Ford to kill Manual?
More Turbo
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 552
Likes: 9
I might as well throw in here too.
I have an 08 s/d with the 6spd manual. To be honest ... I would take back my old 04 fx4 150 with auto hands down!
I drove sticks all my life in my old fords going clear back to my 66 with 3 on the tree. and this 6 spd bites. I loved my 71 4x4 with 4spd granny. but this new tranny weather your towing or not just requires constant shifting.
I actually bought it because it was a stick, big mistake in my opinion. yeah you do have a little more control in bad weather. when i get my new one in 2 more years i wont miss the stick at all. heck if i want stick i will just buy me a old f-250 beater for cutting wood and stuff. just my 2 cents!
I have an 08 s/d with the 6spd manual. To be honest ... I would take back my old 04 fx4 150 with auto hands down!
I drove sticks all my life in my old fords going clear back to my 66 with 3 on the tree. and this 6 spd bites. I loved my 71 4x4 with 4spd granny. but this new tranny weather your towing or not just requires constant shifting.
I actually bought it because it was a stick, big mistake in my opinion. yeah you do have a little more control in bad weather. when i get my new one in 2 more years i wont miss the stick at all. heck if i want stick i will just buy me a old f-250 beater for cutting wood and stuff. just my 2 cents!
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 435
Likes: 1
Anyone remember when manual transmissions didn't have the powder puff hydraulic master/slave cylinder and you could actually get rubber legged in traffic? That and those girly man synchronizers made it to where just about anyone could drive a manual tranny! That and manual windows and no power steering would really put some hair on your chest! Even grandma for all I know! I think it all went down hill when they came out with electric starters! Heck! Even my Harley has an electric starter on it now! What's the world coming to? I used to type on a manual type writer and now I use a newfangled laptop computer! Sitting in a/c for crying out loud! What a wimp! On a cold day like today, a real man would be out chopping would for the wood stove! We sure have got lazy! We just put 140 miles on the new SD today to go see me pop. Used cruise so I wouldn't have to fiddle with the accelerator! Ya'll hold the fort, I need to run out to the outhouse for a minute!
Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 2,066
Likes: 4
From: Rogue River, Oregon
LOL!! Man I couldn't have said it better! My Grandpa bought a brand-spankin' new F150 back in '69 and I VIVIDLY remember driving it a few years ago before he passed away. it had a 360, manual trans, manual drum brakes, roll-up windows, an AM-only radio and was miserable to drive. Itwas so bad that after he died, my Dad asked if I wanted it and I turned him down. Free or not, it wasn't worth what it would take for my candy-azz to drive it. Know why it was how it was? Because that's pretty much how ALL trucks were then! You could get a different color, choose between long or short bed and betweentwo or four wheel drive and that's about it! No carpet, no heated seats, no CD changer, shift-on-the-fly 4x4 hubs, no kidding. That's when men were men by gawd...
Cargo Master
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 2,726
Likes: 5
From: Slatington, PA
The high school I work for requires any kid taking the drivers training course to do one lesson in the manual car. Most of them suck at it, but there are a few that do great.
Postmaster
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 3,069
Likes: 1
From: LONG ISLAND N.Y.
i bet the teachers related to the guy who owns the local tranny shop...clutches
clutchesclutches$$$$$$$$
Cargo Master
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 2,726
Likes: 5
From: Slatington, PA
I don't drive stick every day, but I like knowing that I could jump in any car, truck, or piece of equipment and drive it if need be. Growing up on my grandpa's farm helped with that.
Postmaster
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 3,069
Likes: 1
From: LONG ISLAND N.Y.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,215
Likes: 8
From: WV
When I had driver's ed (~1993) we had 1/2 a semester on a stick and half a semester on an auto. Both Corsicas yeehaw. We had to take off on hills, parallel park, and everything. Don't know if the class is the same now or not. Guess I'll know in 13 years when my little girl takes it 
I can take a truck either way but I have an '85 Mustang that wouldn't be near as fun if it wasn't a 5spd.
I can take a truck either way but I have an '85 Mustang that wouldn't be near as fun if it wasn't a 5spd.
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 10,626
Likes: 7
From: Plano TX and Brentwood TN
See, ours was just one semester. Half was the written portion and map test and all that. The other half was driving. I think it was a Camry with an auto on it. I'm not to sure about that though. I know I was just crappin cramped in that thing.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,273
Likes: 3
Unfortunately Stick shift trucks are only preferred by a select few. The masses want automatics and the trade in value with a stick is LOW LOW LOW, cause very few buyers want a stick, and many potential buyers dont even know how to drive stick. In Chicago there is a dealer still advertising a low price on a new 08 F250 and if you call, the truck is stick and they cant hardly give it away.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,273
Likes: 3
The Chicago Sun Times has the ad on the back page of the home delivery edition. Ford of Frankfort (Illinois) has 2 new 08 stick F250 superdutys.5.4 xl extended cab, 6 ft box stick. I believe they are factoring in a $6000 rebate, I believe the trucks are advertised for about $16,800 , and they run the ad every day, Ive seen the ads for weeks. I believe they are stripped down work truck versions.
FTE Leadership Emeritus
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 23,174
Likes: 1,678
From: Stephensville WI
autos tend to have more drag on the motor in my opinion. if you compared an auto to a stick with the same driver I am willing to bet the stick will ge the better economy every time. you can't really compare two trucks with two different drivers because everyone drives differently.
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 10,626
Likes: 7
From: Plano TX and Brentwood TN
The Chicago Sun Times has the ad on the back page of the home delivery edition. Ford of Frankfort (Illinois) has 2 new 08 stick F250 superdutys.5.4 xl extended cab, 6 ft box stick. I believe they are factoring in a $6000 rebate, I believe the trucks are advertised for about $16,800 , and they run the ad every day, Ive seen the ads for weeks. I believe they are stripped down work truck versions.
Speaking for myself, I'm not surprised they can't sell them. I can think of several things that I wouldn't like about those two trucks.