Driving experience you have forgotten about...

[Dr Smith]

Thought I'd share a driving experience I'd forgotten how fun it used to be...

For the last 2 years my daily drive is a manual so I have this habit of reaching for the gear selector when wanting to down change and accelerate if driving our Terry instead.

I loaned a friend one of our vans and he left his FG X6RT with me.

So....driving to work, 2 lanes in my direction, bus up ahead slowing for bus stop and I have a nice gap available if I merge right...this time I do remember I'm in an auto but still reach down for the gear selector and flick it into manual, down change 2 gears and just add some throttle with the turbo right in it's sweet spot..no massive leap forward, no mismatched revs, just this great wave of power and torque as I slot in and try to avoid the car behind needing to brake...I love our Terry but my old G6ET was something else...

[Vesper Martini]

I recall when I drove a manual and hadn't for a long time.. forgetting to downshift at the end of a freeway & nearly stalling the car.

as much as I like driving a car, the thought of driving one as a daily to work in traffic would do my head in nowadays.

[BENT_8]

Just driving old cars in general, no reminder to belt up, no airbags, no power steering, cable or linkage operated clutch, no A/C, no power windows, no cruise, no cup holders,just you and the car driving down the road, can of coke in one hand, winding the window down with the other whilst steering with knee's..cue the faux outrage

[FTE217]

driving autos does my head in......
Boring no matter how quick so over rated due to the "ease" in traffic, laziness more like it.
I get manuals were dogs back in the day - some clutchs were hard yaddayadda and less traffic.
I drive my manual Sprint many times around metro traffic, the clutch is like butter to me and down shifting to power up is pretty much synced.
Dr Smith, my auto BM goes very well when needing to give it the boot and shifts with ease BUT once back in the Sprint my experience is worth every shift back and forth mis timed or not its gold
Double shuffling back down is music to my ears and so uncommon today.
Always takes me back when manuals ruled the sales.

[Big_Daz]

One that stands out for me was 15 odd years ago (when Jap Imports was a relatively new thing and R32/33 skylines weren't all that common yet), a mate of mine had an accident and got quite a large payout from it. One of the things he bought was a freshly imported R33 GTST Skyline... White with some White rims of some description. It had a 2.7 litre Stroker RB built with all the good gear, T88, etc etc. Thing had a HEAP of HP, bad manners and came on boost like turning on a light switch. He didn't like driving it so I would drive it when we would go out. The first time we took it out, he warned me "she's a handful when she comes on to boost, just so you know"... Yep, sure as s*(t was... Now I got used to the way it drove, and had some awesome fun in it (it was a highway race monster -in mexico of course) but that bloody first drive (and the first full boost pull in second gear) still stays with me. Ive driven faster cars since, but nothing that hit boost that bloody aggresively....

Good times, car ended up being sold with the new owner, unfortunately, writing it off almost immediately..

[DJM83]

From my old Focus XR5T. (now have an FG turbo)
Push button start.
My old ST.
Push button start.
Keyless entry.

[Tonz]

Mini cooper doing handbrake turns on a frozen lake in southern New Zealand best run was spun 16 times. so much fun.

[Sprintey]

Valiant Hemi with a column shift - Grampa's V8 killer

Column shift manuals in general, that regal way of driving them. Pull down and toward you for first, push up, let it fall back to it's midpoint, then up into second (power on!), such a gentle slide down into 3rd.

Combine with bench seat and girlfriend right next to you

We've really gone backward....

[FTE217]

Originally Posted by Tonz

Mini cooper doing handbrake turns on a frozen lake in southern New Zealand best run was spun 16 times. so much fun.

haha classic times, we were doing similar with Mini Mokes on grass down slopes.
Not 16 times like ice but never bothered to count for we were too much.

[FTE217]

Originally Posted by Sprintey

Valiant Hemi with a column shift - Grampa's V8 killer

Column shift manuals in general, that regal way of driving them. Pull down and toward you for first, push up, let it fall back to it's midpoint, then up into second (power on!), such a gentle slide down into 3rd.

Combine with bench seat and girlfriend right next to you

We've really gone backward....

ah yes the good ol 3 on the tree !
My first car wasa HG Kingswood 2 tonne 3 on the tree.
You'd get something like 45mph in first thrashing out those 186 red motors and all then slam up into 2nd up top BUT those damn linkages at times would "lock up"
You looked a real failure when having a run against someone from the lights
The next forgotten experience with that car the amont of diffs I blew due to having 10" rims with good ol BF Goodrich tyres, ok maybe my burn outs used to be slightly excessive .

[Citroënbender]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

Just driving old cars in general, no reminder to belt up, no airbags, no power steering, cable or linkage operated clutch, no A/C, no power windows, no cruise, no cup holders,just you and the car driving down the road, can of coke in one hand, winding the window down with the other whilst steering with knee's..cue the faux outrage

One of my dailies ticks quite a few of those boxes, the heat does get you in summer.

[five 7]

Rag to wipe down inside windows on cold winter mornings.

[FTE217]

Originally Posted by five 7

Rag to wipe down inside windows on cold winter mornings.

Qrtr windows pushed all way out so as to aid in demisting as well....

[Mulva]

I miss key-bangers when passing cyclists or schoolkids at bus-stops.

[MITCHAY]

When I was learning to drive I was doing split duties between manual and auto. Since then it has been 99.9% manual driving so when I drive an auto on the rare occasion I have the muscle memory to go hunting for the clutch and gear stick.

After a while I get used to not having to change gears and it is a nice change where almost everyone is driving an auto.

Eventually I get back in my car and have forgot to change gear or use the clutch. This is usually the only time I stall though on rare occasion I have forgotten to put it in neutral.

But once I'm orientated again it is so good to be back in a manual because autos tend to get boring though the ones I have driven don't have much go

[5thFordWA]

Being a mechanic in a dealership, and being off a farm as a kid, continually swapping between manual and auto doesn't faze me, even at over 70yo and long retired. But 4 years ago I rented a manual 6 speed Tucson LHD in Austria - now that is different - getting used to changing gears with your right hand, something your brain has never done. I really had to concentrate, and it took a couple of days to really get used to it.

But something now almost forgotten? Cruise Control, or the lack of it.
When it started coming in it was quite rare, and I used to think what a waste of money, just laziness, just a gimmick, etc. Then sometimes I thought it might be handy, like when I was driving our Mitsi L300 across Australia, coming home was hard on the right leg, but you sort of didn't worry about it.
Then I bought a 2 yo 1996 EF sedan with cruise, and I realised what a great thing it is. I did several cross Nullarbor trips in that one, and the next BA, and even my WRX manual has cruise. I love it. And for those that think it must be so boring on cruise control that you would fall asleep, I find the opposite. I just don't get as tired from the overall driving experience, and can do a fair bit of long distance without needing a week to recover, it really makes a difference.

[hayseed]

Pulling out the Choke to Start something..

[Rallye Sport]

Originally Posted by FTE217

Qrtr windows pushed all way out so as to aid in demisting as well....

Yes! Opening quarter windows are something I'd almost forgotten about.
Its the thing I'm most looking forward too when I start driving the Mk1 again.

[jaydee]

Being able to drive fast, real fast, and at worst only get a speeding ticket.
Now you go to Court, lose your license and your car gets impounded.
Oh, and always losing your seat belt buckle down the seat until they invented buckles on stalks.

[MITCHAY]

Originally Posted by hayseed

Pulling out the Choke to Start something..

Haha I'm pretty sure my mates Laser had a choke maybe a KA/KB Laser? Anyways it was also decked out with neons and subs when Fast and the Furious came out

Now that I think of it, driving a car without power steering and when speed cameras didn't exist

[five 7]

Points And match stricker or if you're lucky enough to have a
"Lady" on board a nail file to the rescue.

[five 7]

Originally Posted by FTE217

Qrtr windows pushed all way out so as to aid in demisting as well....

Still using that aircon most days

[Tassie f100]

Originally Posted by FTE217

ah yes the good ol 3 on the tree !
My first car wasa HG Kingswood 2 tonne 3 on the tree.
You'd get something like 45mph in first thrashing out those 186 red motors and all then slam up into 2nd up top BUT those damn linkages at times would "lock up"
You looked a real failure when having a run against someone from the lights
The next forgotten experience with that car the amont of diffs I blew due to having 10" rims with good ol BF Goodrich tyres, ok maybe my burn outs used to be slightly excessive .

Dunno how you got a 2 tonne HG,I thought they were about 1500 kg

[Tassie f100]

Originally Posted by MITCHAY

Haha I'm pretty sure my mates Laser had a choke maybe a KA/KB Laser? Anyways it was also decked out with neons and subs when Fast and the Furious came out

Now that I think of it, driving a car without power steering and when speed cameras didn't exist

Yeah the Laser would have a manual choke,like Falcons pre XE,HZ Holdens,VB Commodores

[jaydee]

Originally Posted by Tassie f100

Dunno how you got a 2 tonne HG,I thought they were about 1500 kg

It was loaded with 500kg of brickies sand.

[hayseed]

Originally Posted by Tassie f100

Dunno how you got a 2 tonne HG,I thought they were about 1500 kg

i think he might've meant 2 Tone...

[FTE217]

Originally Posted by hayseed

i think he might've meant 2 Tone...

Thankyou spot on ! Damn typo

[Fed]

Back in the day we used to have a bunch of Escort panel vans for work and even now I've been known to use the wipers as indicators.

Gear stick air swings are common for me even going between two autos, Commodore & Falcon.

Wanting to hold the door handle up when locking the Commodore happens sometimes.

Three on the tree Holden gear shift lock ups sure brings back memories as does the lift up ram air vent on the early ones.

Vacuum wipers, Oh what a joy they were.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by Rallye Sport

Yes! Opening quarter windows are something I'd almost forgotten about.
Its the thing I'm most looking forward too when I start driving the Mk1 again.

Been driving the panel van around with the rear quarter windows open this last week. makes a difference in the humidity. no AC.

[mondeomatureguy]

Hi guys,
When i was a young guy 19 years old i worked for a Company in Paddington in Sydney and part of my duties were to pick the Garbage up from the tenants in building such as the transmission Service center , Brake Centre Etc.

They had a valiant ute manual gearbox and the thing went like a rocket, but the door handle was broken on the drivers side and you could only open it from the outside.

One day i was doing burn outs in the ute on the top story of the building when i saw my boss and forgot the drivers side door wouldn't open from the inside. He didn't sack me for doing the burn outs instead he docked my pay until i payed for two rear tyres.