You Know You Are Old When

[Sigarms]

You know you are old when:

You call a manual transmission a “standard” transmission.

Always knew it as a manual / standard transmission in learning to drive in the late 70's.

Failed my first driving test with a 72 chevy pick up with "3 on the tree" that I called the U boat on the way it steered LOL (back then, you actually had to drive with the test examiner giving the driving test LMAO).

Past it with flying colors the next day with a 80's Escort, automatic trans.

Perhaps I've been down in the south for too long, but it seems everyone calls a manual / standard transmission a "straight drive" in NC. Do they use the term "straight drive" up north? I don't remember the term when up there.

 

[Omega Woods]

Yeah, but my barber is hot. Somebody asked me once if she did a good job. My reply: Who cares.

So is mine. We've been married 37 years!

 

[Hay Dude]

In the mid-50's just out of the service and needing a car. bought from Chev. dealer a 1949 trade-in Plymouth 4-door sedan only needed a grill that had been hit and broken 10 bucks at the scrap yard and fixed the grill.
Drove everywhere little problems such as going uphill and turning to the right lights would go out. small shift of steering returned maybe for months then would happen again. Standard transmission and around midnight. South lower farm field in Arkansas. there was no town or lights to see anything. The gears broke the housing and parts on the ground. a farmer stopped and looked and said there was a scrap yard up the road and usually someone was there so got a ride to this location. Nightwatchman answered a door knock and upon telling him the need said common problem and he had one for sale. 5 Bucks gave him the money and he took me back the the Plymouth kept his car lights on the area of work. had a few wrenches removed the bolts disconnected the shift levers and rear spline shaft. installed the replacement and rebolted connected the removed shafts; this transmission was still in the vehicle when sold.
after several trips to lower Texas.
Now try this in today's vehicles.

I was driving my 1970 Chevy Camaro in upstate PA back in the 80’s. Holley 4 barrel Carb let go. I can’t remember if it was a float or some other small part. Nightime & raining. 2 locals stopped and offered to help. They knew where there was another Camaro with same carb in a salvage yard. They took me there and held lights while I pulled the part. Honestly I was thinking about the banjo song in the movie “Deliverance”, but being the “Burt Reynolds” type of guy I was, I had no fear.

Pulled the carb parts, drove back to the camaro, put them in and she started & ran. I never touched that carb again.

 

[ultrarunner]

In the mid-50's just out of the service and needing a car. bought from Chev. dealer a 1949 trade-in Plymouth 4-door sedan only needed a grill that had been hit and broken 10 bucks at the scrap yard and fixed the grill.
Drove everywhere little problems such as going uphill and turning to the right lights would go out. small shift of steering returned maybe for months then would happen again. Standard transmission and around midnight. South lower farm field in Arkansas. there was no town or lights to see anything. The gears broke the housing and parts on the ground. a farmer stopped and looked and said there was a scrap yard up the road and usually someone was there so got a ride to this location. Nightwatchman answered a door knock and upon telling him the need said common problem and he had one for sale. 5 Bucks gave him the money and he took me back the the Plymouth kept his car lights on the area of work. had a few wrenches removed the bolts disconnected the shift levers and rear spline shaft. installed the replacement and rebolted connected the removed shafts; this transmission was still in the vehicle when sold.
after several trips to lower Texas.
Now try this in today's vehicles.

Impressive all around…

 

[Omega Woods]

You know you're old when ...
you celebrate sleeping through the night.
a full day's work consists of riding a mower and a tractor and you're worn out just from getting on and off.
you can remember your first kiss but not what you wore yesterday or had for dinner last night.
you tell your grandchildren about doing research at the library and they don't really believe you.
and finally...
arguing with someone on TBN seems like a good use of your dwindling hours.

 

[Oaktree]

Perhaps I've been down in the south for too long, but it seems everyone calls a manual / standard transmission a "straight drive" in NC. Do they use the term "straight drive" up north? I don't remember the term when up there.

I've lived in New England my whole life (so far), and never heard that term. "Straight 6" for an inline 6 cyl, but a manual transmission was either referred to as "standard" or in the last 40 or so years "stick shift".

 

[Sigarms]

I've lived in New England my whole life (so far), and never heard that term. "Straight 6" for an inline 6 cyl, but a manual transmission was either referred to as "standard" or in the last 40 or so years "stick shift".

Stick shift, manual and standard I've heard. I grew up with a Chevy truck that was manual that you shifted on the column, thus the "3 on the tree" per what my dad called it.

Seems "straight drive" is the common terminology people us in NC for manual or standard transmission.

I still remember telling my one son I wanted a "real man's" truck being a large V8 that could haul some stuff. Son told me "gee dad, you already have a real mans truck because you drive a straight drive" LOL (V6 T-100, before the boys came along, standard cab Toyota, 5 speed).

My one boy who visited from the Air Force I finally took out back with the truck to teach him how to drive a manual as he said he finally wanted to try. He started getting the hang of it, will need to follow up. Still remember my dad teaching me on a manual. Thought we were going to kill each other LMAO

 

[deserteagle71]

You know you are old when:

You call a manual transmission a “standard” transmission.

Yup. That's because vehicles came with a manual tranny standard. The "optional" transmission was the automatic and cost a lot more.

Not many vehicles available with manual transmissions anymore. Jeep Wrangler is one of them. Just "built" me a Jeep on the web site. 6 speed manual transmission is "standard", no extra charge. If you want the automatic it is a $4,500 option!

 

[Sigarms]

Text today shows what happens to your friends when you get older as he was planning to come over to do some shooting...

His Dodge pick up was in the truck for a month or two (only a year old). They gave him a Jeep Gladiator of some sort as a loaner. I asked him how he likes it because I actually thought it was nice looking. He told me he never buy one. To small for driver and passenger in his opinion, and the bed it so small he couldn't get a complete HVAC system in the bed of the vehicle because it's so small LOL

 

[MossRoad]

Stick shift, manual and standard I've heard. I grew up with a Chevy truck that was manual that you shifted on the column, thus the "3 on the tree" per what my dad called it.

Seems "straight drive" is the common terminology people us in NC for manual or standard transmission.

I still remember telling my one son I wanted a "real man's" truck being a large V8 that could haul some stuff. Son told me "gee dad, you already have a real mans truck because you drive a straight drive" LOL (V6 T-100, before the boys came along, standard cab Toyota, 5 speed).

My one boy who visited from the Air Force I finally took out back with the truck to teach him how to drive a manual as he said he finally wanted to try. He started getting the hang of it, will need to follow up. Still remember my dad teaching me on a manual. Thought we were going to kill each other LMAO

3 on the tree
4 on the floor
5 over drive