I certainly dig my '99 F250SD w/6spd man trans. and 7.3L diesel. As for towing up/down hills, you do just like the semis do shift up, shift down. Works really well. Except in holiday traffic, in LA, on the 'freeway'. First truck was a '60 GMC, three on the tree, too. Too bad there won't be any more.
Several years ago I asked a GM engineer about the manuals losing market share and he responded it was due to cost. A manual transmission and all the components are much more expensive to manufacturer than the automatics.
That was directly after GM stopped installing the NV4500 in the Chevy 1500s.
That was directly after GM stopped installing the NV4500 in the Chevy 1500s.
A few weeks ago I heard a story on the radio about 3 (I think) teens that tried to carjack a woman's car. It was a standard and they couldn't figure out how to make it go. She stood there laughing at them, then they ran away.
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I would absolutely be behind an effort to make this law. Maybe add a few hours in a semi too so that people know what they are messing with.
That being said, I prefer an automatic. Just lazy I guess. Well that and I drive something with a clutch every single day of my life.
That is awesome.
I would support it to, if we can also add in a requirement for licensing to operate a computer. With extensive testing for those over 50.
I'd prefer a manual, but my knee doesn't like it too much....
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When a computer can collide with my family and either mame or kill them, then sure. I'm with you.
We have nothing but Allison automatics in our trucks at work now. Its nice not doing clutch jobs any more. An ISX-15 with an Allison behind it isn't a bad setup when you have mostly inexperienced drivers.
It's not just Ford--nobody puts a man trans in a full-size truck these days. Much as it galls me to say it, there's just not enough uptake to justify the expense on the part of the manufacturers.
The first car I ever bought had a slushbox, but the first car I ever drove and ten of my first twelve vehicles had a man trans--and two of the first four had three-onna-tree (and I still have both of them). Aside from that $200 beater, I didn't own a slushboxed vehicle 'til '01.
BTW, they're not doing away with the stick for the Mustang or the Focus; there's still enough of a market there to justify keeping them (the continuing popularity of clutches in Europe really helps the Focus on that count).
The first car I ever bought had a slushbox, but the first car I ever drove and ten of my first twelve vehicles had a man trans--and two of the first four had three-onna-tree (and I still have both of them). Aside from that $200 beater, I didn't own a slushboxed vehicle 'til '01.
BTW, they're not doing away with the stick for the Mustang or the Focus; there's still enough of a market there to justify keeping them (the continuing popularity of clutches in Europe really helps the Focus on that count).
Damn skippy, unless you have a physical disability that prevents you from operating a stick. And being a dumbass suffering from craniorectal inversion is not a physical disability.
