Quote:
Originally Posted by BonzoHansen
Virtually no one washes their clothes by hand, milks their own cow or writes letters with a pen & paper anymore either.
Hey, check out old cars where the driver had to manually adjust timing themselves, and operate a choke. I know you wanted EFI that controlled timing because using old fashioned HEI style distributor was ineffective. you must be lazy not wanting to curve your HEI, or set it manually while driving.
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ALL of these examples change your efficiency, or make it so you dont need to do them anymore, they have NOTHING to do with changing the time it takes you to get to a place while in traffic, so your theory is bunk.
Oh and I have driven a Model A and it was way more fun to drive than my Camaro. starter switch on the floor, optional turn signals, setting the timing while driving, choke, it was awsome. The manual drum brakes were quite scary though
Quote:
Originally Posted by BonzoHansen
Just say you like it better and leave it at that.
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I do like it better but one could also use your examples against you, a manual transmission is also more efficient than an auto. But I know someone is going to say that the Auto is almost as, with technology most things get better.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BonzoHansen
Daily driving a stick in rt 1 or rt 9 traffic is a pain in the ass - it gets tiring after a while. I’d rather sit and listen to satellite radio than jerk around with a clutch anymore. I see nothing romantic or exhilarating about it day in and day out in a 4 door car – it’s not a race car. banging gears at 6000 RPM is fun. in & out of 1st or 2nd at 1500 rpm, not so much.
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I have driven the daily in traffic on route one, for years and years, even before this job I have. I drive in bumper to bumper now all over the state too and I am grateful every time I have a manual transmission. But again you are enforcing my statement that people don't want to be connected with his/her commute or driving experience, I should not have said lazy at all, but it IS true. I know you are a going to be a better driver than most people so you specifically are not the issue, but IMO 99% of drivers are not going to be nearly attentive as you.
Automatics have allowed any idiot to drive that can reach the pedals and the steering wheel, but this doesn't mean they should. Parents dicking around with their kids while driving or in traffic, people eating whole meals, watching TV while driving. If they had manual transmissions they wouldnt be able to screw around like they do now. And your statements are showing what most other people are too, they are not putting the priority on the primary function here, driving.
I am not saying every car should spin high RPM or that everyone wants to go fast
Quote:
Originally Posted by Anti_Rice_Guy
I know me, personally, am along the lines of Bear. Outside of a truck used for towing/plowing/etc, I cannot stand driving automatics. I get nearly as much joy driving a freakin' 13,000 lb International that takes forever to reach 45, let alone 60 as I do in the Camaro with the top up. In the Exploder, I'm constantly cursing the transmission for shifting when there was no need (both up and down).
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While I agree with you , this is not my entire point.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Anti_Rice_Guy
And before anyone has said anything, I've been in said vehicle on a hill in traffic many times.
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Yep, been there plenty of times.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Anti_Rice_Guy
What bear alludes to regarding the other luxuries and things that take the eyes off the road (lane departure warnings, texting, etc) are a bigger culprit than people driving automatics IMO.
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EXACTLY. People have become complacent, the main thing anyone driving a vehicle should be concerned with is that, Driving, NOTHING else. Driving manual transmission forces the driver to think about what he/she is doing more than with an Auto.
Quote:
Originally Posted by WildBillyT
Even high end euro cars have gone flappy paddles.
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We/I am not talking high end cars, at least I am thinking commuter cars here, in Europe a LOT greater percentage and manual transmission than we have in the USA. Part of the reason for the "flappy padles" is shift speed and/or dual clutch transmissions so you get the efficiency of a manual trans with auto like shift speeds.
Quote:
Originally Posted by WildBillyT
Refusing to learn to drive stick is lazy.
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Definitely
Quote:
Originally Posted by WildBillyT
My Malibu is a gutless Maytag but there have been a bunch of situations where the AT was a better deal. 3 hrs in traffic on 95 in Philly last month comes to mind. That's a long time doing clutchy-footy.
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Been there done that would still do manual