Author Topic: Why the death of the stick shift is almost irrelevant to the classic car scene  (Read 1476 times)


deathsled

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Point well taken. Good read. Thanks.
"Low she sits on five spoke wheels
Small block eight so live she feels
There she's parked beside the curb
Engine revving to disturb
She's the princess from his past
Red paint gold stripes damned she's fast"

shelbydoug

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It's generational. Automatics have changed dramatically and are by far the higher performer in todays cars.

The computer thinks way faster then I can and certainly beats my reaction times.

The manual is the better way in a classic car but not so in current production. It is almost as though the automatic is an unfair advantage now.
68 GT350 Lives Matter!

98SVT - was 06GT

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Henry Ford II said it himself, way back in 1970: "I think the glamour of the automobile is decreasing... People are looking at it now as a machine to get from place to place to do something else."

People were not looking at their cars as transportation pods then but, .gov was beginning their march against the internal combustion engine with choking smog laws and rules regulation modifications.
Which is why we were given the 71 Mustang land yacht and 74 Pinto/Mustang. Don't forget the J car was originally equipped with an automatic and the 2 converted for CanAm retained the automatics.
I find it amusing that they include the option of self shifting performance car automatics but the computer does it so much better it's a worthless ego feature.
My 2015 Lincoln MKc (think Ford Escape) has a sport mode and paddle shifters on the steering wheel. WHY????

I enjoy my stick shift cars but for a commuter on an LA freeway give me an auto.
« Last Edit: October 04, 2021, 01:15:17 PM by 98SVT - was 06GT »
Previous owner 6S843 - GT350H & 68 GT500 Convert #135.
Mine: GT1 Mustang Track Toy, 1998 SVT Cobra, Wife's: 2004 Tbird
Member since 1975 - priceless

FL SAAC

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All the big gun performance cars have gravitated towards auto fellali, porsha, ramborghini, new gt500, c8 etc

The new drivers well.....

Living RENT FREE in your minds...

Home of the Hertz Musketeers 

A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs.  It's jolted by every pebble on the road

I have all UNGOLD cars

I am certainly not a Shelby Expert

Life is short B happy

67 GT350

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I wish people were willing to "THINK"... Driving a car should be fun, thinking like an auto with a manual is such fun, it give a new understanding to driving. I do not and am not the fastest person on a road, but when I am in a car with a manual, I feel more connected. I do not have to be faster than a guy in a car who just needs to press an electric gas pedal and have a computer adjust a car to blow me away....I want to drive off and say to my wife, whaja think of that? And she says, "with all that noise, is there something wrong with the car?" and I say, "doesn't that smell great?" As I merge on a ramp and there is a SUV that passes me with ease! I still can smile....knowing that that Macan GTS is much faster than what I got. BUT, I "worked" it and it was fun.....Days gone by.
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Side-Oilers

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Tell your wife that there's only "something wrong with it" when it doesn't makes those noises or smells.
Current:
2006 FGT. Tungsten. Whipple, HRE 20s, Ohlin coil-overs, 3.90 gears. 210.7 mph.

Kirkham Cobra. 482-inch aluminum side-oiler. Tremec 5-spd.

Formerly:
1968 GT500KR #2575 (1982-2022)
1970 Ranchero GT 429
1969 LTD Country Squire 429
1963 T-Bird Sport Roadster
1957 T-Bird E-model 3-spd stick


TOBKOB

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Quote
My 2015 Lincoln MKc (think Ford Escape) has a sport mode and paddle shifters on the steering wheel. WHY????

My wife's MKX also has the paddles which I played with 1 time. The owner's manual says the computer will override the paddles if necessary... ::)

TOB
1969 GT350 owned since 1970

Side-Oilers

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^^^ Same as on our Navigator.   

Annoying (or worse) when actually trying to hold the transmission in a low gear on a very steep downhill grade with a trailer attached.
« Last Edit: October 05, 2021, 04:54:19 PM by Side-Oilers »
Current:
2006 FGT. Tungsten. Whipple, HRE 20s, Ohlin coil-overs, 3.90 gears. 210.7 mph.

Kirkham Cobra. 482-inch aluminum side-oiler. Tremec 5-spd.

Formerly:
1968 GT500KR #2575 (1982-2022)
1970 Ranchero GT 429
1969 LTD Country Squire 429
1963 T-Bird Sport Roadster
1957 T-Bird E-model 3-spd stick

deathsled

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^^^ Same as on our Navigator.   

Annoying (or worse) when actually trying to hold the transmission in a low gear on a very steep downhill grade with a trailer attached.

"I say your civilization because as soon as we started thinking for you it really became our civilization which is of course what this is all about.  Evolution, Morpheus, evolution, like the dinosaur. Look out that window. You had your time. The future is our world, Morpheus. The future is our time." Agent Smith  (The Matrix)
"Low she sits on five spoke wheels
Small block eight so live she feels
There she's parked beside the curb
Engine revving to disturb
She's the princess from his past
Red paint gold stripes damned she's fast"

FL SAAC

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Richard that's a profound statement....

^^^ Same as on our Navigator.   

Annoying (or worse) when actually trying to hold the transmission in a low gear on a very steep downhill grade with a trailer attached.

"I say your civilization because as soon as we started thinking for you it really became our civilization which is of course what this is all about.  Evolution, Morpheus, evolution, like the dinosaur. Look out that window. You had your time. The future is our world, Morpheus. The future is our time." Agent Smith  (The Matrix)
Living RENT FREE in your minds...

Home of the Hertz Musketeers 

A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs.  It's jolted by every pebble on the road

I have all UNGOLD cars

I am certainly not a Shelby Expert

Life is short B happy