Left Leg Training

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ssn696

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Random thought for a Sunday morning. “When did I learn to drive with a manual transmission?” Moving my cousin’s 1974 C30 to mow the grass under it when I was 10 was my first try, but I wouldn’t call that ‘driving’.
Thinking about it, it was in a clapped-out 1984 Chevy tow truck while I was stumbling my way through college. Looking back now, it’s hard to believe that I just got in and figured it out. I once backed a dead double-parked car uphill through hundreds of drunk students at a weekend party at an apartment complex. No place to turn around to hook it up the other way.
Months later, I had a car on the flaps when the traffic light turned red. Pushed the pedal...and nothing. Kept grinding along in the left turn lane. So I shut off the engine and lurched to a stop. Light changed, now what? Turned the key and was amazed the starter motor had enough guts to boot the 454 and get us rolling. I called ahead on the radio to the shop and told them to clear a pull-through spot as I was coming in for a dead-stick landing.
I was pretty sore that they made me come in on Saturday to help replace the clutch..the truck was used up even before Junior Staggerwing got the job. I think we turned the flywheel on a brake rotor lathe. The destroyed clutch smelled like burnt tuna fish.
I’ve been rowing most of the time since then.
 
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ssn696

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At one point, I went back and had a look around, the business was closed, but the truck was still parked out front.
Anderson Sam 1.JPG

Fast-forward to today - it's turned into a Quickie Mart.
1601828088302.png
 
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Ribbedroof

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Jan 4, 2009
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It started on the farm at 14 years old....mowing with the IH444 and driving the '75 F100 out to the field. First daily would have been the M22 in the '70 SS454 Chevelle at the ripe old age of 18.
 
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motorheadmike

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Nov 18, 2009
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I had an hour of instruction in an '88 Z24 before being tossed the keys and told to get my *ss to work (first day at a new job) in the morning.

A subtle - but effective method, Dad.
 
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Bonnewagon

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My Dad had a 1959 VW bug. I used to "help" him work on it. ("Hold the light- HOLD THE ****ING LIGHT!!!) So to move it around I had to learn the clutch. Then when I started to drive he "taught" me the clutch by finding the steepest hill in the neighborhood and making me start off from a dead stop. Many stalls there were. What made it worse was the shifter was so sloppy you never knew what gear you were in until you tried to move. Thus, at my first road test, I started out in third gear and promptly stalled- and failed. But ever since I have been driving a clutch.
 
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ssn696

Living in the Past
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My Dad had a 1959 VW bug. I used to "help" him work on it. ("Hold the light- HOLD THE ****ING LIGHT!!!) So to move it around I had to learn the clutch. Then when I started to drive he "taught" me the clutch by finding the steepest hill in the neighborhood and making me start off from a dead stop. Many stalls there were. What made it worse was the shifter was so sloppy you never knew what gear you were in until you tried to move. Thus, at my first road test, I started out in third gear and promptly stalled- and failed. But ever since I have been driving a clutch.
I can hear the Yoda voice, “Many stalls, there were.”
 
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pagrunt

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Sep 14, 2014
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Back in H.S. I kinda learned on my buddies dad's '50 Chevy truck with a clutch pedal that would push your knee into the bottom of the dash if you let off too lightly. Then graduated to the '57 with the rock crusher. Then last spring having to relearn cause you can't shift the big trucks like a car. I like driving the car more than the trucks at work.
 

Supercharged111

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Oct 25, 2019
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My dad taught me in a lowered Mazda truck substitute. I never learned any finesse until I power train swapped my Trueno in Japan to a supercharged motor and stick shift. Sink or swim. I then learned why the donor was in the boneyard: clutch was smoked. Also had low compression in 1 cylinder. I ran it until it blew up, then rebuilt better faster stronger. Learned a lot on that car.
 
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pontiacgp

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Mar 31, 2006
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Way back when I took a driving course I wanted a commercial license which meant I had to drive a standard for the test. The stuck me in a Beetle with a stick which was ok but it was only after a month after I had gone through my buddies Beetle's windshield. I passed the test but I think the tester has his eyes closed most of the time.... :popcorn:
 
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ssn696

Living in the Past
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My dad taught me in a lowered Mazda truck substitute. I never learned any finesse until I power train swapped my Trueno in Japan to a supercharged motor and stick shift. Sink or swim. I then learned why the donor was in the boneyard: clutch was smoked. Also had low compression in 1 cylinder. I ran it until it blew up, then rebuilt better faster stronger. Learned a lot on that car.
The early ones were retro-cool!
1601839057442.png
 
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