Do you look inside cars to see if its stick?

[copen.]

i do it all the time for nice or sporty cars, and i'm usually disappointed

Same.

[towid]

Good looking car or not, I always , always try to see if they have a stick shift.

Again, I personally drive an auto and having a second car soon enough with stick shift to learn how to drive a manual. It is a personal choice and automatic is way more relaxed and chilled out. I have heard drag race drivers saying that sometimes they miss auto just for the heck of relaxed driving and nothing to worry about.

[ClutchFork]

I do it all the time. That's how I got my present vehicle. We saw a Ranger parked at the store with a for sale sign, ran over and peeked in the window, called the number and made an offer. Next morning it was mine!

I even was checking out a nice Ranger where I park and it had a stick. He has a pool ball for a shift knob, but not the typical 8-ball, but whatever number is red because his truck is red. One day I saw him follow me in the parking structure and so ended up talking with him.

Even look at Ranger pickups as I pass them on side streets as you can tell immediately if they are parked. Rangers never came with automatic floor mounted mode selectors.

What a sham, eh? Floor mounted automatic mode selectors are a poor attempt to make an improperly equipped car look sporty. But so many fall for it.

[potownrob]

guilty as charged (albeit not as much as i used to)

[theholycow]

I even was checking out a nice Ranger where I park and it had a stick. He has a pool ball for a shift knob, but not the typical 8-ball, but whatever number is red because his truck is red.

I was thinking of replacing mine with a blue #2 to match my car, but I've got plenty of more worthy projects that I'll never get to first.

What a sham, eh? Floor mounted automatic mode selectors are a poor attempt to make an improperly equipped car look sporty. But so many fall for it.

As much as I dislike the idea of column-shifted manual (and I know you feel different), I equally dislike the idea of floor-shifted slushbox. It doesn't need to be operated constantly, and in the floor position it wastes space that could be used for another seating position or storage without providing any increased functionality or ergonomic enhancement.

I'm also not a fan of non-standard interfaces like dials and buttons. I used to like them but the Toyota unintended acceleration fiasco really drove home the reason why standardized interfaces are important; people had lots of difficulty with start buttons and weird transmission controls when they tried to stop their vehicles. Innovative interfaces for stereos, windows, power seats, etc? Fine. Engine and transmission? No, stick with the interface that people's reflexes are trained for, there was nothing wrong with that interface anyway.

[ClutchDisc]

I do all the time. Unfortunately, I'm disappointed more often than not.

[Boston Fit]

You can stack the deck by being selective about which cars to peek into. Small economy cars and sports cars are likely to have decent odds, especially older models. Other good bets are Jeep Wranglers, Mazda Miatas, MINI Coopers, most Porsches, and many Subarus. Then there are slam dunks like the Civic Si and Mazdaspeed3 which are stick-only, but that's cheating.

And yes, I do peek

[theholycow]

Stacking the deck like that sounds like walking through the parking lot looking for sticks. I glance in whatever I happen to be walking past.

[Boston Fit]

Oh no, I don't mess around ...

[tankinbeans]

I'll look when the occasion presents itself, and only if it won't be completely obvious. If I'd have to make a B line just to look at the gear lever I'll avoid doing so, but if it's in my general path I will look. I also tend to look at VINs to ascertain country of manufacture.

[Squint]

I'll look depending on the car. For example, we took a 2007 BMW 3 series in on trade a week or so ago (not me personally, the dealership), and I went and looked at that one. It's an auto. Siiiiigh

[Stelcom66]

I do often. Yesterday saw an older Ford pickup truck, maybe an early 90's model. The trim level was actually called Explorer.
Nice to see it was a stick, had to have been a 4 speed for that year. Probably not all that uncommon in that era to have a stick.

My neighbor's 1971 Chevy C-10 is a 4 speed manual, but first is a very low gear. He usually starts in second.

[Stelcom66]

I do it all the time. That's how I got my present vehicle.

I wonder with your screen name if you ever had a Ford with the inline 300cid 6. I did in a 1980 Ford Club Wagon. It was a rare
because it actually had a 4 speed manual on the floor! That was a smooth riding truck.

[ClutchFork]

I do it all the time. That's how I got my present vehicle.

I wonder with your screen name if you ever had a Ford with the inline 300cid 6. I did in a 1980 Ford Club Wagon. It was a rare
because it actually had a 4 speed manual on the floor! That was a smooth riding truck.

Did I EVER have a Ford 300 cid inline six! Yes sir! I started with my first in a '77 F100 3-speed manual on the column, followed by a 1984 with 4-speed OD on the floor, followed by a 1995 with 5-speed on the floor. So I drove Ford 300 cid inline sixes from 1977 through 2011 when I sold the '95 and bought the Ranger, also an inline engine.

Here is the 1977's engine:

My neighbor's 1971 Chevy C-10 is a 4 speed manual, but first is a very low gear. He usually starts in second.

Creeper gear. Usually found in heavy duty pickups with manual transmissions. Drive it like a 3-speed for most use. I drove one like that in a F350 dump truck for a municipality when I was a temp in their urban forestry division many years ago.

Of if only reverse were a creeper gear in all manual transmission vehicles.

[Stelcom66]

Did I EVER have a Ford 300 cid inline six! Yes sir!

You most certainly did! Great picture of the '77 engine. The Club Wagon is something I really wish I still had. I don't think standard shifts have been available in vans for years. I recall changing the oil filter from inside the van! It was tough to park, no power steering or even a radio. Once it got rolling though - a nice ride. Used it as a pickup truck for the most part. If I recall correctly, the Club Wagon's 4 speed's first gear was down to the left, where second would normally be. I think I have some videos of the kids playing with it when they were little, when I stopped driving it they used it as a fort. Didn't really want to sell it but a guy who installed carpets offered good money for it. Being a van - the length capacity was huge.