For the older readers of BangShift, understand that this question generally is meant for the younger crowd, and for a reason: the manual transmission has been on the endangered list since the late 1980s. While there’s plenty of you who grew up with three pedals and a shifter somewhere (not necessarily on the floor, either) there are some people who have never had to row their own. That is sad, because every time I get into a car with three pedals, I like it…even if it is a little cracker box that might have 100hp on a good day, I like rowing through the gears and running the car the way I want to. I still haven’t driven a car that is shifted on-the-tree, and I haven’t driven a heavy truck near enough to know how to run a multi-level trans. There’s always a first for everything, though, and that’s what we want to hear: the first manual-transmission car you drove.
I’ve recounted often my first driving experience, where I made off with an aunt’s Mustang II when I was five. That was an automatic, and by the time I was twelve, I had been driving enough to be proficient with any car that had one. But a manual…that was something else. I had dirt bikes and three wheelers and the like, but my Camaro ran long enough for me to putt around the property in first and that was about it, so I tend to discount it as my first stick-shift experience. No, easily my first round with a stick shift came when I was thirteen and decided I wanted a job to make money. My stepdad linked me up with his father, and that summer I was a gopher of sorts: I’d cut and split wood, pull weeds and clear construction sites. For that work I was allowed use of a truck: a 1989 Dodge Ram 50.
All 106 horsepower from the 2.6L four cylinder was mine to use as I hauled truckloads of firewood and whatever else from one end of the property to the other. The engine barely had enough power to spin the tires, the clutch was light but provided feedback, and the shifter did its job. By the time that summer was over, I could do pretty much anything anyone could do with a stick shift: shift clutchlessly, start on gravel hills without spraying dirt everywhere, and manage to piss off the owner who equated multiple shifts to me trying to drive fast in that truck. I didn’t make jack squat that year for pay, but lessons on someone else’s truck had their own merit, I guess.
My Dad’s 86 S10, that’s where I got bit by the the mini truck bug.
1965 Comet 6 banger with 3 on the tree. Took me about 10 minutes of stalling out to go 500 yards.
My first car, a 1951 Henry J with three on the tree.
My grandfathers 65 Ford F-100 in 1977 and I’m still driving it today
A 1960 Studebaker station wagon!
1974 Toyota Corolla. After I learned in that bad boy I raced a 70 Swinger 340 4 speed for years 🙂
1973 Duster. My first car and the one I got my license in.
My first car was a 1963 Corvair Spyder Convertible with a 4speed.
Does an old “Kurbmaster” count?? My friend Lenny taught me one Friday afternoon so I could drive the truck the following Saturday. Still makes me laugh.
My 1990 Acura Legend L. First car I ever bought. Nice car for the price.
My high school buddy’s 73 Ford Pinto, followed my the same friends 70 Dodge Challenger a year later. My own rides were all slush boxes until I bought a 85 Camaro Z/28 later in life.
1951 Chev with 3 on floor. Split manifolds. Then, my dad’s company car, 1962 Renault Dauphine, 4 on floor. Showing off with friends one day, the stick came completely out of floor. I was scared to death. Stuck it back in floor, limped home, dummied up and nothing was ever said.
1970ish Chevy Dump truck. The clutch on that truck was the firmest pedal ever. After driving that old beast for a summer everything else has been easy.
84 slant six compound 1st dodge truck from my dad’s print shop back in 87… my 79 prelude crapped out and went home to mommy in the pickup
1981 Datsun 210. With a motor that may have made 50 hp when new, thoroughly shot shifter bushings, and tall rear gears, it wasn’t the easiest car to learn on. My dad’s logic behind teaching me how to drive that car was, “If you can drive the Datsun, you can drive anything.” He was right – I once failed to realize a car had a totally shot clutch on a test drive because it was still much easier to drive than the Datsun had been.
I don’t know if tractors count but I drove them when I was 13. The car would be a 69 Pontiac Tempest with three on the tree. Drove that in driver ed class summer of 1969.
’87 Plymouth Colt. My Mom said I took to the five speed like a fish to water =D It took 12 years before I converted the Skylark to a 5-speed.
I learned to drive in a 1967 Beetle when I was 11. My sister was supposed to be learning to drive at the time and she was so frustrated with stalling it that dad says “I bet your brother can do it” … a little sibling rivalry never hurt anything and I wasn’t about to shrink from the challenge. It didn’t have enough cam to hurt itself so I floored it and dropped the clutch. I can still hear my dad screaming “Shift dammit!” I had ridden motorcycles with a clutch so I had the concept down, but was too excited about unexpectedly driving a moving car to remember to shift.
I taught my little girl, her friends, and a niece in my 98 Mustang but it’s almost impossible to stall. EFI, V8, reasonably light car. I should have had it so good. lol.
1987 F-150. 300-6cyl, four speed with granny.
My dad’s 1964 Chevy 1/2 ton work truck, 3 speed on the column and 6 cyl. I would seek it out and tough myself how to drive the straight shift. Wow 3 on the tree……..memory’s from long ago.
Dad’s 76 Vega with a 4spd.
I was lucky. My folks always had at least one car with a stick. They didn’t have an automatic till my Mom got a new Impala in 1979.
I started on farm tractors at around 7 or 8 years of age if that counts. The 1st vehicle I remember driving on the street with a stick was a ’87 Mustang 4 cylinder 5 speed that belonged to a class mate.
parent’s 72 toyota corolla, then the camper special, 72 c25 292 sm465. first i owned with a stick, was my 77 pontiac astre with saginaw
’68 Camaro conv’t w/ 6 cyl 3 spd on the floor!
My old mans 77 Chevy 3/4 ton 4X4 pick-em-up….I was 14 if memory serves. I only drove that a few times…then the next one was at 18…. I was running a 1988 Ford F350 wrecker for a local company…..
1978 GMC 1/2 ton, 6 cylinder, granny 4-speed and nearly brand new. Radio delete and power steering/brakes. It was my friends dads new work truck. Good times, good times…
1964 Volvo 544. in the mid 1970s. Fun little car. I got to drive it again recently.
Either a 1983 Jeep CJ8 or a 1953 Studebaker Champion. I don’t remember which one was first.
13 or so – 1950 Dodge ‘woodsbomb’ – stripped to the dashboard + front seat.
The hood was saved as a raincover ,had a pick up bed sitting on the frame .
It was used on old railbeds + trails in the woods
I owned one automatic (free w/ 250K miles) until I was 40 yrs old
Wife learned on a stick + towed horses w/ one in high school.
The first vehicle with a clutch was a john Deere tractor (4010), then our farm truck. And then be age 14 I had my 55 Chevy (210), it was a 6 banger with 3 on the tree.
I noticed many 3 on the tree comments, gotta love the old days.
My first drive in a manual trans was a 64 ford half ton . Drove it to the field to the field to feed the cattle and was scared as hell that I would knock the trailer mirrors off going thru the gates…I was 10 ..haven’t thought about that for a long time.
I am not entirely sure which one was first. I drove both at the same time. Learning on two completely different vehicles.
One was my sister’s ’77 Honda Accord hatchback with a 5 speed. She was at bootcamp for the Navy and my ’77 Accord with the Hondamatic was a bore.
Second was my friend’s dad’s ’63 Chevy pickup with a six cylinder and 3 on the tree. His dad didn’t care we borrowed it. He didn’t care when I hit a deer in it. He did care we didn’t bring said deer home after hitting it.
An ’81 Datsun 210 rental car my 3rd day on the job as a lot attendant with BUDGET rent-a car. Probably the coolest job I ever had.
A 77 VW Rabbit.
1935 Chevy 3-window coupe. Hot 327, Muncie 4-speed, 3.70 posi-equipped Olds rear. Built by my grandfather, later bought by my dad before he and my mother were married. I used to sneak it out for a drive when Dad was out of town for work. Awesome little car, WILL have one like it again some day.
The ultimate a 1932 ford 5 window. Learned to drive it when I was 11. My cousin and I were told if you can get it running you can use it to plow your grandmothers huge lot and driveway. You know you can drift a banger in the snow LOL.
I was 14 when my brother cut me loose in his 69 Dodge D200 in a field. Yes I did my the first donuts that day.
My first 2 cars were ’62 Impala 2 doors. The first had a 250 HP 327 and a Powerglide. Peg leg burnouts for miles. It caught fire and the insurance paid off. I found another ’62 with a 300 Hp 327 and M-22 with a Hurst CP shifter from a ’66 Corvette. 600 1970 dollars. We’re havin’ fun now. My buddy Jay and I pulled a 302 out of a wrecked Z-28 (we thought we were going SCCA racing till we found out it took BUCKS) we swapped in the 302 one Friday night, terrorized Mooresville, IN. that weekend and sold the 302 Sunday night for $500. I don’t remember what happened to that car, but it was replaced by a ’67 Camaro with a swapped in 327 and a 3-speed. Then I joined the U.S. Air Force and bought a new ’73 Dodge van with 3 speed and a 318, Followed by a 74 Vega 4 speed. In the early 90s I had some kinda shit box Pontiac mini car with a 5 speed, fun to drive. The last manual trans I had was an S-10 with 5 speed about 8 years ago. I get what you mean about us older guys. Stick shift, no sweat, been doing it since Grampa let me drive the 8N when I was six.
1970.5 Camaro Ralley Sport. 350-4 speed
The car I learned to drive in: 1976 Triumph TR6. My Dad’s daily driver at the time.
My first experience with ANY driving was behind the wheel of a 1963 Chevy 1/2 ton pickup with a 3 on the tree and a straight six. After that, it was a 1977 Chevy K-10, a 1966 VW Beetle, a 1969 Plymouth Road Runner and a 1998 Plymouth Neon DOHC. I still have the Road Runner and the Neon. I have ALWAYS owned a manual transmission vehicle. Granted, I’ve had a few slushboxes, too, but there has always been a clutch car (or truck) in my driveway.
My dad’s 41 Dodge WC12. I was 9 or so and could only get it from 1st to 2nd gear. So I don’t know if that counts.
My mom’s 65 Malibu, 6 cylinder 3 on the tree.
The first car I drove with a manual transmission was my dads 1951 Mercury four door, it had a column shift three speed with a manual over-drive selector which included an electric kick down for passing when in OD. It was a tank of a car but I enjoyed driving it. Wish I had it today. I drove the Merc to high school until I got my own 1955 Chevrolet Bel Aire Hardtop. It had a Borg Warner T-10 close ratio four speed bolted to a 1967 Corvette Fuelie 327 ci. It had a 9 inch rear end with 4.10 ration. It was quick stop light to stop light. Had the glove box of tickets to prove it lol. I was 17 back then and had a car I drove to school in and would run the quarter mile mid 13’s at 110 mph. Those were the days!
As soon as I could reach the pedals, my dad taught me to drive his 1 ton farm truck.
My dad’s ’52 Chevy pickup when I was 14.