A Vehicle With A Clutch

Jazzy1

Jazzy1

❤️Love Is in the Air❤️
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What year, make and model did you learn on?
 
The last sedan I bought new was a Mazda 3. Finding one with a clutch was not real hard, but considered unusual. It was the smoothest shifting clutch I've ever had. But now days, automatics are supposedly more economical, if you can believe that, and they are reliable. I've finally broke down on insisting on manual transmissions. Except for the two Mazda Miata's I've owned. Those were easy to find with manual transmissions, and nonnegotiable features.
 
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My first car was a 1954 Hillman, bought in 1964, the basic synchromesh gear change never worked properly and replacing it was out of the question for a penniless student. My father explained that I didn't need synchromesh, he taught me to: "Double-de-Clutch. This is what double-de-clutch is: All done whilst driving along.

Step-by-Step: Upshifting:
  1. Prep: Lift off the accelerator and press the clutch pedal.
  2. Neutral: Move the gear lever into neutral.
  3. Release: Release the clutch pedal.
  4. Wait: Wait a brief moment for engine revs to drop naturally to match the higher gear.
  5. Engage: Press the clutch pedal again and move the lever into 4th gear.
  6. Finalise: Release the clutch smoothly.
Step-by-Step: Downshifting:
  1. Prep: Lift off the accelerator and press the clutch pedal.
  2. Neutral: Move the gear lever into neutral.
  3. Release: Release the clutch pedal (engine is now disconnected from the wheels).
  4. Blipping/Rev Match: Briefly tap the accelerator (this makes the engine spin faster to match the lower gear's speed).
  5. Engage: Press the clutch pedal again and move the lever into 3rd gear.
  6. Finalise: Release the clutch smoothly.
 
My first vehicle was a Bradford Jowet van with a 2 cylinder 1000cc horizontally opposed engine, not only was it a 3 speed standard crash box but also had a crank start that would break your wrist if you did not know what you were doing.
SLIDER: 1951 Bradford van |
By the time I had it (my first vehicle) in the early 60s Jowet had gone out of bushiness, must be worth a fortune to collectors now. A close friend had an old wood bodied Austin 7 also crank (or 'bump') start that I occasionally drove.
 
I learned to drive with a WWII army jeep on hilly back country gravel roads. No problems with the clutch but the starter pedal/button was located far enough away from the accelerator pedal that my foot couldn't reach from one to the other simultaneously. Had to put it in neutral and use the left foot on the accelerator, right foot on the starter. LOL, it was fun.

A few years later, I had a VW beetle. Not fond memories of that.
 
I can't drive, but cars still have a clutch here. Automatic is rare. I did get driver's lessons in I think it was a Golf. A little white car.
My sister got the most beautiful car, made by my dad from 2 cars from the dump. A duck.
 

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I learned on a car with a clutch and I still drive a car with a clutch. My 2002 Saturn has a clutch.

The one ton dually has a clutch.

The square body Chevy three-quarter ton I just sold had a clutch.

My farm tractor has a two stage clutch that you have to know what to do with it to engage the bush hog.

Clutches and my family, are old hat. I would not let my son get his drivers license until he could stop his truck, that had a clutch in it, at the traffic light on the hill in town, without rolling the truck backward. I told him when he got good at that he could get his drivers license.😇😇

My brother bought my niece a pick up truck with a clutch in it. Nobody else drives it because most of the world can’t drive a clutch in today’s U.S. world. That’s a big part of why we like them —— nobody can steal them.🤠🤠
 
Along about 1961 I did. The high school driving instructor had us on a street with a hill with a traffic light. Invariably each of us, taking turns, would pop the clutch and the light would turn red again, much to the anger of drivers behind us. So we very quickly mastered the clutch! My first car out of college in 1967 was a Chevy II with standard transmission, just like my Dad's (except for slightly different shades of blue). I traded it in a few years later for a Mustang fastback (automatic) in order to impress the ladies. No it didn't work much, but my wife married me anyways (she didn't like the car)! Much like riding a bike, I'm pretty sure I could still operate the manual transmission.
 
I started driving tractors when young so was familiar with a clutch before I ever drove a car. First car I remember driving was an old Fiat three speed, it was a older brothers car that became junk so I was allowed to drive it around the fields, I was probably twelve or so.

Working on farms as a kid I routinely drove farm trucks on our country roads well before I had a drivers license, those were stick shift as well.

Last vehicle I drove that was a manual was my sons Subaru two years ago, it was kind of fun for about ten minutes and then the fun wore off and made me glad I didn't have to drive a manual everyday.
 
I bought an old Ford Custom 500 cheap ($500) when it was about 10 years old. The body looked fine and interior, but it was a no frills basic car with a manual transmission and no air conditionng, no extras of any kind. After having it awhile, the clutch popped suddenly all the way to the floor without warning and had to be towed in for repairs. After a few weeks of driving, that happened again, then again. They finally told me they had found a part from a hearse and it would never happen again,but I had lost all confidence in it, and put a for sale sign on it; got $295.00.
 
jujube said:
I learned to drive on an automatic, so it was many years before I had to learn to shift.

Over the years, we owned a Ford Pinto and a VW Rabbit with clutches. Luckily I was taught to be a "right-foot braker", so it wasn't hard to learn the clutch pedal.

I can still drive a shift, but I hope I never have to again.
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I don't understand much terminology when it comes to vehicles, but my father had a Pinto (for a short while, hated it and traded it in), and it didn't have a clutch.
 
I've never driven anything with a clutch, don't think I could figure it out.

The first car I drove was a Ford Mustang (one of the classic years, can't place which).. nothing could possibly compare/compete with those!! 😁💕
 
My dad's friend taught me to drive his pick up when I lived in Kuwait. I have no idea what make of vehicle it was. I do know that it required me to double-de-clutch, which he also taught me. I have never driven an automatic. 🤷‍♀️
 
I learned to drive a stick & loved it & I would like to have another. I test drove a 2024 Mustang last year that we were looking to buy. The only reason we didn't get it was the body had rust in places that we hadn't ever seen on a car. My body shop guy said it would cost more money than we wanted to repair it :cry:.

Only 4 or 5 vehicle models in the US come with manual transmissions. They are the best anti-theft device you can have on a car.
 
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