Topic: Feature: Long Live the Manual Transmission (and How to Save it)

[dr_spock]

I learned in a Nissan Sentra.  I don't recall it having a tach or the driver instructor made me listen to the engine instead of watching the tach.

[mixmanmash]

When I got my drivers license years ago, I learned on a manual.  My first manual car was purchased 5 years after that, my 2002 Protégé.  Took me a week to get into the swing of things.  That car had a great manual transmission.  I did put a B&M short shifter on it.  Made it slightly notchier, but the throws are nice.  I taught several friends how to drive manual on it.  Very easy, forgiving car to learn on.

Bought my 300ZX in manual in 2005.

I replaced the Protégé this year with the van and I miss having a manual for a DD.  I hope that when I replace the van years from now, I can still buy a decent sedan with a manual.

PS, if you are in the Edmonton area and want a vehicle to teach someone manual on, I can sell you my old Protégé for pretty cheap (hundreds, not thousands).  338k kms and going strong.  Just needs a wash, new tires and an oil change.

[mixmanmash]

   The thing about a stick-shift... good or indifferent...is that after a while it becomes automatic. You use it without thinking about it. Your senses become tuned to engine labour without the need to view a tach. Only in stop-go traffic is it a pain.
   I used to get caught out occasionally after a long run in top gear on a highway...when pulling into the off ramp and slowing down. My senses had lapsed and the engine would start to 'lump'...requiring a rapid declutching to save the day.

This. Except stop and go traffic never seemed to bother me.  It was just second nature.

[Fobroader]

When I got my drivers license years ago, I learned on a manual.  My first manual car was purchased 5 years after that, my 2002 Protégé.  Took me a week to get into the swing of things.  That car had a great manual transmission.  I did put a B&M short shifter on it.  Made it slightly notchier, but the throws are nice.  I taught several friends how to drive manual on it.  Very easy, forgiving car to learn on.

Bought my 300ZX in manual in 2005.

I replaced the Protégé this year with the van and I miss having a manual for a DD.  I hope that when I replace the van years from now, I can still buy a decent sedan with a manual.

PS, if you are in the Edmonton area and want a vehicle to teach someone manual on, I can sell you my old Protégé for pretty cheap (hundreds, not thousands).  338k kms and going strong.  Just needs a wash, new tires and an oil change.

I will keep that Protege in mind.....have a few buddies with kids around the driving age. Beater with a stick is perfect

Sent from my Galaxy S3

[mixmanmash]

When I got my drivers license years ago, I learned on a manual.  My first manual car was purchased 5 years after that, my 2002 Protégé.  Took me a week to get into the swing of things.  That car had a great manual transmission.  I did put a B&M short shifter on it.  Made it slightly notchier, but the throws are nice.  I taught several friends how to drive manual on it.  Very easy, forgiving car to learn on.

Bought my 300ZX in manual in 2005.

I replaced the Protégé this year with the van and I miss having a manual for a DD.  I hope that when I replace the van years from now, I can still buy a decent sedan with a manual.

PS, if you are in the Edmonton area and want a vehicle to teach someone manual on, I can sell you my old Protégé for pretty cheap (hundreds, not thousands).  338k kms and going strong.  Just needs a wash, new tires and an oil change.

I will keep that Protege in mind.....have a few buddies with kids around the driving age. Beater with a stick is perfect

Sent from my Galaxy S3

And for extra fun, I have a full turbo setup for it that I never got around to install.  Would have been fun for a Lemons or Chump Car entry.

[johngenx]

PS, if you are in the Edmonton area and want a vehicle to teach someone manual on, I can sell you my old Protégé for pretty cheap (hundreds, not thousands).  338k kms and going strong.  Just needs a wash, new tires and an oil change.

Interesting.  Would it pass an insurance inspection?  Very, very tempting...

[mixmanmash]

PS, if you are in the Edmonton area and want a vehicle to teach someone manual on, I can sell you my old Protégé for pretty cheap (hundreds, not thousands).  338k kms and going strong.  Just needs a wash, new tires and an oil change.

Interesting.  Would it pass an insurance inspection?  Very, very tempting...

Aside from body rust, it should.  Brakes are in good shape.  Only thing that may hold it from passing are tires.

[WRX_Pilot]

I didn't read all 7 pages, but just have to add that emission controls and lazy throttle-by-wire are ruining modern manuals.  Most new test drives I've been on, the engine is very lazy to drop revs, or build them, rendering a blip of the throttle on downshifts impossible.  It makes the car cumbersome and clunky to drive, while causing excess clutch wear, never mind removing the fun from driving them.  A real shame...  I'll hold on to my old manual till it explodes.

If kids are in the future for me I totally plan on teaching them the art of the manual.

[philmcneal]

i know I'm going to get flamed for posting this as I have before in this very forum, but is worth a mention since we are talking about the benefits of manual transmission cars. The ability to bump start! There goes a time when I would position my car when parking, so that when I leave I can just easily bump start the car without needing to tax the starter nor the battery! This was when I had my 5spd civic, I abused the living crap out of the engine off coasting in neutral technique haha as I was hypermiling that beast to the tune of 5L/100km in the city (47 mpgUS). Granted there are repercussions behind my hardcoreness but I will not get into details here.... you can google hypermiling if you are actually interested.

I've always seen warning on catalyst equipped cars saying not the bump start them. I wonder why.

yeah there are techs that are against dumping raw fuel into the CAT when bumping. Although I've seen some hypermilers gone long milages with their engines. Although I'm going to pop this question to ERICthecar guy on youtube one day.

[ArticSteve]

I didn't read all 7 pages, but just have to add that emission controls and lazy throttle-by-wire are ruining modern manuals.  Most new test drives I've been on, the engine is very lazy to drop revs, or build them, rendering a blip of the throttle on downshifts impossible.  It makes the car cumbersome and clunky to drive, while causing excess clutch wear, never mind removing the fun from driving them.  A real shame

Observation of the century! 

 

[mixmanmash]

I didn't read all 7 pages, but just have to add that emission controls and lazy throttle-by-wire are ruining modern manuals.  Most new test drives I've been on, the engine is very lazy to drop revs, or build them, rendering a blip of the throttle on downshifts impossible.  It makes the car cumbersome and clunky to drive, while causing excess clutch wear, never mind removing the fun from driving them.  A real shame

Observation of the century! 

 

True.  Very few give a good feel anymore.

[HeliDriver]

I didn't read all 7 pages, but just have to add that emission controls and lazy throttle-by-wire are ruining modern manuals.  Most new test drives I've been on, the engine is very lazy to drop revs, or build them, rendering a blip of the throttle on downshifts impossible.  It makes the car cumbersome and clunky to drive, while causing excess clutch wear, never mind removing the fun from driving them.  A real shame...  I'll hold on to my old manual till it explodes.

If kids are in the future for me I totally plan on teaching them the art of the manual.

It's true, but you get used to it after more than a test drive. Throttle blip for downshifts isn't impossible, you just have to adjust your timing somewhat. And I'm not 100% sure on this, but I think most aftermarket tunes take care of the lazy throttle and rev-hang. I might try a tune for that reason alone, but my manual car is still plenty fun to drive as-is.

[rrocket]

^^Man...you can't believe how good a tune is on your car.

[HeliDriver]

^^Man...you can't believe how good a tune is on your car.

Yeah, that's what everyone says. Warranty is up in May, so might give it a try.

Still, I'm a little concerned about changing the character of the thing. I like that the stock car builds power pretty smoothly all the way to redline. Apparently, Stage 1 adds a bunch of midrange, which is great, but then the engine feels like it runs out of steam at the top end. I like winding it out to redline just for the fun of it, so not sure how I'll like that.

[mmret]

I think with the APR stuff you can always turn it on and off right?

[rrocket]

^^Man...you can't believe how good a tune is on your car.

Yeah, that's what everyone says. Warranty is up in May, so might give it a try.

Still, I'm a little concerned about changing the character of the thing. I like that the stock car builds power pretty smoothly all the way to redline. Apparently, Stage 1 adds a bunch of midrange, which is great, but then the engine feels like it runs out of steam at the top end. I like winding it out to redline just for the fun of it, so not sure how I'll like that.

Different companies offer different styles of tunes.  You need to find one that suits your driving.

[rrocket]

I think with the APR stuff you can always turn it on and off right?

Depends on the tune.  Some of them you can if you have a flasher.

[HeliDriver]

I think with the APR stuff you can always turn it on and off right?

Yeah, but I'll feel pretty stupid if I drop $800 on a tune and wind up just turning it off. 

And yes, APR isn't the only company out there, but from my limited research into it, APR is probably the way to go. Maybe not so much if I lived in So-Cal or somewhere, but I doubt there's lots of choice at shops in Calgary. Maybe I'm wrong - will definitely look into it if I get serious.

[mmret]

Yeah I think I'd lean towards the APR stuff....they are the most popular one I believe and they have been at it for a long time so it should be a very well sorted out tune.

[rrocket]

I think with the APR stuff you can always turn it on and off right?

Yeah, but I'll feel pretty stupid if I drop $800 on a tune and wind up just turning it off. 

And yes, APR isn't the only company out there, but from my limited research into it, APR is probably the way to go. Maybe not so much if I lived in So-Cal or somewhere, but I doubt there's lots of choice at shops in Calgary. Maybe I'm wrong - will definitely look into it if I get serious.

You can definitely do a road tune....done via the internet.  Some of the best tunes are done that way.  The Cobb datalogs.  You drive your car, send the datalog in via e-mail, car gets tuned.  Re-drive with new tune, send in new datalog to verify...and car gets tweaked if needed.  That way the tune is done to your specific car, with your fuel in your unique driving locale.

I pointed Vmango in this direction to the very highly regarded Clark Turner.  Vmango loved his tune on his WRX.