Getting a vehicle with a manual transmission was great advise in 1990

pinchvalve (Forum Supporter) said:

If you insist on teaching your kids to drive a manual, I assume you are also teaching them to tune their carburetor,

Already gone over some basic carburetor work with my 14 year old.

gap their points,

I must draw the line somewhere. I plan to go over fabricating crank triggers for engines with no aftermarket options instead. 

pry off their hubcaps,

That one they should be able to figure out themselves...

put a spout into an oil can,

Bah, you can just use a can opener. 

and change their flat tires.? 

Definitely covering that unless digital nails become standard in the next few years.

I taught DW how to drive a stick when we first married.  She dutifully learned, but didn't enjoy it, so I never made her do it after that.

DD#1 wanted to learn, so I taught her, and she eventually bought her own Miata.

DD#2 actively did not want to learn, and I saw no reason to force her.

MadScientistMatt said:

pinchvalve (Forum Supporter) said:

If you insist on teaching your kids to drive a manual, I assume you are also teaching them to tune their carburetor,

Already gone over some basic carburetor work with my 14 year old.

Hahah.  My 15yo is not enthusiastic about it but I pull her into the garage from time to time.  Most recently was when I was assembling my RS250 engine to show the basics of two-stroke engines, which led into a discussion of pipe design and resonance.  I received a brake master cylinder last night and described how it served the same purpose as a part from a hydraulics project she did in her physics class.  

She wants to be an aerospace engineer.  Learning how things work - even obsolete stuff - can only help.  My engineering education was very theoretical and that made it more difficult for me.

My wife thought she knew how to drive a manual trans.  Until I let her try the 914!

Sadly this was over a decade ago and the car is no longer here. However my daughter is now 21 and drives an 8th gen Civic with 5spd (unfortunately no Si, yet) She does some basic adulting stuff like tire pressures, adding washer fluid, checking oil. 

One of my son's friends didn't know how to add washer fluid, at 25! Nick was astounded that the guy made it this far...

Tried to teach my wife how to drive a MT a few times.  She did ok in a parking lot but would freak out when people were behind her on the road.  She's not a great driver to begin with, so I dropped it.  Tried to teach my daughter, she just couldn't get the cadence of clutch/gas down and lost interest.  I didn't force her.  My son will likely want to learn but the only car that's a MT in the garage is my 600hp 996 turbo and that's *not* a great car for someone to learn MT on...

porschenut said:

My wife thought she knew how to drive a manual trans.  Until I let her try the 914!

I'm 64, I've driven manual shift vehicles since 1967, when I was installed in a1959 CJ5 in low range and set loose in the field, and I cannot yet drive a rear (or mid) engined beetle-like thing.  It's like stirring oatmeal.  Not her fault.

In terms of rarity, I've been in a good few hundred cars on dealership lots this year, and I've seen 2 manuals, at least 10x as many EVs.

It's called progress, like fuel injection, or the electric starter. You can enjoy the old ways if you like, but I want what makes my job behind the wheel easier and allows me to focus purely on driving. And this is what I teach my DE kids. They want to learn stick? They can bring that up with their parents.

Additionally, after just finishing watching the Rolex 24, how many of those cars have three pedals? And, not just so they can pull away from the pits in first gear? They have manuals, but generally no third pedal. Is that what we're talking about here? Cause a paddle shifted manual is quite engaging and fun to drive. And it allows you to keep your hands where they belong. On the steering wheel.

Most of my friends can shift a manual transmission. Class of '79. There were a whole lot more manuals around when we got our driver's licenses. I do remember trying to teach Ann R. before school one morning in my MG Midget. She somehow managed to create a situation where the engine wasn't actually stalled but neither was it fully running in 1st gear. It had knock-off wire wheels and the wheels were clacking on the hubs. My son pretty much knew how from riding dirt bikes. I like manual transmissions with a clutch pedal just because it's more mechanical fun. I'm 3 manuals with 1 auto.

One pedal driving will be a greater life skill for most persons under the age of 20 to hone. The real reason to learn how to drive a manual is longevity and serviceability of the gearbox. 

vwcorvette (Forum Supporter) said:

It's called progress, like fuel injection, or the electric starter. You can enjoy the old ways if you like, but I want what makes my job behind the wheel easier and allows me to focus purely on driving.

This reminds me of a certain C. S. Lewis quote:

"Progress means getting nearer to the place you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turn, then to go forward does not get you any nearer.
If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; and in that case the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive man."

While there are automatic transmissions that can beat a manual transmission for performance or fuel economy, I still have yet to drive a car where I find myself thinking an automatic version is more fun or more engaging to drive. Sometimes I think the extra convenience is worth the car being less fun, but I haven't found an automatic that can match the fun.factor of a manual. Making things less fun because it fits some goal of "progress" does not sound like the right road.

One of my HS friends learned to drive manual transmission in a Porsche 930 Turbo. His father's friend liked the scotch and tossed him the keys.

I didn't get to ride along that time but I did another time when it was in the same guy's 1990 Z32 (twin turbo) 300zx. He also had a white NSX and a red Testarossa in a large garage. No HS kids were ever offered the keys for that last one. 

I put my older two in manual cars and plan to put my youngest in one. In the cars I can afford for my children, the cool ones are still manual. It's also an easily teachable skill that lets them stand out, gives them a sense of being a car person, and shows them that a lot of things people consider difficult just require practice. 

Side benefit-none of their friends will be able to drive their car.

I've taught many people to operate a manual transmission car. The easy method to teach someone- give them a brief overview of what the clutch does. Brief. They just need to know that it disconnects the engine from the transmission. Clutch pushed in, the engine can turn without the car rolling and vice versa. Clutch out, they are connected together. Take them to an empty parking lot. Focus on the clutch pedal only. Have them get the car rolling only by releasing the clutch, no gas. If done slowly/smoothly enough, any car built in the last 30 years should have no problem leaving a stop in first gear without touching the gas. Do it over and over until they are consistent and smooth, and then have them add a bit of gas. They will learn the relationship of less gas the slower they have to release the clutch, and more gas, the faster they can release it. Changing gears is simple, 99% of what they need to learn is getting the car moving and coming to a stop. I've taught people who have never driven a car before this way and they were good in about an hour.