So I have my truck just where I want it to be. Rebuilt engine, rebuilt transmission, disc brake conversion. My oldest is driving now and I decided to teach her how to drive stick shift. A little bit scared that my t98 granny gear might not survive. I thought about renting a manual car. Then I thought to myself what the f--- let's do this.

On our third lesson and it's going great. Just some grinding downshifting from 4th to 3rd but we're getting over that. Anyone else teach their kids the lost art?

 

Oh the memories, 17 years ago I taught my daughter on a 2000 truck. For months then years after that she would be so proud of herself that she could drive a stick and most of the guys she knew could not.

Use your truck, it will create a great memory and she'll probably want to be the next care taker of it.

Pat

 

Great story Pat! I have twin daughters that will be joining her in about 3 years. I have another t98 in the yard that I might have to switch in but that's okay. At least I'll learn how to do a transmission swap.

 

Good on you, I mean great job. I taught my two sons to ride a bicycle, but had to walk away when it was my daughter's turn. I can still hear the screaming 25 years later.

No way I could have taught her to drive any form of automobile, let alone a stick.

 

Taught both of my boys on a three on the tree. My little girl (now 21), learned on a granny low four speed at the tender age of 12. Back in the day, I taught my wife to drive a three on the tree Dodge Demon. Boy I loved that slant six.

 

My 18 year old has a five speed in her 09 focus and she loves it, but she has trouble with the 5 speed in my 65. It is out of a 95ish 150 so I don't understand the confusion. My 11 year old took her car for a spin in the field at my mom's house. He picked it up pretty easily. My 20 year old couldn't quite get the hang of it, but wasn't too interested and the 15 year old hasn't tried yet but her time is coming. I think they should all know how to drive one.

 

Taught my son, at 17, to drive stick by buying him a Toyota pickup with a 5 speed. Dropped him off at the new truck and told him "See you at home!" It took him a while, but he got there in one piece.

 

Having grew up young with motorcycles, when it came time to drive a stick it wasn't too much of a learning curve. The principle is exactly the same.

Well, it's impossible to let it get away from you and flip the truck, but you know what I mean.

 

Had both kids try the '09 Tacoma. Daughter knows enough to do it in a pinch, which was the object of the lesson. Son is a little more practiced and has driven other MT rigs. One thing I did with him was have him stop on a level street and get it going in 1st with no throttle. Really gives them the feel of the clutch and trains on a smooth engagement.

 

Both my son's learned on their own after they left home. I would have loved to have that shared experience. It's possible I could still teach my daughter, but she's 27 and lives 3 hours away, so it probably won't happen. I did teach my cousin to drive a standard many years ago when she was 14 in my brand new '84 Ranger PU. She doesn't even remember it.

 

My dad would not let us get a lic. till we knew how to drive stick and said we all had to take our driving test in one.
I don't remember if my brother or sisters did or not but I had to in a van with a camper top and 3 on the tree. I know my oldest sisters first new car was a stick, 5spand I know my brother can drive stick don't know if little sister can drive stick or not?

That is ruff Like throwing them in the pool to learn to swim LOL
Dad did they to me with my permit. He took me for it and coming out he handed me the keys and said " lets go to work!" less than a mile down the road I had to get on the high way, for the first time, for the 10 mile drive to work LOL

I know for me and think my brother from dad and pretty sure my son from Grampa, all learned clutch by moving cars & trucks around our small yard for dad to work on them. That is a great way to learn clutch feel.
Dad gave us kids driving lessons as I did my son.
Dave ----

 

So the stick shift driving has been great until recently. We experienced what I like to call Mr. Toad's Wild Ride: A few weeks ago we went out for about the 8th time. The ****s have been very smooth and everything has been great. We even took the dog this time. When we started out on our ride she was stalling out on first when she hasn't done in a long time. Did it three or four times, then she started to get back into the rhythm of it.

Came to a stop light with a house right across the street and a left and a right turn. When she put it in gear all of the sudden the engine shot up to about 5000 RPM and the tires were spinning like a son of a gun. I helped her make the left turn and told her to turn the key off but it took a few seconds to do this. I took over and limped the truck home and went to investigate.

The new Daytona carb has a little plastic tab that is connected to an s hook. The retaining ring that connected the tab to the shaft fell off and the tab was disconnected. The missing tab must have caused the linkage to unravel.

Good thing the old truck didn't have any weight in the back which let the tires spin, otherwise we both might have gone right into a house. I kind of thought that experience would end the old truck driving, but we went back to it last weekend and everything is great again.

So glad I was there with her when this happened. I feel confident she could handle this situation by herself in the future now. The dog doesn't want to go for a ride anymore. lol.

 

I have three kids and none can drive stick. I am trying with the last one. Every Sunday is driving school for me and my 18-year-old son. I have a 66 three speed on the column, and I try to teach him every Sunday. We’ve been doing this for about a year. I’m not very successful. It goes in spurts. He gets frustrated. I am patient, at least I think I am. I also have a four-speed 1970 Coronet and I’m wondering if the four on the floor might be easier? I don’t know. What do you guys think? Its tough to hand them down when I am gone if they cant drive them.

 

I taught my wife to drive a stick as well as all 3 of my boys, and coming soon 2 grandsons. In my family it's a right of passage. NO STICK, NO CAR.

When I met my wife, I was about 20 and had never owned an automatic. So I told her if she wanted to drive , she'd have to learn stick. The first car I bought for her after that was an automatic, it was a 72 Grand Torino that I got a super deal on and couldn't pass up.

 

I taught my three kids how to drive in my 66 F100 3spd column shift before they got their learners permits. Spent a lot of time with them at our bird lease driving up and down lease roads. They did run off the dirt roads into the brush a few times but they all learned how to drive without power steering or power brakes and I think they are much better drivers as a result.