Are manual trannys old school, out of style/function?

Took the Dealer about 3 weeks to find the truck I wanted with a stick.

 

Again, keep the '93 (or sell it to me), - problem solved. Besides, how much are they going to give you for a 22 year old truck? I don't think it's the gold mine you think it is.

 

Zero

 

Yep, should have.

 

4lo in traffic??? I'm with you OZ.

 

OK, for you youngsters. When I was 18, I worked aSummer job driving a pineapple truck. It was a 10 wheeler with a 5 speed main gearbox, 4speed auxilliary and 2 speed axle. No synchromesh with any gears. I could not drive it without the tach. It had poor brakes. With a load, you miss a downshift, and you don't stop for a long ways. After a while, I could shift without using the clutch. Them were fun days.

I will bet most of you don't have a clue what I'm talking about

 

I don't know why anyone wouldn't want a transmission like that in their truck.
Keeps you in touch with the road, man.[/QUOTE]

Well it sure kept you in touch with all the gears, as you had to "feel" the gear in when rev matching. Made the left leg very strong with that heavy clutch & double clutching all the time.

 

I drove a Bud beer truck the month I worked for a small town distributor, diesel, two speed Brownie. One old hand had it down pretty good. I'd be trying to shift before the revs dropped, he took his time and did it so smoothly. Not a 18 wheeler.
I read a few weeks back, that on the 2016's auto, they would tend to down shift because they couldn't maintain the rpm's at highway speeds. Any of you auto tranny guys experience that yet?
I'm getting $500 for trade on my rent-a-wreck '93 4X2, 268,000 miles. Don't care to fix its issues where I may not be able to recoup my costs. Easy to just sign over the title. Don't need the money.
Duane

 

Saw this early today. Thought it was fitting for this thread.

 

That might have been true a decade ago, but the current automatics being installed in performance cars are consistently beating manuals not only in the 1/4 but also around race tracks. A perfect example is the new CTS-V that MT tested both the manual and auto versions back to back. They had Randy Pobst (pro racer) drive it around a track and he had faster lap times with the automatic. That's of course just one example, but there's also the 911 GT3 that is no longer even offered with a traditional manual ... it's a new age of performance, and IMHO it comes at the cost of driver engagement/enjoyment.

Having said that, the auto on the Tacoma is a POS and definitely not designed for performance. I'm glad I ordered a manual ... if anyone thinks driving these is difficult in traffic you should try a blown 302 with manual clutch cable and 4 puck ceramic clutch. That clutch was so stiff my girlfriend couldn't even push the pedal in, and the engagement was instant on/off. If you tried slipping it there would be a ton of chatter, so taking off from a stop was always fun ... Today these kids have double and triple disc clutches that can handle high hp engines and are ridiculously easy to drive. Honestly, I'm happy they finally have better solutions for high hp engines, because ceramic puck clutches suck to drive, and clutch springs strong enough to handle 600, 700+ hp with a single disc are ridiculously stiff ...

 

*an
ಠ_ಠ

 

Semi automatic paddle shifters ftw

 

Not a fan of those, but I like the way you call em for what they really are. So annoying when people call em manuals. Way different means to the same end I suppose.

 

http://youtu.be/H8rS07ynQ0Q

 

Yeah, I understand the practicality and usefulness of em. I just prefer a 5 speed on the floor with a clutch. But I can't really talk, I've driven an auto for the last 4 years.

 

I guess I am just at that age where I don't feel "connected" to the road while driving to the grocery store. For that fact, I never feel "connected" to the road ever. That feeling went away a long time ago for me.My first three car were 4 speed stick's. they were very fast ( muscle cars) Driving is a chore now, just something I have to do before doing something I want to do. When I was young, I thought driving was such a great thing. Time has a way of changing ones priority's. i also never used to like spicey foods. Now it's all I want, more flavor the better. I don't drink to get drunk anymore either. I actually enjoy the flavor of some whiskeys and cognacs, with a fine cigar. As we get older, are interests change. It's the natural way of things.

 

a stick keeps me young and alive

 

lol

 

One of my least favorite tracks on Gran Turismo..