Stick shift or automatic?

Stick for me. I current drive a work truck (and take it home) that's auto. I find it annoying to find a place for my left foot to be. Other than that, I only own a motorcycle at the moment and obviously it's a manual - which I love. Same as Iron Lizard, there are no freeways here so it's all stop and go.

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Originally Posted by sheath

I've changed the clutch in my manual transmission cars once each in the 8-10 years I've owned each of them. I'm either on the clutch and speed shifting or I'm off of it, I don't hold it down at stop lights or "pop it". So yeah, the few hundred dollars for a new clutch once in the life of the car doesn't seem equivalent to the several thousand dollars fixing a transmission costs.

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The only problem with this, is that there are some really crap replacement parts out there. I've replaced a clutch disc in an Acura twice in a total of 2 years, once because the previous owner put a lighter duty version in there and it didn't last (the springs broke), the second one (the one I replaced it with) was cheap and broke the springs as well. These were autozone parts.

Unless a person is good enough to rebuild an Auto ,and I know plenty who are, manuals are cheaper to rebuild.

Autos are far more complicated, they need a brain ,the valve body , and a hydraulic pump to replace a persons arm and foot. They have clutch packs inside that can burn up and eventually wear out. Autos are also heavier. In many cases like my mustang the T5 manual transmission could be taken out with out removing the clutch and bellhousing. I have watched people, would never recommended it, bench press out a T5 transmission. I would die if I tried that on old Lemans with an th400 (auto) or even the much smaller POS Toyota trans in my Volvo.

That being said Autos are easier to build to take power.

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Originally Posted by tomaitheous

The only problem with this, is that there are some really crap replacement parts out there. I've replaced a clutch disc in an Acura twice in a total of 2 years, once because the previous owner put a lighter duty version in there and it didn't last (the springs broke), the second one (the one I replaced it with) was cheap and broke the springs as well. These were autozone parts.

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Weird, I've never asked where my mechanic(s) got the parts, but I am fairly certain I haven't had a clutch replaced twice within 80-100k miles.

I learned how to drive in this sports car.

http://www.messengerpuppet.com/_Photos/1993.sized.jpg

Needless to say it was a stick.

I've always had the mindset that if the automatic transmission starts to go, then it's just time for a new car.

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Originally Posted by Blades

I learned how to drive in this sports car.

http://www.messengerpuppet.com/_Photos/1993.sized.jpg

Needless to say it was a stick.

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That looks like a granny car, are you sure it was stick...

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Originally Posted by azonicrider

That looks like a granny car, are you sure it was stick...

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It was a '93 Prizm. It had no options, including AC. Bitchin' ride during a Baltimore summer.

I didn't like stick. The novelty wears off when you hit rush hour traffic on the beltway. I'm pretty sure the left side of my body is still stronger.

The new dual clutch boxes can shift faster than any human foot.