Chili Ron Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 Howdy These drive by shooters would have a much harder time if cars and trucks all had manual transmissions. So I might try to get a bill introduced to make it a felony to operate any car or truck on the streets and highways of Illinois. The current owners of automatic transmissions would be given 300 days to do the conversion at their own expense of course. After that the offending motorist would be fined $50,000 and their offending transmission removed and The owner convicted of a felony. If it saves just one childs life it is totally worth it. Exceptions for only handicapped folks missing a leg or with spine problems etc. Maybe counties with no drive by shootings would be exempt as well?? Best CR . 7 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watab kid Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 (edited) i like it - there would be a lot less car jackings if we could buy manual transmissions again , i bet 99% less , unless its old folks trying to escape the home ............then all bets are off , and dont plan on them being nice about it - they got nothing left to loose Edited January 10 by watab kid 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Creeker, SASS #43022 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 True story... A number of years ago; during an economic turndown - I worked a 2nd job as a driver for a test facility here in Las Vegas. At the time; we were high temperature road testing prototypes for Land Rover, Jaguar and Mercedes Benz (basically, you pick up a car and gas card at the beginning of your shift and then put 350 miles on it driving around in 115 degree summer weather). I was assigned to the Rovers doing euro spec prototypes; so beginning at 6am - I would drive my Range Rover thru the Lake Mead Recreational Area up to Overton NV., back down to Primm NV. and then make loops back up to North Las Vegas and thru town until I had racked up my miles for the day. Gorgeous vehicles and nice to drive. One day at the conclusion of shift - management called us drivers together (about 18 of us between Jaguar, Rover and Mercedes) - they asked for a show of hands of who could drive a manual transmission. My hand was the ONLY hand that was raised. My boss came over and informed me that I would be getting transferred over to the Mercedes group. I was thoroughly excited for this as I knew that the new AMG Mercedes were in testing and there were manuals coming in. So I dutifully showed up at the Mercedes garage the next morning - the head of the MB test group shakes my hand and welcomes me onboard. Thanking me profusely because the contract states that we will put X number of miles on the test mules everyday - but since no one could drive a stick; the manual transmission car had just been sitting. I tell him no problem and if needed - I can take the test car home and use it as a personal car to get even more miles on it. He looks at me and says, maybe. And then hands me the keys to a... Freakin' Smart car. Yes, Mercedes Benz owned Smart and I got to spend the rest of the summer driving a stick shift Smart car. And unlike the Rovers - which were basically production ready prototypes with leather power seats and stereos; these Smarts were long range prototypes with unfinished interiors - no radios - no AC. Flapping vinyl camouflage to cover the bodywork. We had a desktop computer mounted in the rear over the engine performing engine controls and we had to stop every 100 miles to download records to an external drive. So for ten hours a day (longer shift to catch up the miles); I drove a 35 - 40 mile loop from Las Vegas down to Jean NV. (half way to stateline) via Las Vegas Blvd and then back up to Las Vegas via I-15. My only entertainment was seeing how many times I could make the loop without using the clutch and just shifting by rev matching. Yeah, I know it has nothing to do with driveby shootings or car jackings - but without automatics - a lot more folks would be walking. And if I hadn't been able to drive a manual - I could have finished my summer in the lap of luxury instead of a wheezy little 4 banger without a radio. 3 1 6 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckshot Bob Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 1 hour ago, Creeker, SASS #43022 said: True story... A number of years ago; during an economic turndown - I worked a 2nd job as a driver for a test facility here in Las Vegas. At the time; we were high temperature road testing prototypes for Land Rover, Jaguar and Mercedes Benz (basically, you pick up a car and gas card at the beginning of your shift and then put 350 miles on it driving around in 115 degree summer weather). I was assigned to the Rovers doing euro spec prototypes; so beginning at 6am - I would drive my Range Rover thru the Lake Mead Recreational Area up to Overton NV., back down to Primm NV. and then make loops back up to North Las Vegas and thru town until I had racked up my miles for the day. Gorgeous vehicles and nice to drive. One day at the conclusion of shift - management called us drivers together (about 18 of us between Jaguar, Rover and Mercedes) - they asked for a show of hands of who could drive a manual transmission. My hand was the ONLY hand that was raised. My boss came over and informed me that I would be getting transferred over to the Mercedes group. I was thoroughly excited for this as I knew that the new AMG Mercedes were in testing and there were manuals coming in. So I dutifully showed up at the Mercedes garage the next morning - the head of the MB test group shakes my hand and welcomes me onboard. Thanking me profusely because the contract states that we will put X number of miles on the test mules everyday - but since no one could drive a stick; the manual transmission car had just been sitting. I tell him no problem and if needed - I can take the test car home and use it as a personal car to get even more miles on it. He looks at me and says, maybe. And then hands me the keys to a... Freakin' Smart car. Yes, Mercedes Benz owned Smart and I got to spend the rest of the summer driving a stick shift Smart car. And unlike the Rovers - which were basically production ready prototypes with leather power seats and stereos; these Smarts were long range prototypes with unfinished interiors - no radios - no AC. Flapping vinyl camouflage to cover the bodywork. We had a desktop computer mounted in the rear over the engine performing engine controls and we had to stop every 100 miles to download records to an external drive. So for ten hours a day (longer shift to catch up the miles); I drove a 35 - 40 mile loop from Las Vegas down to Jean NV. (half way to stateline) via Las Vegas Blvd and then back up to Las Vegas via I-15. My only entertainment was seeing how many times I could make the loop without using the clutch and just shifting by rev matching. Yeah, I know it has nothing to do with driveby shootings or car jackings - but without automatics - a lot more folks would be walking. And if I hadn't been able to drive a manual - I could have finished my summer in the lap of luxury instead of a wheezy little 4 banger without a radio. No AC would have been the deal breaker for me 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rye Miles #13621 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 Yea but it's hard to talk on your phone and drink coffee or maybe eat a chicken leg while driving stick shift! 3 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Still hand Bill Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 I expect in 5 years, it won’t be possible to buy a manual transmission in the USA in a new vehicle. Corvettes have been auto only for years, no full sized truck is available in manual, only 2 mid sized are still manual, and not sure any small suvs are manual anymore. Had fun at an event one night, had valet parking. See the kid run off to get the car, comes running back, quick huddle, then another kid runs off and brings back the car. I ask the kid who brought the car and the first kid could not drive a stick. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Still hand Bill Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 5 minutes ago, Rye Miles #13621 said: Yea but it's hard to talk on your phone and drink coffee or maybe eat a chicken leg while driving stick shift! I managed to have a separated right shoulder and still drive a stick. Got good at shifting with my left hand. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckshot Bob Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 10 minutes ago, Rye Miles #13621 said: Yea but it's hard to talk on your phone and drink coffee or maybe eat a chicken leg while driving stick shift! That’s what you’re left knee is for 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocWard Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 3 hours ago, Rye Miles #13621 said: Yea but it's hard to talk on your phone and drink coffee or maybe eat a chicken leg while driving stick shift! That gets back to the "if it saves the life of even one child!" 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dantankerous Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 5 hours ago, Rye Miles #13621 said: Yea but it's hard to talk on your phone and drink coffee or maybe eat a chicken leg while driving stick shift! No it ain't. Gotta wear a bib but I get it done. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perro Del Diablo Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 Let's make it more fun. 3 on the tree. I learned on an old gmc truck and even alot that can drive manual today cant handle these. Oh yeah power steering was the power in my arms. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyesa Horg Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 My first 2 cars were 3 on the tree, although I had to convert the second from automatic. Would have gone to the floor but a nice junk yard guy let me take everything off a junk car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Creeker, SASS #43022 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 6 hours ago, Still hand Bill said: I managed to have a separated right shoulder and still drive a stick. Got good at shifting with my left hand. I broke my right ankle on a dirt bike and had to drive myself from the middle of nowhere in Michigan to the hospital in my manual Porsche (VW) 914. So I'm sitting in the car sideways; right leg propped up on the passenger seat - attempting to operate three pedals with one unskilled foot. I tried to use the clutch, but quickly realized that brakes are kind of important and that VW engines are not torquey enough to get you rolling at idle level rpm's. So in a cloud of pain and desperation; I started disregarding the clutch - went to two pedal operation. Rev match to shift gears and pop it into neutral when I had to stop. Kill the engine and put it into 2nd and use the starter to get it rolling again. And generally made the decision that I was going to run every light that was anywhere near a hill. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 We were in Scotland one time; I'd reserved a rental car in Edinburgh. Went to pick it up and they said they only had a stick shift on site, that it'd be hours before an automatic was available. (We'd routinely specified auto.) If I'd take the stick, they'd knock 50% off the price. I took it, having been raised on sticks on the floor and on the tree. Found that a stick was as easy with the left hand as the right. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PowderRiverCowboy Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 Fun fact, Most "drive bys" have shooters as passengers and driver drives . 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocWard Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 1 hour ago, PowderRiverCowboy said: Fun fact, Most "drive bys" have shooters as passengers and driver drives . And yet more good humor destroyed by pedantry. Oh the humanity!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgavin Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 The Toyota Tacoma is still offered with a manual transmission... but it is a dog. I service a Japanese Auto Care facility owned by a good friend of mine. His men tell me the new 6-speed manual is a pig... It uses cheap parts, and the bell housing is a single casting with the tranny body. When the cheap clutch grenades, it destroys the bell housing, and requires a complete replacement/rebuild with a new housing and trans migration. Pricey. I dislike automatics even worse, and would probably get the manual, even with the above risk. Or... just keep my 1991 Toyota 5-speed and drive it until I die. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perro Del Diablo Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 21 minutes ago, bgavin said: The Toyota Tacoma is still offered with a manual transmission... but it is a dog. I service a Japanese Auto Care facility owned by a good friend of mine. His men tell me the new 6-speed manual is a pig... It uses cheap parts, and the bell housing is a single casting with the tranny body. When the cheap clutch grenades, it destroys the bell housing, and requires a complete replacement/rebuild with a new housing and trans migration. Pricey. I dislike automatics even worse, and would probably get the manual, even with the above risk. Or... just keep my 1991 Toyota 5-speed and drive it until I die. At that point your great grandkids can drive it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Equanimous Phil Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 And sometimes it ends really bad when even car repair shop employees don't know how to drive stick, google Michigan Jeep David Hawkins 14 hours ago, Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619 said: Found that a stick was as easy with the left hand as the right. Have driven mostly manuals all my life but that rental car in Ireland made me switch gears like a novice 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rye Miles #13621 Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 14 hours ago, PowderRiverCowboy said: Fun fact, Most "drive bys" have shooters as passengers and driver drives . If the driver is not good driving stick it could cause jerking and affect the shooter’s accuracy !! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PowderRiverCowboy Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 54 minutes ago, Rye Miles #13621 said: If the driver is not good driving stick it could cause jerking and affect the shooter’s accuracy !! Most of those are strictly spray and pray 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabez Cowboy,SASS # 50129 Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 By the time they got out of the parking lot. they would all have "Whiplash" from jerking about... And would just forget about it, and take da Bus... Jabez Cowboy 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.