[bigdog7373]

That's what it feels like to me. Being car/driving enthusiasts this really sucks. Ever since I learned how to drive stick I've wanting it in every car Id own. But just looking around at new cars it seems like that's not going to be possible. Is anyone else seeing this too?

[delawarebill]

i'm seeing less sticks too.. funny thing i went car shopping last wk and at the ford dealership was a nice mustang.. a quick look and YUK... salesman came over to see if interested?? said hell no.. first its a 6 banger and then its an automatic... junk!!!!

[327NUT]

When I was a Police Officer and training rookies it was amazing how many of the young guys couldn't drive a stick. First time it happened to me was on a 3 car collision and I told the "kid" to go move the lesser damaged one out of the intersection. He came back a few minutes later and was just standing by me with this "I'm gonna get yelled at look on his face", I said what wrong? He said I can't drive a "shift car".

[Old Grumpy]

I grew up with 3 speed and 4 speed cars and trucks. My 67 Camaro has a Muncie 4 speed. Now days most standard shift cars are 6-7 or more speeds. I got better things to do while driving than shifting gears. And it isnt playing with no phone.

[bigdog7373]

Originally Posted by 327NUT

When I was a Police Officer and training rookies it was amazing how many of the young guys couldn't drive a stick. First time it happened to me was on a 3 car collision and I told the "kid" to go move the lesser damaged one out of the intersection. He came back a few minutes later and was just standing by me with this "I'm gonna get yelled at look on his face", I said what wrong? He said I can't drive a "shift car".

Haha I had to go get my own car from.the valet lot one night cause the only guy that could drive stick went home. Then when I was selling it I had a kid come look at it and he stalled it at least ten times in the driveway before I just told him to get out of the car.
Strange how a skill everyone knew how to do is now becoming something only a few people know how to do.

[Ironpony]

Think it's bad with cars. Look at class 8 trucks. There is a separate CDL for automatics only now. Kinda makes calling yourself a gearjammer obsolete don't it. About 8 of 9 years ago we had a long time low boy driver decide to retire. So to fill his seat so to speak we had tryouts. The truck was a W900 Kenworth with a 5 and 4 trans. (Two transmissions one 5 speed on 4 speed and two gear shifters for those that don't know) In the hands of a expert this was and still is the best transmission for a lowboy truck ever made. Well the hands would show up to try out, and if you listened to them when it came to driving truck there was them and then came God. Until they looked in the cab of the truck. Then it was well except one of these!!! We tried 32 so called pro drivers before we found one that could drive it. Think about that the next time you pass a big truck going down the road. And Yes I can drive one before you ask. When I was a kid and took drivers ed You had to drive a stick in the class to get your license. So yes I would say the manual transmission is just about a thing of the past. Bill

[carolinacustoms]

Originally Posted by Ironpony

Think it's bad with cars. Look at class 8 trucks. There is a separate CDL for automatics only now. Kinda makes calling yourself a gearjammer obsolete don't it. About 8 of 9 years ago we had a long time low boy driver decide to retire. So to fill his seat so to speak we had tryouts. The truck was a W900 Kenworth with a 5 and 4 trans. (Two transmissions one 5 speed on 4 speed and two gear shifters for those that don't know) In the hands of a expert this was and still is the best transmission for a lowboy truck ever made. Well the hands would show up to try out, and if you listened to them when it came to driving truck there was them and then came God. Until they looked in the cab of the truck. Then it was well except one of these!!! We tried 32 so called pro drivers before we found one that could drive it. Think about that the next time you pass a big truck going down the road. And Yes I can drive one before you ask. When I was a kid and took drivers ed You had to drive a stick in the class to get your license. So yes I would say the manual transmission is just about a thing of the past. Bill

Bill, just a curiosity question, but is a 5 and 4 shifted similar to the old mack duplex or triplex trans? I drove for a few years and got spoiled by a road ranger 13 speed in a W900 with a 550 Cat. For a OTR truck that (in my opinion) is probably the best combo out there, but I could definitely see the advantage of the 5 and 4 on a Low Boy set up due to weight, off road, etc. I have a friend with a class 8 tow truck that has a triplex trans and I won't lie it is an art to driving one of those things. I got reasonable with it just driving it around for fun, but I was definitely no master of it for sure. When I came off the road for family related reasons, the company I was with was in the process of replacing the W900's with 13 speed and 550 Cat with Fruitloops with the ultrashift autos and 500 detroits. I guess all in the name of "progress" and fuel mileage. In my opinion most bigger company "drivers" are nothing more than steering wheel holders these days. No offense to anyone but there have been many changes in trucking in the past few years and I see a lot of the skill of driving going away with trucks and cars. I was looking at new diesel trucks the other day and to my knowledge Dodge is the only one offering a manual trans. I personally would not have anything but a clutch in a truck.

Kelly

[Ironpony]

Yes a 5 and 4 is shifted kind of the same. But 1st on the back box is compound low so you would go 1 thru 5 on the front box in compound on the back box then goto 2 on the back then 2 3 4 then shift front to 2nd and then 2 3 4 and then over again until ya hit high on both. And you had to float every gear if you tried double clutching then you were screwed. Same with down shifting. And you almost always shift the front box before the back box. Because if the front is in neutral then the whole mess stops turning. And ya get to start all over. But ya got 4 speeds in reverse. So it's fun and once you drive one enough then you don't even think of it and it get to be like a auto after a while. Kind of LOL Bill

[carolinacustoms]

OK sounds kinda similar to the duplex trans. I know all about getting the wrong one in neutral at the wrong time lol. My buddy with the tow truck spent the better part of a Saturday laughing at me trying to get it figured out on his triplex, what a disasterous learning experience that was at first. Ok sorry for hi-jacking the thread I was just curious. Thanks for the education.

Kelly

[CrashFarmer2]

Originally Posted by Ironpony

Think it's bad with cars. Look at class 8 trucks. There is a separate CDL for automatics only now. Kinda makes calling yourself a gearjammer obsolete don't it. About 8 of 9 years ago we had a long time low boy driver decide to retire. So to fill his seat so to speak we had tryouts. The truck was a W900 Kenworth with a 5 and 4 trans. (Two transmissions one 5 speed on 4 speed and two gear shifters for those that don't know) In the hands of a expert this was and still is the best transmission for a lowboy truck ever made. Well the hands would show up to try out, and if you listened to them when it came to driving truck there was them and then came God. Until they looked in the cab of the truck. Then it was well except one of these!!! We tried 32 so called pro drivers before we found one that could drive it. Think about that the next time you pass a big truck going down the road. And Yes I can drive one before you ask. When I was a kid and took drivers ed You had to drive a stick in the class to get your license. So yes I would say the manual transmission is just about a thing of the past. Bill

I didn't know they had an automatic CDL now. I went to work for a company once that tried to put me in an automatic truck and I told them I didn't know how to drive a truck with an automatic in it. A buddy bought a truck with a twelve speed automatic in it and he hated it. He has since traded it off on a 13 speed.

It's been years since I've driven a 5 and 4. Get them stuck between gears and you are under them with a pry bar, happened to me once the very first day I drove a 5 and 4 truck.

I've also driven those twin stick Macks, High, low and reverse on one stick 5 speed on the other. Those old mixers would be flying backwards by the time you hit 5th in reverse. sometimes we would back up over a mile to the paver.

Over the years I've driven all kinds of manual trucks but I've yet to drive an auto. The truck I'm driving know is a 13 speed. I like the 13's about the best of all of them.

I was driving a 4 speed 48 Ford pickup around the pasture when I was ten and drove tractors before that so it's pretty hard to remember a time that I didn't know how to shift gears. I thought it was a talent that country kids were born with.

[CrashFarmer2]

My daughter asked me to teach her how to drive a stick last weekend. Prior to this she had absolutely no interest in driving a stick. Her reasons for wanting to learn how to shift, 1. she thinks she can buy a car with a stick cheaper than an automatic and 2. she says if she has a car with a shift none of her friends will want to borrow it. She is in college and I guess there is a lot of that car borrowing thing going on.
I got weaned off the car borrowing thing when I was in high school after I loaned my car to a friend who exclaimed when he brought it back to me, "Wow! This thing will spin the tires for a whole block." That was the last time I loaned my car.

I taught my wife how to drive a stick when we were going together. She was getting pretty proficient at driving my 4 speed Pinto wagon when the shifter came out on her going up the big hill on 86th street in West Des Moines. The plastic threads that held it in were a little stripped out, the first time it happened to me is when I was coming home from a kegger when I was in college and I was getting a little rammy with the power shifting. Anyhow I was behind her in my pickup when it happened so when she stopped I just threaded it back in for her but she refused to drive it after that.

I don't see manual big trucks going away anytime soon but not offering one in a pickup surprises me.

[bigdog7373]

Originally Posted by CrashFarmer2

I don't see manual big trucks going away anytime soon but not offering one in a pickup surprises me.

Dodge is the only company that offers a manual behind the diesel. I believe they only do that cause everyone knows their auto that they use behind the cummins is terribly weak. Gm has the allison which no manual tranny can beat. And Ford knows the whole truck will fall apart before the transmission will go lol.

[302 Z28]

One of the fastest affordable super cars is the ZO6 Vette and it has been and always will be a standard.

Vince

[327NUT]

I will agree with you 100% .... a friend that I used to work with has had 2 black Z06's, the first was a 2000 I think, had the 400 hp engine. I thought that one was fast until he bought the newer one with 505 hp engine.....FAST!!! just wouldn't be the same with a slush box.

[OneMoreTime]

Originally Posted by delawarebill

i'm seeing less sticks too.. funny thing i went car shopping last wk and at the ford dealership was a nice mustang.. a quick look and YUK... salesman came over to see if interested?? said hell no.. first its a 6 banger and then its an automatic... junk!!!!

Gotta go the correct dealer..When I was getting my car serviced the other day the dealer I go to had a Mustang with a Roush package..blown V-8 with a 6 speed stick. He always has one or two of those on the lot..

Sam