I asked my Mom a thing

"Alex B" (alexb420)
04/18/2014 at 21:36 • Filed to: None

Last month I asked her if she would DD a manual car again. She said, "Maybe. I loved my manual Prelude (she had a white 3rd gen Prelude). It was a lot of fun." There is some hope! She went on to mention "But I don't think I would like to everyday." :( She had a sprained ankle at the time, so it would be kind of painful to hard the clutch and everything.

DISCUSSION (6)

PS9 > Alex B
04/18/2014 at 21:38

Don't need to let that stop her.

cabarne4 > Alex B
04/18/2014 at 21:49

True story:

When I got my current car (Mazdaspeed6) I was showing it to my friend. We go inside, his mom asks about it. I mention it's a manual. She casually mentions that she used to DD a 5 speed back in the 90's, but hasn't driven stick in 20 years. My friend and I share a look, then place a bet. We'd let his mom drive my car. I put $20 down that she'd stall 1 or 2 times — because it's sort of like riding a bike, and if you used to DD it'd be pretty easy to pick back up. He put $20 that she'd stall 5 or 6 times, because he didn't have much faith in his own mother.

So we go out to my car. Start out with her rowing through the gears with the car off. She starts the car up and puts it in first. Within the first TWELVE INCHES of rolling she feels out my clutch perfectly, essentially does a perfect launch in an AWD turbo car, and takes off around a neighborhood corner doing around 40 mph. She powershifts from 2nd to 3rd on a residential street doing around 60. Coming out of the neighborhood, she 4-wheel drifts my car into traffic, and darts down the main road doing 70. My friend is screaming "HOLY SHIT" in the back seat, I'm completely lost for words.

She brings the speed down to around 55 or so, then says "By the way, that 5 speed? It was a Porsche 911."

My god, I love my friend's mom.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Alex B
04/18/2014 at 21:53

Just installed a shift knob like that one in my car today!

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > cabarne4
04/18/2014 at 23:47

That sounds amazing! I wish any parents I knew were that cool....

orcim > Alex B
04/19/2014 at 05:34

Mom is 77, and still has her cherry 280ZX t-top 5 speed. I do believe that it'll have to pried from her cold, head fingers before she gives it up.

My dad drove a 79' diesel rabbit for 24 years, which basically disintegrated around him, and now is driving a 92' Accord, which will probably end up the same when its time comes.

Being the product of these two, it's like the worst hour on television; the AC/DC-Smurf hour.

cabarne4 > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
04/19/2014 at 08:37

I still like my mom's comment a few months ago. We were going to a restaurant at the top of a mountain, and she was driving a rental Mazda3. She daily drives a Ford Expedition. Going around the first hairpin, she throws it in, gets a little understeer, and says "Huh, that's weird. Normally when I go around a corner I give it a little gas and it goes around the corner a little better. In this car it just wants to slide off the road!"

My mom is the exact opposite of a car-person. I'm so proud.