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Anybody regret buying a manual transmission?

Discussion in 'General Automotive' started by L33T35T Tacoma, Apr 21, 2013.

  1. Jul 11, 2013 at 11:52 AM
    #161
    mercurymullet

    mercurymullet Well-Known Member

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    Use 4low. teach them to clutch, then add in shifting, then add in gas. Then put it hi range. GOLDEN. Or don't teach her and she will never borrow your truck
     
  2. Jul 12, 2013 at 11:01 AM
    #162
    otenba

    otenba Member

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    does this technique work on men? need to teach the bf how in case he needs to drive my truck... :p
     
  3. Jul 12, 2013 at 11:04 AM
    #163
    Rupp1

    Rupp1 "If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball."

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    No. That's another procedure...
     
  4. Jul 12, 2013 at 11:08 AM
    #164
    rbishopp

    rbishopp Well-Known Member

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    So far I've added an Advance folding bed cover and since removed it. Gave it to my son in Maine, he has an 05 2wd. GT perfect fit seat covers. Weathertech floor mats and window vent visors. Waag center brush/grill guard. Hose clamp tailgate mod. Turned off the seat belt chime. Added Ultra-Gauge. Trailer hitch. Softopper. Replaced sun visors with slide out style. Toyota bed extender. Had Firestone Destinations and now Michelin LTX AT2 in stock size. More mods to come; Fog lights, locking storage in bed, intermittent wipers. Now looking for Radio/HU upgrade. and maybe a lift way down the road.
    :rofl:
     
  5. Jul 12, 2013 at 12:32 PM
    #165
    Dragons Taco

    Dragons Taco Well-Known Member

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    Can ya spell Tonneau
    Teach her better. I taught my daughter on my Taco. Now she loves showing off to young guys who never knew what the third pedal was for. She even drove someone's Mazda and reported the Taco's clutch is better. (Must have been Dad's great clutch work!)
     
  6. Jul 12, 2013 at 6:41 PM
    #166
    DJB1

    DJB1 Well-Known Member

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    You are still thinking about gear ratios bass-ackwards. You can call a .73:1 gear ratio lower than a .85:1 and refer to the numerals all you want, but the rest of the world does it exactly the opposite: the lower the RATIO, the higher the NUMERAL. Here's something from Hot Rod magazine that explains it better than I can:

    "Higher, lower, taller, shorter, more, less…how do you have any idea what guys are talking about when it comes to rear-axle gears? It’s confusing, because the slang seems to contradict the math. The biggest confusion comes with the terminology: 4.0:1 gears are lower than 3.0:1 gears, which makes no sense to most people because 4 is a higher number than 3. But here’s the deal: gear ratios are named for their output speed. One input revolution with a 4.0:1 gearset results in 0.25 output revolutions, which is lower than the 0.33 output revolutions with a 3.0:1 gearset. That’s the same reason why lower gears (higher numbers) are called slower gears and higher gears (lower numbers) are known as faster gears."


    I understand exactly how a lockup torque converter works. SOMETIMES it is as mechanically efficient as a manual, like when you're on the freeway using cruise control. But the lockup disengages any time you tap on the brakes or let your foot off the throttle. In city driving it's rarely engaging. On the freeway without using cruise control, it is only engaged some of the time. You are correct that an automatic has to have a lockup torque converter and a higher overdrive gear ratio to beat a manual by 1 or 2 mpg. Full-size 1/2 ton trucks are now rated better MPG than automatic or manual Tacomas, and I'd still rather have a Tacoma. Let's just agree that Toyota Tacomas are awesome, and here's the link to that Hot Rod article:

    http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/hrdp_1302_the_lowdown_on_gear_ratios/#ixzz2YsnVt3Pp
     
  7. Jul 12, 2013 at 8:45 PM
    #167
    chris4x4

    chris4x4 With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine. Moderator

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    FlimFlubberJAM
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    4.10 gears, sliders, and lots of buttons.
    I am very well educated on gears. Many modern auto tranny have lock up converters that lock up in the top 3 gears, and achieve varying degrees of "lock up". Only time they "un lock" is during shifting. A good transmission shouldn't un lock until a down shift is required, or over 50% throttle is applied.
     
  8. Jul 12, 2013 at 8:50 PM
    #168
    mercurymullet

    mercurymullet Well-Known Member

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    I make no promises if he can't drive one by now. LOL

    I've found I get worse MPG with the stick because I tend to not shift at the most efficient time (too lazy or having fun)
     
  9. Jul 12, 2013 at 9:00 PM
    #169
    chris4x4

    chris4x4 With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine. Moderator

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    http://www.cartalk.com/content/today-manual-transmission-myths-
    debunked


     
  10. Jul 14, 2013 at 3:02 PM
    #170
    Davell

    Davell Well-Known Member

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    No regrets here. Will buy a stick as long as they are available.
     
  11. Jul 23, 2013 at 5:29 PM
    #171
    cmj

    cmj Well-Known Member

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    All my vehicles have been manual but I noticed that Ive been slouching to the right to reach the shifter. It's not good for the back so next truck I'd probably get an auto. Ill always prefer manual in a car if its available however. Way too fun
     
  12. Jul 29, 2013 at 5:20 AM
    #172
    rbishopp

    rbishopp Well-Known Member

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    Nothing to do with the manual trans but do you keep a wallet in your back pocket. That's bad for the back too and maybe contributing to your leaning to the right.
     
  13. Jul 29, 2013 at 8:08 AM
    #173
    TeamSarcasm

    TeamSarcasm Flawless Escalation to the Ludicrous

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    The better coast
    Could be to to your age and/or physical activity level. could be your wallet as mentioned also or you could just need to scoot over in the seat :p

    Your body geometry could need a different shifter, we are all different.
     
  14. Jul 29, 2013 at 4:22 PM
    #174
    PhdNPrerunners

    PhdNPrerunners Well-Known Member

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    I have owned 3 tacomas all which have been first gens. 2 of them were auto and 1 was a stick. I loved driving my first gen that was a stick but sadly I needed more room so I sold it to get a first gen double cab. Thats one down fall about my double cab is that it's not a stick shift. I am starting to collect parts for a manual trans swap when this auto goes out.
     
  15. Jul 29, 2013 at 5:18 PM
    #175
    MarineTacoDriver

    MarineTacoDriver Well-Known Member

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    ARB front bumper, Warn M8000, ATO front/transmission/transfer case skids, Icon ext travel coilovers, Total Chaos UCA's, OME Dakar leaf springs, Bilstein/RCD 5100 3-4" lift shock, extended stainless brake lines, DrewFab shackle flip, rear ARB Airlocker, ARB air compressor
    My first truck in high school was a stick. I learned to drive by my friend leaving in his truck saying "meet you there!" Stalled it double digits that first day but then it just clicked and I've loved a stick shift since.
    After that truck required to many repairs on my part time job budget, I sold it and my next truck was an auto. Hated it, you completely lose sense of being part of the driving experience! No wonder if you look in the car next to you on the highway, half the time they are drinking coffee while texting...no need to pay attention to what's happening so you know when to shift, and why use hands to hold the wheel when your coffee is getting cold and Facebook needs to be checked, and there is a perfectly good leg doing nothing that can hold a straight course!
    So after I joined the Marines and saved up money, and started looking into vehicles again, I knew I wanted a manual. Ever since the 05 Tacoma had come out I loved the body style, and they were available in a manual! Went to a dealership, described what I wanted to the salesmen and he said they had a brand new one on the lot, had been there for months because no one wanted a manual! Went back the next day and bought it with 11 miles on the odometer.
    At 45k miles now and at no point in time have I regretted the MT. I've driven through DC, NYC and Boston traffic all in the same day on multiple occasions. Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, and my least favorite of them all, Houston traffic, and not once was rowing gears the part that angered me. In fact, it was usually the chick (sorry ladies, but stereotypes typically exist for a reason) drifting into my lane, or almost rear ending me in their automatic car because they are focusing on anything but piloting the multi-ton vehicle.

    So long story short, no, I don't regret buying my manual...
     
  16. Jul 29, 2013 at 5:29 PM
    #176
    SOSHeloPilot

    SOSHeloPilot My 1st Muscle Car

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    Missing My Last Tacoma --- Had 11 Toyota trucks in the past and many other Toyota cars too.
    .
    I love a manual for a short period of time ... then I get tired of shifting ... especially in heavy stop & go traffic ... :eek:

    Now, many automatics have "paddle shifters" and get better mileage and are faster than manuals ... :D

    However ... IMO ... manuals are a must have in the older 4x4 vehicles with the "manual locking hubs" & etc. ... :D
    .
     
  17. Apr 30, 2014 at 9:35 AM
    #177
    rino1951

    rino1951 New Member

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    No I don't but cruise control would be nice.
     
  18. Apr 30, 2014 at 9:44 AM
    #178
    rbishopp

    rbishopp Well-Known Member

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    2009 4WD Reg cab Taco. Keepin it simple.
    So far I've added an Advance folding bed cover and since removed it. Gave it to my son in Maine, he has an 05 2wd. GT perfect fit seat covers. Weathertech floor mats and window vent visors. Waag center brush/grill guard. Hose clamp tailgate mod. Turned off the seat belt chime. Added Ultra-Gauge. Trailer hitch. Softopper. Replaced sun visors with slide out style. Toyota bed extender. Had Firestone Destinations and now Michelin LTX AT2 in stock size. More mods to come; Fog lights, locking storage in bed, intermittent wipers. Now looking for Radio/HU upgrade. and maybe a lift way down the road.
    Same here.
     
  19. Apr 30, 2014 at 9:58 AM
    #179
    BuddyS

    BuddyS Well-Known Member

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    No regrets here, but I'll admit it's not the smoothest tranny I've ever driven. If the time ever comes to get another tacoma, I may be open minded and at least test drive an auto first.
     
  20. Apr 30, 2014 at 10:11 AM
    #180
    T@co_Pr3runn3r

    T@co_Pr3runn3r XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

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    Not even a hundred dollars in parts and about 15minutes to install. Go gitcha some parts.




    Still diggin the URD SS 5 speed in mine..........even in rush hr traffic........both calves same size, squeek in clutch goes away after 1,000,000,000 shifts & I do have a hand crank for starting if battery has issue. It's called letting it roll down hill and dumping clutch. Try that with automatics. Also have car if I really wanna drive automatic and then don't even do it that completely since it has sportauto shifting, the left leg just gets to rest.
     
    Last edited: Apr 30, 2014

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