
It also got me a candy bar...
Later when I started to drive I had a winter beater 67 Chev van that did the same thing. It was harder to get at the linkage to pop it into place.
Seems it liked to happen at the most inopportune times, rain, snow, highway on ramp...

 

[t1kilo]

Thanks, they are fun in fact I had a 1999 Miata and sold it because, for me, it wasn't that good as a daily driver. Ingress and egress was a little difficult then LOL and now 26 years later probably more so. It had limited room inside and a very small trunk, it was geared tight so spinning pretty fast at highway speed, mpg wasn't that great, and it was very noisy. And not nearly as fun as a motorcycle. But I'll at least look at the new Miata.
Another one I should check out is a GR Corolla.

Yeah, so the 1999 model was a NB. The ND models are much more refined. If you can get past the ingress/egress, you’ll probably love it. I’m 5’9” and have no problems. My nephew, about 6’3” struggles.

 

[ultrarunner]

My parents had one.
I was aboot 8-11 at the time.
The column shifter would sometimes get stuck between 1st and second if I remember right.
It was my job to go with my mother if she took the truck into the Co-op or town to pop it out of the stuck position.
As a little guy I'd pop the hood open, scramble up on the fender and with a small crowbar pop the linkage back into place.
It didn't happen often and Ma could have done it but I guess she liked having me along.
It also got me a candy bar...
Later when I started to drive I had a winter beater 67 Chev van that did the same thing. It was harder to get at the linkage to pop it into place.
Seems it liked to happen at the most inopportune times, rain, snow, highway on ramp...

Yes… especially on the Chevrolet stepside I had for a short time… I thought I was the only one and then learned it to be common.

 

[pmsmechanic]

Curiously, are the pedals the same configuration as with LH drive or do you have to learn to clutch with your right foot?

The pedals are the same in RH drive as they are in LH drive. One issue I have is that the throttle is further away from the outside edge of the car in a RH drive vs the transmission tunnel in a LH drive. Presumably to leave room for the front wheel. I have to be careful that I don't push both the brake and the throttle at the same time. This is in the Polo and the Lupo that my son owns.

The shift pattern is the same only you are shifting with your left hand. That takes a bit of getting used too.

I also have troubles remembering that I need to get into the car on the RH side.

The biggest issue in my books is that there is limited visibility for passing on a 2 lane highway.

Both cars are fun to drive.

 

[QRTRHRS]

I worked for a VW dealership back in the 60's. Different time for sure as we would actually go and pick up cars for a few clients. On occasion, there would be two employees in the same car.

One was a right hand drive VW with a sunroof. We would fold the cover back and the person on the left would stand up and wave to everyone.

 

[scootr]

Original or replica?

Replica. I'm not rich. If I were it would be real. but then I'd be afraid the spin the tires and throw it around... so which one is more fun?

 

[masseyrider]

Replica. I'm not rich. If I were it would be real. but then I'd be afraid the spin the tires and throw it around... so which one is more fun?

Still a cool car.

 

[WinterDeere]

Mom taught me to drive in her automatic, then bought a cheap 4-speed manual for my sister and I to share. Thankfully it was my sister's second manual trans, so she taught me to drive stick, age 16. It was a gutless little Ford EXP, so it actually took a little more skill to not stall that thing as a beginner, than the more poweful V8-coupled manuals I owned later.



After that, I owned one auto (Camaro), and vowed "never again". I drove nothing but manual for the next 30 years.

But when I started buying our current fleet of cars, I learned manual just isn't an available option anymore. What used to be "standard" is now "not available". Now we own a sedan, pickup, and SUV, all new in the last 10 years and all auto.

My wife and I would still buy manual only, if available, and have actually switched brands more than once due to the availability of manual transmission. In fact, we have owned 4 Dodge vehicles since 2005, and I would have never even looked at that brand, if they weren't the only 1/2 ton pickup still available in manual transmission at that time.

 

[Milo]

..... In fact, we have owned 4 Dodge vehicles since 2005, and I would have never even looked at that brand, if they weren't the only 1/2 ton pickup still available in manual transmission at that time.

I have to think there would be enough sales between GM, Ford, or Dodge, for at least one of them to offer a manual in their traditional 1/2 and 3/4 ton trucks. Am I right that currently there's Jeep's Gladiator and Tacoma (but only short bed crew cab) available with a manual? I'd buy a manual Ridgeline in a minute.

 

[WinterDeere]

I have to think there would be enough sales between GM, Ford, or Dodge, for at least one of them to offer a manual in their traditional 1/2 and 3/4 ton trucks. Am I right that currently there's Jeep's Gladiator and Tacoma (but only short bed crew cab) available with a manual? I'd buy a manual Ridgeline in a minute.

I guess I should have added "with a V8 and 4wd", since I think some of the 2wd v6 GM fleet trucks can still be bought with manual, in standard cab configuration.

I don't know about Tacoma, but I did check Toyota's full-size 1/2 ton (T100?) back when I was shopping for my most recent truck. I would've had a dilemma if they actually offered manual, I would never want to buy any Japanese vehicle, but alas... even Toyota had stopped offering manual trans in a full-size 1/2 ton with a V8 and 4wd.