Ford's really got me pissed at them about this..

So far, no one has been able to convincingly make an argument for a good reason Ford has for not offering the manual transmission in the Super Duty. How many 6 speeds can they outsource from ZF for the cost to build one Torqushift in-house? Two at least?

We all know it's incredibly easier and cheaper to build a strong manual transmission as opposed to a strong automatic - just look at the cost of an automatic in semi's - they add like 20,000.00 to the price, not to mention the vastly increased maintenance on them and expense of repairs.

So why can Ford not just charge the same price for the manual equipped trucks as it does for the automatic, and simply pocket the difference?

I use beaters in most of what I do, but have been saving and preparing to buy a V10 6 speed Super Duty crew cab - XL. Yes I like them as simple as they can be. Now with the Super Duty having no manual, it's either take the auto (won't even be able to get the V10 in what I want when I'm ready to buy - but could live with that easier than the lack of a manual), or upgrade to a cummins to get a manual..

So now Ford is going about fixing what was'int broken (except for the fact that they never made manuals available enough), and the rest of us are stuck trying to be a part of a solution to a problem we never wanted.

 

Yes, mine went out the other day for a few beers, without me.

Seriously, are you just trolling?

 

The simple answer to the question of why Ford is not offering a manual transmission in the 2011 Super Duty is $$$$$$$$$$$$$. Don't over analyze the situation. Ford is in business to make money. Anything they do, any decision they make is rooted in the almighty dollar.

Manual transmission trucks are not in high demand. It cost a lot of money to engineer a new engine and a new transmission. It would cost them even more money to engineer a manual transmission installation for this new engine. If they feel they cannot recoup the engineering costs within a reasonable amount of time (or due to the economic situation maybe didn't have the funds to do the engineering in the first place) a simple answer to the problem is build every truck with an automatic transmission.

Basically, someone who likes to drive a truck with a manual transmission will probably purchase a truck with an automatic, but someone who likes to drive a truck with an automatic (or even doesn't know how to drive a manual) won't purchase a truck with a manual transmission.

 

it's only 3am on tuesday morning, and that's the best joke I'll hear all week.

 

The key is that somebody who likes to drive a truck with a manual transmisson will HAVE to purchase a truck with an automatic...


turn the tides, and somebody who can't drive a truck with a manual wouldn't be able to drive... I'm actually okay with that.

 

Not bad, but I still think this quote takes the cake:

"Good idea, it's a worthless tranny anyway. I don't know why anyone would want to spend energy on shifting. If you added up all the worthless time and energy you spent on shifting over a 10 year period time at $15 per hour you would have a ton of money."

 

I know something my auto can do that a manual cant. Raise my resell vaule.

 

The manual cost less to begin with, and buyers are generally less concerned with "will it hold out a week after I buy it?"

...if the manuals get let go of in the first place.

 

Oh, but we have. Engineering costs, and my favorite, emissions. You can't meet stringent emissions limits when you let morons shift the truck. That doesn't apply to anyone here, but they are out there and they probably work at the EPA.

 

Some of you guys nag and moan and hang onto stuff more than my old grandmother. LoL!

Ford makes a decision to drop a transmission based on customer purchase trends and likely stricter emissions standards for 2011- you complain Ford doesn't listen.
Ford develops an ALL NEW diesel engine AND transmission for more power and better fuel economy for 2011- you complain it's unproven.
This cracks me up!

This is coming from people who cry, "You'll pry the keys to my 1999 F250 7.3L PSD out of my cold, dead hand..." I said hand [singular] because the other cold, dead hand will be clasping the shift **** of a ZF6.

The truth is, I hate to see the manual go the way of the dinosaur in the Super Duty, just like I hated to see GM lose the solid front axle back in the late 80's. In fact, the inevitable coming down the pipeline at FordMotorCompany motivated me to go out and buy the last of a dying breed a year ago- a manual transmission truck with a real lever operated transfer case and real manual locking hubs. So when it's gone; it's gone forever. I'll tell "old man stories" about that truck to my grandkids in 30 years while they roll their eyes at the crazy old fart sitting in the rocking chair.

The train of progress has already left the proverbial station, guys. And it's too late to catch it. We all spoke loud and clear for the past 10 years with our wallets by increasingly purchasing trucks off dealers' lots with autos and esof. Then we came on here to gripe about how we wish we would've got this option or that transfer case instead of what was sitting out in the driveway. Who made that decision and signed those papers?

So I'll take my moment of silence to remember the venerable manual transmission in the Ford Heavy Duty and Super Duty line of F-Series trucks. I'll take my place next to the GM guy who's still grieving over his long-gone straight axle 20 years ago. May they rest in peace.



Peace guys!

 

There are really three reasons for the demise of the manual:

1)The vast majority of people buy off the lot, so they are stuck getting an auto; thus the demand for manuals seems lower than it actually is

2)The car companies are being forced by emission regulations to build a vehicle that prevents the driver from having any significant input into how the engine operates

3)The diesel horsepower wars of recent years have increased the torque ratings to where the current manuals are no longer strong enough and the manufacturers will not design a better manual (or fit one from a medium duty vehicle)

You can thank the latee slurping, automatic transmission driving do-gooders for the general decline in our quality of life. Laziness rules the world these days.

 

I'll give Neil 2 out of the 4.

 

Right on. My 08 is a manual, she refused to drive it. OK by me. And then we she saw the 09 in my sig. and said if I bought that one she would pay half. Say hello to auto. Best, CB

 

This is just my opinion, but I think the demand for NEW trucks with a manual is next to nothing. I would say it's a lot higher for used trucks. When a new truck costs 50-60k, there are very few people that are going to be able to afford one. A couple of my friends work for Ford dealers and 9 out of 10 new trucks they sell are to retired people looking for something to haul their camper(bad knees, not wanting to shift), lawyers looking for a luxury truck(manual is NOT luxury), or companies buying work trucks(have to have something every employee can drive). On the used car side of their lots, it's a totally different story. Regular guys like me wanting a good used truck buy the manuals the day they hit the lot. I bought two of mine before the previous owners even had a chance to sign the paperwork on the vehicle they just traded it in on lol. They have automatics sitting there for a year before they can sell them, and they generally end up dropping the price way down just to get rid of them.

 

Well I'm entirely disappointed with Ford..

I don't see progress at all here..

I see a product change due to an influx of demand created over the years by consumers who are using these trucks less and less as work vehicles.

How many regular cabs do they sell?

How many XL's?

I'd venture a guess that if Ford made the manual more readily available on the lots, it would probably show that there actually IS more demand for the ZF than there is for regular cab trucks or trucks with XL trim levels..

But it's all part of the same thing, as much as the manual might prove more popular if only it were made more readily available, the product is changing. I would'int say it is all because of new consumers either, the dead heads at Ford have seemed determined to take the product in this direction for some time now..

Somewhere along the line, they got the idea that a work truck simply meant an underpowered half ton with car tires on it.

These trucks are just becoming too over priced anyway.

When I learned to drive, it was with my father's 86' Ram D250. It was fire truck red, and had a 318 / NP435 4 speed. I learned on it, pulled with it, eventually we got another truck - 88 Ford 150 300 with the auto - hated it to death.. Wasint the truck - was the transmission. I remember I kept bugging pop to trade it, and eventually he did - for the same truck with T-18 4 speed in 89...loved it...lol.

Wnet on to own manual ever since.. bought a 94 with the M5od - killer deal, 13,000.00 off the lot.. took care of the weak clutch and replaced the gearing with 4.30's - great tow vehicle..

Got a ZF 5 speed in 95 and could'int stop smiling..

Great cheap trucks that were geared to give awesome torque without crazy big engines..

It's not just the manual, the whole product line is morphing into something else..Some guy in a previous post here has a killer looking white Regular cab 250 4x2 6speed with XL trim - nice truck, and a rarity these days.