Where did you learn to use a manual transmission?

[Cigar Mike]

I was 19 years old and working at a napalm bomb factory. I learned on a 20,000 lb. Hyster forklift. Perfect place to learn while unloading empty bomb cases and loading trucks with filled bombs. That was 45 years ago.

 

[kpinvt]

On my way home from the Volkswagen dealer with my brand new 1978 Rabbit. It was clear sailing after I got on the highway until about 5 miles from home I ran into bumper to bumper traffic crawling all the way to my exit. First, second, first, second, first, second, first, second, first, second, first, second, first, second, first, second, first, second, first, second, first, second, first, second, first, second, first, second, first, second, first, second, first, second, first, second, first, second, first, second, first, second, first, second, first, second, first, second, first, second, first, second, first, second, first, second, I figured it out.

 

[CaptDL]

Ancient crash firefighting trucks in the Air Force. 011A/B with 3rd gear about 4" into the dashboard. The 530 with its nonsyncro bucket of rocks. The P-4 with a 6 spd semi-auto was a blessing.

 

[Russell733]

I first used a clutch and manual shifter on an old International garden tractor mowing lawns when I was 10 or 11. I was also driving a Bobcat skidsteer loader back then. Then the summer I was going to turn 16 I started driving my mothers car up and down the dirt road we had down to the lake, an old Volkswagon Squareback.
Bought my first bike that same summer when I turned 16, a 1975 XL250 Honda dual sport and learned to ride that on the same little dirt road and the lawn and field and trails around it.

 

[itlives]

1970, got a 1964 VW Beetle for $235. Dad drove me around to a new subdivision that had no houses yet , only roads. He pulled the parking brake (yes, it worked!) on the steepest hill he could find and said change seats and drive!
Kept that car for 5 years until I drove it right up under a lifted pickup truck.

Then, I got a 1971 (I think) Suzuki ST125. Learned to ride on that.

Lots of stories with those two vehicles!

 

[CobraJet]

I'm pretty sure it was a three-on-the-tree '57 Chevy 210 that my brother owned, but it's been so long I can't really remember. I learned to ride my Yamaha DT250 in a field next to the hangar in Atsugi, Japan. The military police weren't too thrilled, but I explained that I HAD to practice in order to get my license. They left me alone since I seemed to catch on real quick anyway.

I taught both of my daughters in my '82 Mustang GT. They both prefer a stick to this day, although one drives an automatic.

 

[jggassert]

I learned at around age 10 on an old Allis-Chalmers farm tractor. My legs weren't long enough to teach the foot clutch so I learned with the hand clutch.


Jeremy "Doc" G
Using Tapatalk on one of my Apple devices...it's cool, I know I have a problem.

 

[Naked_Duc]

I learned in a car, my first car.

The summer of my senior year in high school, I got my dad to agree to buy me a car (1995). I had $4000 to spend so my options were limited. Used car lots after used car lots, I couldn't find anything cool nor within my price range. Then I wondered to a Chevy dealership to see a used Saturn Ion. It was crap and Expensive! I was pretty disappointed at that time, that is, when I saw a '83 Mazda RX-7 in dark grey. FREAKIN' AWESOMEST CAR EVER (to a 18 year old). The car is in mint condition with 35,000 miles on it.

I bought the RX-7 the next day, after having a friend's dad checked it out for me (didn't tell my dad). Now here's the kicker... it's a 5-speed manual and I didn't know how to drive a manual... well, I knew how to drive a manual IN THEORY but I hadn't driven one in person. So it was all a done deal. Friend's dad took off and left me there to finish paper work and wait for the oil change, etc. I then taught myself how to drive a manual in the 3 mile drive home... I killed the engine 2 times at the stop light and burned some rubber trying to start at a incline. It was a great car. I still miss it.

Oh and then my dad found out what I bought. He figured I'd be a POS hatchback that can barely do highway speed. When I showed up with a big grin in a shiny sporty car, he was not at all amused...

 

[Longshot379]

When I was 10 in the spring of 79, My father bought a 78 Suzuki DS 80 that I rode for a while till I got something else, I think it was a Honda CL 100. Years later I was in high school at the age of 15 with a learners permit riding a 1980 Honda CX500 till the Florida Highway Patrol found out and put a stop to it till I turned 16 in about 6 weeks. First cage was a Datsun Pick up with a 5sp. Second was a 72 Mustang with a 3spd. I have since spent 15 years driving big trucks with as many as 20spd transmissions. One even had two sticks.

 

[buckshot]

I learned in a car, my first car.

The summer of my senior year in high school, I got my dad to agree to buy me a car (1995). I had $4000 to spend so my options were limited. Used car lots after used car lots, I couldn't find anything cool nor within my price range. Then I wondered to a Chevy dealership to see a used Saturn Ion. It was crap and Expensive! I was pretty disappointed at that time, that is, when I saw a '83 Mazda RX-7 in dark grey. FREAKIN' AWESOMEST CAR EVER (to a 18 year old). The car is in mint condition with 35,000 miles on it.

I bought the RX-7 the next day, after having a friend's dad checked it out for me (didn't tell my dad). Now here's the kicker... it's a 5-speed manual and I didn't know how to drive a manual... well, I knew how to drive a manual IN THEORY but I hadn't driven one in person. So it was all a done deal. Friend's dad took off and left me there to finish paper work and wait for the oil change, etc. I then taught myself how to drive a manual in the 3 mile drive home... I killed the engine 2 times at the stop light and burned some rubber trying to start at a incline. It was a great car. I still miss it.

Oh and then my dad found out what I bought. He figured I'd be a POS hatchback that can barely do highway speed. When I showed up with a big grin in a shiny sporty car, he was not at all amused...

Funny, my mother had a similar reaction when I bought my RX-8 back in December. I just said I was going to go take a look at a little, four door Mazda with a 1.3L.......
My Dad on the other hand couldn't wait to drive it.

 

[Ridealot]

I learned on my brother's old small Dodge Ram truck. It was a good little truck, pretty forgiving on the clutch so it made it pretty easy. I drove manuals for most of my life, they can be fun and a pain to drive!

When I bought my motorcycle I was scared to death of the shifting. It really had me worried on how it worked. Everyone told me that I would pick it up real easy. Well I taught myself, and it was easy! No big deal at all!