i was fourteen when i got my learner's permit and my dad wanted to teach me to drive in his new mustang 5.0... i stalled on the first try, dad freaked out and started screaming "clutch, clutch" and that was the last lesson. learned to drive in my mom's truck instead. when i got my first manual car i learned by myself.

 

I grew up as the son of the G.M. and the grandson of the Owner to the local FORD dealership. So I learned to drive at quite a young age in the back lot of the "Ford place" in any and everything I could get the keys to and I knew where the keys were kept. I was in everything from Mustangs to F350s to busses to used cars. One of my favorites was the get in a clean white chassis/cab F350 dually and see how high I could get the mud to go. This little trick always earned me time at the wash bay.

 

I learned to drive a stick under pressure when I was 18. The engine let go on my dad's car (sister driving, not me) when my folks were on vacation. Since we were a 4 driver/2 car family, it made sense to him to buy another car & replace the engine on his as we had time. He bought a brand-new base model 1988 Hyundai Excel (the cheapest thing on the market). Since I had driven tractors VERY occasionally on my uncle's farm, I was elected to do the test drive. So here we are: mom & dad & the sales lady in the car with me driving. Chugged and sputtered and jerked around one block before the sales lady gently suggested maybe we better test an automatic (we did).

My dad bought the stick shift anyway & I did much better driving it home (about 10 miles).

The Hyundai was the only stick shift I ever drove on a regular basis (except a forklift, but that's another story) and it has been many years since that went away, but I have not lost the touch. I have taught a few people to drive stick shifts (I wish I had someone like me to teach me back then).

My sister also learned to drive a stick shift in that car & hasn't ever owned an automatic.

Biggest thing I ever drove was a U-haul with a stick shift. My Caddy blew a headgasket 250 miles from home 4 days before Christmas. The best deal they could give me was a 24 foot supermover with a car trailer (the truck's home was near where I live). The truck had a 4 speed and I drove it empty with a 4400 pound car on the trailer after dark in a snowstorm. It was a VERY well-used mid-80's (this was 2002) gutless gas-engine GMC. The steering was so tired that turning the wheel on the highway was just a suggestion, and I could see daylight between the driver's door and the windshield pillar. I felt like shooting it when I made it home so I could put it out of its misery.

Cheers,
Eric

 

The funniest experience I can think of was watching the neighbor kid learning to drive a stick back in a Falcon. Every night after dinner, dad would sit in the car while his kid tried and tried. In roughly 20 minute training sessions, this went of for about a week. All us kids were watching; the poor kid behind the wheel had quite the audiance. Finally, one night dad was standing on the sidewalk while junior was practicing for the umpteenth time. His dad looked over at the car and said "If you can't get that thing rolling, in gear, the very next time I'm gonna pull you out of that car and kick your ****". Well, on the very next attempt the kid got it right! Ahhhhh, the power of pursuasion.

 

My dad drag raced when I was young. He left a 4 speed in the driveway with the shifter still on and the input shaft twisted. I had watched him drive the car to the track many times. I got a 5 gallon bucket and sat it next to the transmission,I then practiced what I saw AND speed shifting without ever lifting my right foot.The first car I DROVE was a gremlin 3 speed on the floor belonging to my buddy. I was 12 at the time. I floored the throttle and side stepped the clutch and began my hammer run. EVERYONES jaw dropped as it was unexpected for me to drive this way. I was taught there was another way

 

When I was 3 my dad owned a VW bug. I watched him drive it and I learned the process. When I was 12 was the first time I drove standard was in 4 wheel drive in soft sand. My brother-in-law asked if I would like to drive. I said "yes", and he let me get in the driver seat. He then started to tell me how to drive it, I told him I knew how and he said " Well, let's go." He was impressed especially that I did not stall the vehicle and did not jerk the vehicle either. I drove in the sand for as long as he would let me that day.

 

I learned initially on a Opel GT sedan. I was 10 or so and was taught how to start the car. Back in the day there was NO safety switch on the clutch pedal and one day I could not get the car to turn over. Luckily I was taught to pull the e-brake so it would not move, but would not start. Here I still had not pull it into neutral yet. Oops!

Did learn to drive on '75 Pinto wagon 4 cyl/4 spd. Have owned stick shifts every day since 1982 when I bought my first truck('72 International). It's a no brainer now. Even my drag car is a stick shift. My Mack truck is a twin stick(real fun to drive...and amaze your neighbors/friends).

I've purchased three vehicles that I have changed to manual tranny(and still own).

I did teach two people how to drive sticks. One girl/one boy. The girl picked up pretty quick and it was a '70F100 manual brake/steering/4 spd. The guy was a real lost cause. No one had been able to teach him and he bought a S10 with a stick in it. I spent an hour with him and presto-chango he was on his way!! Sometimes it just in how you explain it. Some people are naturally coordinated, some need assistance.

 

I learned the hard way, cause I'm too stupid to admit when I don't know what I'm doing.

When I was 13 or 14, the neighbor down the street backed into a ditch opposite his driveway, so he comes over to the house and asks if anybody there could come pull him out.

I'm the only one home, and my dad's 1979 F-150 a.k.a. "Bondo Bandwagon" is sitting in the driveway. The old truck had a "three on the tree" and I had no idea what position was what. Never really driven anything standard before (except for a tractor). So of course my response is...

"Sure, I'll be over in a minute"

I tracked down some keys, fired up the 'ol truck, figured out which was reverse, kinda figured out what I was doing (never stalled though). Backed up to his truck, put it in 1st (I think), hooked the tow strap up....and started feathering the clutch & givin' it gas.
Everything was goin' fine till this guy's lousy tow strap broke...scared me pretty good (but hey..I was havin' fun). Hooked it back up, strap broke a second time.

I gave up, drove home, another neighbor with a good strap came later and pulled him out.

Since then...it's been a piece of cake.

 

i learned on a 1963 valliant, 225 and 3 on the tree, grand-daddy's work car. I can still hear the 12" cherry bomb rattle when you shifted. they dont make cars like that anymore, thank god...lol

 

I learned on a 1973 F600 fire truck years ago. I did pretty well on it the few times I drove it. Since I was still inexperienced, I didn't get qualified on the truck for a while and then drove it less when it moved to our other firehouse.

I then tried to learn on the VW my dad had for a short while (POS). I had more difficulty with that thing, never did get used to the clutch.

Fast forward a few years, I bought my truck. 70 f250 4x4 with an np435. I taught myself how to drive on it pretty well to the point where I am confident driving it in almost any situation.

This year we had a fire parade in Newark, NJ (Antique Fire Truck Parade) and it happened to fall the day after we had our pigroast. 90% of the firefighters going to this parade were still quite sloshed in the morning. Well the few sober drivers (myself included) were left to drive everyone who was going to the parade.. so I find myself behind the wheel of the ole' 73 F600 brush truck. It was an interesting experience. I had alot of trouble finding the gears on the transmission. I think I kept going from 2nd to 4th, jumping over third. Luckily we managed to get there in back in one piece for another memorable year at the parade.

 

The local VW dealer donated a new bug to our high school for driver training. The Plymouth dealer donated a new Fury station wagon. This was in 1968, dating me a bit. Half our class, including me, learned to drive a stick. I still own a VW and Plymouth is out of business.

Jim

 

I learned as a little kid by watching my brother, who drove sticks all the time. Especially in (now my) '74 F250 and his late 60's F600 (5-speed, two-speed rear). I understood the concept of a clutch (a disconnect between the motor and transmission) before I could reach it

Started driving dirt bikes at 14... no problems except a tree or two ...

First got into an early 80's Toyota Celica (coworker's, brand-new) at 17, stalled it only once, and right after getting in it and leaving the mall parking lot hit a pretty steep hill at a red light. I mighta burnt that clutch a little ... then got into another 80's 240SX, being the most sober one of a pair, and made it back to an overnight mainframe project to rebuild the operating system of a (relatively new at the time) PDP-10.

Then, I got the '74 from my brother with the 435NP, Triumph TR7's, etc. etc. Now, I have to buy automatics because my wife absolutely refuses to drive a stick ... should have taught her on the 435NP when I had the chance - that truck would start in 2nd in idle if you let the clutch out carefully ...

 

I learned on a 1964 Mercury Comet with a 170 CI six and 3 speed on the "tree". That was some years back. I got my license in a 1968 Ford Falcon with a 200 six, auto transmission. My dad...rest his soul.....was a solid Ford man...nothing else would do.

 

I just learned to drive a stick this past summer in my brothers brand new, 2004 Tacoma. Its a 4-banger, so there is not much torque.

It was in Upstate NY and we were making a beer run to the store about 15 miles away. He drove up a dirt road a little ways where he stopped and we switched positions. Well, I was facing up-hill, but fortunately I took off picture perfect.

I've driven probably...300 miles total in that truck and I have only stalled it twice. Once I tried to back up and I accidentally put it in 4th, and the second time was in 5 o'clock traffic.