Almost stalled my car this morning...

"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction) 08/30/2018 at 08:55 • Filed to: None

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For the first time in a very long time. How many of you regularly drive two different manual vehicles? I just completely missed the friction point from one stop and almost killed it , and then at the next stop, I found myself trying to pull away in third! After several minutes, it all fell into place, but I’m wondering now if I’ll be going through this every time I switch back to my car. I’ve had my truck for a couple weeks now, and am transitioning to only driving my car to work once or twice a week.

E90M3 > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 09:09

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How many of you regularly drive two different manual vehicles?

Nope, totally not me.

They do have slightly different clutches, but it’s not as different as switching between two different manufactures . It took me a little to get used to the clutch in the Audi A3 I rented in England, although the only time I stalled it was because I tried to start in third as opposed to first because left hand shifting. 

vondon302 > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 09:14

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I’ve got 3 all with a different pattern.

I've done this exact same thing.

PartyPooper2012 > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 09:15

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short answer is .... you will get used to it.

long answer - I used to park cars for a living. All sorts of different cars came in. crap cans and fancy. hatchbacks and super cars. trucks and vans.

no matter what came in, you have to pull away without stalling or else owners ask if you “know how to drive a manual”.

When someone did ask...even before I was inside the car, i usually told them I’ll learn

MarquetteLa > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 09:16

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Yeah, the clutch in the Miata is super soft and forgiving compared to the Speed6's. Oh well, at least I’m not switching between a 6-speed and a 5-speed anymore and trying to shift into a non-existant sixth gear in the 323 GTX. 

Party-vi > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 09:16

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I stall mine taking off from a stop every couple weeks because Mazda’s 2.5L has not balls whatsoever, and the drive-by-wire throttle input is infuriating.

LOREM IPSUM > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 09:18

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Also fun is driving around in a 5 ton truck with a 4 speed and a clutch that IS leg day, then hopping into a civic and nearly putting your foot through the firewall when clutching-in to start it.

But the best is forgetting you’re NOT in a manual and attempting to clutch in as you approach a light, stabbing the brake pedal with your left foot and nearly putting everyone through the windshield.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 09:18

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My car has a fuel delivery issue and I forgot to feather the throttle at a stop and stalled out a week ago. Wouldn’t bo ther me, except I was driving a girl home who I’m interested in and felt like an idiot. I think about this a lot.

Zaxbys > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 09:20

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I have a 1990 F150, 2000 Focus, and 1981 Yamaha XJ650 (one of these days I’ll do an introduction post). All of them are 5 speeds. I think it helps that they are very different, so I put myself in the right state of mind as soon as I get in/on each vehicle. However, I will still find myself slamming the Focus clutch into the floor after driving the truck for a few days.

functionoverfashion > PartyPooper2012 08/30/2018 at 09:22

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My wife’s ‘05 S40 had a VERY low engagement point. Of the few times I handed the car to a valet, I wouldn’t ask if they knew how to drive manual, but I’d say something like, “hey it’s got a SUPER low grab point, just a heads up” and they’d look at me like, “ok buddy thanks for the tip I do this all day I got it” and then stall. Almost without fail.

404 - User No Longer Available > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 09:23

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S witching between

135

24R

and

R135

246

...as well as different friction points AND different clutch stiff ness here, every 6 months. I did accidentally shift into R a few times in the 6MT when I first got it.

ttyymmnn > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 09:26

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Perhaps you need more.

functionoverfashion > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 09:27

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In my previous job I’d drive tons of different stuff every day, between forklifts, tractors, boats, and trucks. My favorite truck was a 6 speed manual and my favorite other machine was a 4-speed manual forklift. So I think I trained my brain to sort of reset every time I get into a different vehicle. Even now, I’ll drive 3-4 different cars during the week, two of which are manual. I still make the occasional mistake, but I also don’t get to the point of my muscle memory taking over.

In other words, you get used to it.

I’ve probably mentioned this before, but when I was 17 we had two near-identical chrysler minivans, one manual, one auto. THAT was confusing.

Cash Rewards > MarquetteLa 08/30/2018 at 09:28

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That is my greatest fear in the miata

Svend > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 09:32

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Lol.

Funny story* yesterday from cleaning a colleague’s Civic.

*well I think so. 

She asked about her son’s Renault Clio and asked why the left indicator flashes faster. I said that it’s a sign a bulb is out. Got her to try the left hand signals while I looked to see which bulb is out. Saw it was the rear left hand bulb and she said her husband changed a bulb but may of been a dead bulb. I asked her to if she could try the lights to see if it was a bulb or connection in the rear light cluster. She lit the side lights, they came on. I asked her to press the brake pedal, and nothing, asked her to try again, again nothing. I was starting to panic thinking I’d have to insist her son not drive the car as it wasn’t roadworthy. I said to her I’d show her, so I pressed the brake pedal and she said the lights came on, I asked her to do it and went to the back of the car, nothing, as I walked to the side of the car to say the lights definitely aren’t working, noticed she wasn’t actually pushing down on the brake pedal, but the clutch. I swear I nearly pee’d myself laughing.

Milky > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 09:33

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I did stall this morning because I’m a bad manual owner :/

Had another under-car piece of plastic come loose, assuming from my dirt road/2 track day. So I jacked the car up and reinstalled it last night . I put the car in gear so it wasn’t just on the e-brake, not something I normally do. Well this morning I forgot, it jumped a foot forward and died.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 09:37

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Everytime we get a manual in the warehouse, I always hate driving it first. My Si is so easy to drive as compared to anything we get. I stalled the GT3 the first time I drove it off the truck...quite embarrassing

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 09:40

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Since I only have one car at t he moment, the Mazda5 Sport, the answer is ‘no’. But a few years ago, whilst test driving a Jetta Sportwagen TDI, I looked like a complete manual transmission n00b because I kept stalling it under the mistaken impression that the TDI was a little torquier and this would be harder to do than in the Mazda.

The last time I had two manual cars at once they were both BMWs and the clutches were remarkably similar despite being very different vehicles.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 08/30/2018 at 09:42

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Oh man, that would have to be seriously nerve-wracking ...

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Milky 08/30/2018 at 09:43

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Haha - happens to the best of us. I always leave it in gear.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Svend 08/30/2018 at 09:44

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That’s hilarious.

PartyPooper2012 > functionoverfashion 08/30/2018 at 09:44

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Most people will have some quirk with their car.

Hey, low grab on the clutch.

Hey, windows won’t go up. don’t open them.

Hey, there is no key. use this screwdriver.

Hey, there is kicking and screaming in the trunk. don’t worry about it.

If valet folks sat there and listened to everyone’s story, we’d never get anything done. One way or another, that car is moving. Sometimes even without anyone in the car.

One February weekend, I was working during superbowl. I get a suburban or yukon xl.. .big car.

It’s raining during the day and in the evening, everything turned to sheet of ice. I have to park this suburban up on a sloped hill.

I park it. Get out and car starts sliding down. I had a code brown. Tried grabbing the car and sliding with it. I was like...not worth it. She will stop on her own when she’s done being a bitch. She didn’t go far. Still was scary. 

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > functionoverfashion 08/30/2018 at 09:46

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Yeah, I think if I drive my car at least twice a week, instead of just once, my brain will always be in reset mode. Going a full week driving the truck just adjusted my muscle memory enough that it really felt strange driving my car at first.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > ttyymmnn 08/30/2018 at 09:47

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Haha - that’s definitely  the issue some mornings, but not today.

interstate366, now In The Industry > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 09:48

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I had this issue sometimes with my Prelude and my old TSX. Though it was more often  trying to go for a nonexistent sixth gear in the Prelude. 60 MPH in 5th, up around 3000 RPMs, push the clutch...oh, right...

Lokiparts > LOREM IPSUM 08/30/2018 at 09:49

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I actually used to do that far more often than I would care to admit. Long story short at one time my wife’s daily driver was a black 98 Oldsmobile Bravada (fancy Blazer) and mine was a black 98 s10. From the driver’s seat looking forward they were effectively identical, and I can’t count the number of times that I absent minded l y stabbed the brakes when coming to a stop. It definitely woke everyone up.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > 404 - User No Longer Available 08/30/2018 at 09:50

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Haha - both of mine are six speeds, and they both have a reverse that requires additional effort to get over to.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 09:53

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I DD my 2009 Accent with a stick. Had it loaded with people and stuff the other day and stalled it for the first time in a LONG time because I wasn’t used to the weight. It’s usually empty with only me in it!

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Zaxbys 08/30/2018 at 09:55

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Yeah, everything’s such a light touch in my car...

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 08/30/2018 at 09:55

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Ugh...

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > LOREM IPSUM 08/30/2018 at 09:56

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Haha! I do the phantom clutch thing in my wife’s car a lot, but I’ve never caught the brake...

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Party-vi 08/30/2018 at 09:56

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No bueno.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > MarquetteLa 08/30/2018 at 09:58

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Yeah, finding reverse instead of 6th would be... real bad.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > PartyPooper2012 08/30/2018 at 09:58

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Haha - great answer.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > functionoverfashion 08/30/2018 at 10:00

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v alet: not once

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > vondon302 08/30/2018 at 10:00

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Oh man... at least mine are the same pattern.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > E90M3 08/30/2018 at 10:01

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Left hand shifting... can’t imagine how weird that’d feel.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 08/30/2018 at 10:03

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Probably weighed twice as much!

Tekamul > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 10:03

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I go back and forth between mine (FR-S) and my wife’s (A4). The A4 has much longer throws, way more clutch travel, and larger gear spacing (becau se turbo). I usually make generous use of the clutch the first few times in the A4, whereas she nearly stalls the FR-S the first few times.

You get use to it, but only because you remember each time to act like a beginner for the first few stops.

ToyotaFamily > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 10:05

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I drive a ton of different cars at work so I rarely stall. Aftermarket clutches or flywheels trip me up often because I’m just not expecting it.

The only car I was never able to do a smooth takeoff with was my dad’s Mazda6. Very odd clutch feel, at least to me.

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 10:06

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:raises hand: Car shuffle days are the worst. Going from a 2013 Volvo, to a 1987 Alfa to a 1984 Saab.... all the clutches and shifters are WAY different. When I switch from heavily driving the Saab or the Alfa I’ll usually kill the Volvo once first time out. The clutch is so much lighter compared to the other two. Takes time for my leg to re-calibrate .

functionoverfashion > PartyPooper2012 08/30/2018 at 10:07

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Hey, there is kicking and screaming in the trunk. don’t worry about it.

This gives me a great idea, to somehow put that sound on a loop and play it through the stereo when handing a car over to a valet.

RE: the suburban sliding. Yeah. I once tried to stop a boat rolling on its trailer, and was dumb enough to follow it all the way through the wall of a nearby building. Not worth it, indeed. I was ok but could barely speak for a few minutes.

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 10:08

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Mostly it’s feeling like I’m going to stomp the clutch pedal through the floor of my beetle if I’ve been driving the 996 for a while.

I stalled my beetle trying to take off in 3rd the other day but it was because I was all sorts of distracted.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 10:09

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I’m a relatively light guy - 152 lbs, so probably!

functionoverfashion > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 10:09

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I always wanted to valet my old truck which was 3-on-the-tree.

LOREM IPSUM > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 10:10

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Consider yourself lucky. I can only imagine what surrounding drivers think when someone locks the brakes 6' before the white line while moving at walking speed.

Khalbali > LOREM IPSUM 08/30/2018 at 10:10

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I did this in my roommates car once except it was the middle of the road where i would have shifted to 3rd and instead I slammed on  the brakes and almost got rear ended.

PartyPooper2012 > functionoverfashion 08/30/2018 at 10:11

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hmmmm. you may be onto something... Halloween is coming up soon. There is time to build this contraption.

I don’t have any cars that can reasonably fit a human in the trunk.

Lexus SUV - trunk contents are clearly visible.

Mini cooper... duh. fits a wallet

Corvette. also... duh. fits two wallets.

Let me know how yours turns out.... and what precinct I need to bail you out of.

Milky > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 10:12

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I didn’t know that was a thing you’re “ supposed” to do for like the first 6 months. At this point, not doing it is a habit and D etroit is super flat too.

Tripper > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 10:13

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We’re an all manual family

2002 M3

2001 Ranger

2017 Forester

I stalled the Forester last weekend at the beach when parking. I was pulling into a space, my wife and I were trying to figure out if we in a resident parking only lot. As I pulled in and almost came to a stop I realized that I should just pull through, let the clutch go when I wasn’t on the gas and stalled.

In addition, I’m often driving my parents cars when they’re out of town or if I’m working on one of their cars . My mom has got a C5 and an Cooper S (both manual) I’ll stall the cooper every once in a while because the clutch is weird. The C5 is one of the easiest cars to drive, the clutch is right off the floor and it’s so loud that it’s hard to make a mistake.

Svend > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 10:15

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I just had to tell her husband when he came home. 

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > LOREM IPSUM 08/30/2018 at 10:16

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But the best is forgetting you’re NOT in a manual and attempting to clutch in as you approach a light, stabbing the brake pedal with your left foot and nearly putting everyone through the windshield.

Did this more times than I’d like to admit back when we had my old Acclaim and the Sport Wagon .

Strangely I found if I shifted the van on the column, it made me remember it wasn’t the car and kept me from doing it.

functionoverfashion > PartyPooper2012 08/30/2018 at 10:16

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lol, I don’t have any cars with a trunk either (wagon / hatch only). Need someone with a big ol’ Cadillac sedan....

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > interstate366, now In The Industry 08/30/2018 at 10:18

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Always heard the transmission in the TSX was fantastic. How does the one in the Prelude compare?

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 10:19

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same thing happened to me once going from the Rabbit back onto the e90. The rabbit’s clutc h grabs waaaay up high on the pedal, where the BMW grabs like half an inch off the floor. i just wasn’ t expecting that sudden grab at all and stalled it.

You do get used to the switch tho.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. 08/30/2018 at 10:19

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I’ve got a Tacoma and an M3 - besides being the same shift pattern, I’m not sure if they could be much more different!

MarquetteLa > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 10:26

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You’d have to really work to find reverse in the GTX , as going straight back from 5th just led to nowhere . Reverse was further over to the right and back. Still not great to have sorta almost happen.

interstate366, now In The Industry > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 10:27

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The transmission in the TSX was mostly great, though the clutch felt like an afterthought (and may have been since the equivalent car wasn’t sold with the manual in Japan). The Prelude’s is  a bit better, more natural feeling, just lacking that extra gear. It was from a time where 6-speeds hadn’t come that far down in the market yet. At some point I would like to drive a manual version of my TL.

Sovande > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 10:29

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Happens to me every Monday morning after driving an auto all weekend or driving my truck, which is a manual, but is likely the easiest manual in the world to operate. 

PartyPooper2012 > functionoverfashion 08/30/2018 at 10:38

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dang it

jasmits > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 10:38

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I drove a 2nd gen 4Runner and an E36 318ti in pretty much equal parts for a long time and I never had an issue, but the 4Runner felt very much like an old truck and put me in one mindset and the E36 like a go-kart comparatively. With the Tacoma being much more refined and the M3 being both much more refined and bigger I could definitely see muscle memory taking over one way or the other and causing you to do something weird.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Svend 08/30/2018 at 10:39

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Had to!

shop-teacher > Svend 08/30/2018 at 10:41

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“ I was starting to panic thinking I’d have to insist her son not drive the car as it wasn’t roadworthy.”

Oh mate. That is the most British thing you’ve ever said here. Obviously the bulb should be changed ASAP, but the idea that a car is undrivable because of one light bulb, is frankly hilarious to me. Are hand signals not a thing in GB?

DipodomysDeserti > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 10:49

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I had three manual vehicles once with very different characteristics. A ‘63 Corvair with a four speed, a FIAT 500 Abarth and an early ‘90s Subaru Loyale. This happened every once in a while, especially when going from the Corvair to the FIAT.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 10:57

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I daily drive both my Miata and STi. They have very different clutches so it’s often a learning curve getting into the Subaru. Miata clutches are super easy so I never have any trouble there. But occasionally if I drive the miata a lot and then get in the STi, I have some herky jerky shifts until I get used to it again. I only ever stall it when using reverse and trying to get around a crowded parking lot. But yeah I definitely notice the trouble adjusting between the two cars. 

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Sovande 08/30/2018 at 11:00

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Yeah, all the distances (hands and feet) are so different from my truck to my car.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > MarquetteLa 08/30/2018 at 11:00

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Ah, that’s good.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > MarquetteLa 08/30/2018 at 11:02

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Very happy that both Miata and STi are 6 speed, although I have looked for a 7th gear in the Miata before just because it spins a higher rpm on the freeway. 4k vs sub 3k at 80mph.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo 08/30/2018 at 11:03

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Definitely a first-world problem - ha!

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > functionoverfashion 08/30/2018 at 11:05

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Haha - yes!

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Khalbali 08/30/2018 at 11:05

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Yikes!

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 11:05

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It's not that weird honestly. I got used to it after a few minutes. The only funny thing I did a few times in England was that I punched the door a few times when looking to downshift. Only when downshifting did muscle memory take over and I reached with my right hand for a non existent shifter. 

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Milky 08/30/2018 at 11:06

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On the upside, you’ll save your transmission if you ever get hit while parked!

PartyPooper2012 > functionoverfashion 08/30/2018 at 11:11

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I’ve been dreaming about driving one of those. I have never driven a 3 on the tree. 

BeaterGT > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 11:11

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Happens all the time with my Legacy GT and Z06. Even the shifters are completely different!

Sovande > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 11:13

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Mine is strictly the catch point. The Volvo is pretty high and the clutch is really, really, really light. The truck is stiffer and you can  lift your foot at whatever rate you feel like and it goes.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 11:15

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I'm good about driving different manuals but whenever I drive automatic now I forget you can't leave it in gear and get momentarily confused when I can't turn the key all the way off.

t0ast > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 11:18

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I screw up in my Outback XT about once every few months, usually with the bonus of having people in the car to make fun of me for it. The OBXT a good bit more difficult to deal with than the NC, Exocet, or FR-S to begin with , thanks to the extra several hundred lbs of car, peaky turbo 4, and dual-mass flywheel that likes to lie about how engaged the clutch actually is. What actually catches me off-guard though is that the OBXT occasionally does things that the other vehicles don’t, like hold multiple passengers... and cargo... and be even heavier because of it. You add in three people and some luggage and there’s definitely a chance that I’ll forget to account for that on top of everything else and stall out.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > jasmits 08/30/2018 at 11:21

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I think equal parts wouldn’t be as much of an issue - it’s driving the truck for a week solid and then switching to my car. It’s just that all the distances my hands and feet have to move are completely different, by a large factor . When I first started driving the truck, I kept hitting the space between 1st and 3rd when going up from 2nd. I clearly just need to take it really easy for the first 10 minutes of every drive in my car (and actually come to complete stops at stop signs the first few miles to get back the feeling of it ).

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 11:27

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When I had both my s2000 and E30 I’d sometimes have issues. Never came to potentially stalling or putting it in the wrong gear - the cars are so different you get used to it pretty quickly. But after driving the S2000 for a while straight I’d hop in to E30 randomly and pretty much kick my foot through the floor board depressing the clutch pedal. 

SPAMBot - Horse Doctor > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 11:36

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I used to alternate about 55/40/5 between the TDI, Miata, and 348. All 5 speeds with different shift patterns and widely different feels. I never stalled because of this but definitely but cars in the wrong gear if I was driving another a lot. I stall the tdi about twice a year. It’s usually in the same spot, in the morning. There is a small hill with a stop sign and a frequently forget I’m in second and try to take off. I normally catch myself but every once in a while will stall. I would say I reach for the E-Brake with the wrong hand more often than I mess up shifting. (E-Brake on the 348 is on the left)

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 08/30/2018 at 11:37

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Yeah, that happens to me plenty in my wife’s car (and the phantom clutch thing coming off the highway). Her car has a smart key, too, so she’s always like, “Are you going to turn off the car now? Probably should put it in park, too...”

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Sovande 08/30/2018 at 11:38

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Yup - that’s the biggest challenge. Distance from floor to friction point.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > BeaterGT 08/30/2018 at 11:38

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Always fun feeling like a n00b after driving manuals for 25 years!

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > DipodomysDeserti 08/30/2018 at 11:39

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Good for keeping one humble, I suppose.

functionoverfashion > PartyPooper2012 08/30/2018 at 11:39

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I have to admit, I didn’t know the shift pattern the first time I went to drive it. It’s weird to see three pedals on the floor and a column shifter, if you don’t know what you’re looking at.

MarquetteLa > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 08/30/2018 at 11:42

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Yep, I’ve done the Miata 6th-5th-back-to-6th shift on the highway thinking, “surely there must be another gear to grab with all these revs. ” There is never another gear to grab.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > SPAMBot - Horse Doctor 08/30/2018 at 11:48

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I mean, good for keeping your mind sharp, I guess!

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > ZHP Sparky, the 5th 08/30/2018 at 11:49

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Haha - these are first world problems we have. =)

SPAMBot - Horse Doctor > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 11:52

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See, having three cars is good for your health!

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > SPAMBot - Horse Doctor 08/30/2018 at 11:54

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I need to get a doctor’s note...

jasmits > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 11:54

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Definitely true! I guess what I was also getting at is older cars do definitely force you to be more mentally aware of everything that’s going on so muscle memory doesn’t take over as much. Like I’m not sure if you saw my post but I bought an old Range Rover as a trail toy and it’s been seeing equal use to my Tacoma(that’s not really going to last, y’know just the new car excitement and also deciding if I trust it to take on a camping trip ~3 hours away this weekend). Whenever I drive automatics I ghost clutch but I haven’t once in the Rover because I’m completely mentally present when driving it. On the other hand when I get back into the Tacoma I’m actually kind of jerky with the steering for the first little bit because I’m not as mentally present and already a little calibrated to the Rover’s much slower steering .

Also, as a side note, now when I drive the Tacoma I feel like I’m sitting in a bathtub :(. I know that high beltlines are just an unavoidable fact of modern cars and old Rovers are known for especially good visibility, even for the time but man, I forgot just how nice a hu ge greenhouse is.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > MarquetteLa 08/30/2018 at 12:05

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It was hilarious when I drove a 7 speed manual C7 Corvette. Then I had the opposite problem where even at 80, 6th gear was already below 2k so I never comfortably went to 7th. 7th gear then spun around 1200 on the freeway! 

RX > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 12:07

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I’ve only driven manual for 14 years, and the last 8 had 2 manual cars. But yes , it happened. Last year, I still remember it like it was yesterday. A crisp autumn morning. The Lotus was in the shop to fix a long list of minor issues, o ne of which being a worn throttle cable that was requiring a bit more force than usual, so my brain was used to telling my foot to press harder on the pedal. Leaving the service department, I started by over revving, not used to my much lighter pedal. As I’m readjusting to the much smoother gas pedal, it happened. I stalled. Right in front of the service techs, causing a good laugh. An embarrassment that will forever haunt me.

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 12:11

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I managed to stall the ZJ a few times recently. A couple of them were due to hill starts and towing 5500lbs... Only 2.5x what the factory recommends on a manual, probably for that exact reason. It took a couple shots to find what rpm I needed to destroy the clutch at. The other time was of course one of the few times I’ve had a female passenger so naturally I tried to start in third... It’ll do it but not if you’re expecting first.

Going to the most recent MJ I don’t think I’ve actually stalled it due to operator error, although it has stalled due to running problems. The clutch point is a whole ton higher in the travel than the ZJ (where the last 1/4" of travel is critical for not grinding gears... Yeah it could do with some bleeding) but that hasn’t caused problems I don’t think. The gear ratio is a lot lower, so despite reduced power from a 4-banger with compression issues, it still felt pretty torquey. It had no problems moving so long as I could get it started and keep it running. Stop ping was a whole other ballgame though. 

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > RX 08/30/2018 at 12:12

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Brutal. 

SPAMBot - Horse Doctor > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 12:21

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That’s a good plan! Call it your emotional support fleet :D

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Tripper 08/30/2018 at 12:48

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Awesome that your mom has two manual cars, too!

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 08/30/2018 at 13:01

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Truly “idling down the highway”.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > jasmits 08/30/2018 at 13:04

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Yeah, I did - nice pick up!

I feel like the Tacoma actually has pretty good visibility (I couldn’t handle having that hood scoop, though), but you just can’t compete with some older vehicles.

E90M3 > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/30/2018 at 13:14

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Wasn’t as weird as driving on the other side of the road.

If you never read it, here’s my thoughts on driving on the left.