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Car transmissions - Standard or automatic?
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James Sotherden Send message Joined: 16 May 99 Posts: 10436 Credit: 110,373,059 RAC: 54 |
Of course when trying to teach your stubborn son (I have no idea where he gets it from) to drive, its a whole other kettle of fish. :/ LOL. I too know about that first hand. But Ive done the reverse and hit the brakes with out pushing the clutch in. Can you say instant stall:) [/quote] Old James |
Gary Charpentier Send message Joined: 25 Dec 00 Posts: 31013 Credit: 53,134,872 RAC: 32 |
I drove a stick once on a trip with a friend, his car. It would take some practice, but makes no sense at all in Los Angeles traffic. A lot of something to do if you drive in LA. http://scorecard.inrix.com/scorecard/worstcorridors.asp While the #1 in the USA went to New York, #2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13 are all LA. (that's half of the top 15 nationally!) While a stick might be fun for a week or two in this traffic after a couple of months it would be a PITA. Besides a stick makes it harder to eat breakfast, shave, do your makeup, update your status, surf the traffic report on the web, send a few texts and maybe call the boss to tell him you will be late again in your hour of delay time. Not to hijack, just there are reasons for an automatic. |
Dena Wiltsie Send message Joined: 19 Apr 01 Posts: 1628 Credit: 24,230,968 RAC: 26 |
The difficult one is what they teach on the Class 1 police drivers course. That is when in a pursuit and you come to a hill, you do what is called a power change to try to get in front. It basically consists of keeping the accelerator pressed down, then downshifting a gear via the clutch as quickly as physically possible. If you judge it right the momentary increase in engine revs will match the extra required for the lower gear, giving you extra acceleration. Sound like a great way to tear up a transmission or blow an engine. Over here the police department often orders special engines that have extra output in order to gain the advantage. That works most of the time but some people do have faster cars than the law. The policy is now changing to back off and let the helicopter follow them at a safer speed. The older transmissions lacked synchromesh and as the result the clutch side of the transmission had to be turning at the right rate of speed to shift without grinding. My brother's first pickup had such a transmission and he reached the point where he could shift without using the clutch and without grinding the gears. i was never able to work that old transmission that well but then I never had all that much practice on that transmission. |
Gordon Lowe Send message Joined: 5 Nov 00 Posts: 12094 Credit: 6,317,865 RAC: 0 |
Besides a stick makes it harder to eat breakfast, shave, do your makeup, update your status, surf the traffic report on the web, send a few texts and maybe call the boss to tell him you will be late again in your hour of delay time. Not to hijack, just there are reasons for an automatic. Well, I know Google, and others are working on the type of car that will make even an automatic seem anachronistic. The mind is a weird and mysterious place |
zoom3+1=4 Send message Joined: 30 Nov 03 Posts: 66354 Credit: 55,293,173 RAC: 49 |
The difficult one is what they teach on the Class 1 police drivers course. That is when in a pursuit and you come to a hill, you do what is called a power change to try to get in front. It basically consists of keeping the accelerator pressed down, then downshifting a gear via the clutch as quickly as physically possible. If you judge it right the momentary increase in engine revs will match the extra required for the lower gear, giving you extra acceleration. That's also why police have radios and yep, helicopters, either they get in front of you and/or they can't be shaken, the chasee will run out of gasoline/diesel soon enough, it's all a matter of range and the chasers can call in other assets(mutual aid), the chasee can't. Savoir-Faire is everywhere! The T1 Trust, T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, America's First HST |
Wiggo Send message Joined: 24 Jan 00 Posts: 36827 Credit: 261,360,520 RAC: 489 |
Didn't those Daimler Darts look like someone grabbed parts from a half dozen different other cars and then tried to fit them together? (talk about totally mismatching body work) As for the old crash gearboxes, they are great and I reckon that all drivers should be able to operate them before being issued a driver's license. I've owned 13 vehicles myself of which all but 4 were manuals and don't ask me about what vehicles I've ever driven as I've probably forgotten at least a third of them (if not half), but it will be in the hundreds. Cheers. |
Wiggo Send message Joined: 24 Jan 00 Posts: 36827 Credit: 261,360,520 RAC: 489 |
That pic Chris is right at its best angle for sure. ;-) Cheers. |
Carlos Send message Joined: 9 Jun 99 Posts: 30694 Credit: 57,275,487 RAC: 157 |
I vote: |
kittyman Send message Joined: 9 Jul 00 Posts: 51478 Credit: 1,018,363,574 RAC: 1,004 |
Ferrari or auto? Probably a hybrid. Aren't there some high end automatics that allow you to put them into a manual mode and shift them as desired? "Time is simply the mechanism that keeps everything from happening all at once." |
Dena Wiltsie Send message Joined: 19 Apr 01 Posts: 1628 Credit: 24,230,968 RAC: 26 |
Ferrari or auto? It has the Ferrari logo on it in the upper left. I don't know any more than that. |
betreger Send message Joined: 29 Jun 99 Posts: 11416 Credit: 29,581,041 RAC: 66 |
Current: 94 Mazda Miata 5sp man : 05 Subaru RS wagon 5sd man Past 85 VW GTI 5sp man 78 Audi Fox 4sp man 77 VW Rabbit 4sp man 73 Audi Fox 4sp man 70 VW Beatle 4sp man 64 Alfa Veloce Spyder 4sp man 61 Saab 3sp man 53 Chrysler New Yorker 4 sp semi auto. What a tank but it did have a hemi V8 and it lasted thru my college years. |
Gordon Lowe Send message Joined: 5 Nov 00 Posts: 12094 Credit: 6,317,865 RAC: 0 |
One of the things I do at my job is park cars, and I've seen some odd ones that seem to offer a sort of manual option even though they are primarily automatics. I don't understand this, and I don't recall there being a clutch, but maybe there was. On another note, I had a hard time backing in a VW once before I figured out you have to push down on the stick, first. ;~} The mind is a weird and mysterious place |
Dena Wiltsie Send message Joined: 19 Apr 01 Posts: 1628 Credit: 24,230,968 RAC: 26 |
One of the things I do at my job is park cars, and I've seen some odd ones that seem to offer a sort of manual option even though they are primarily automatics. I don't understand this, and I don't recall there being a clutch, but maybe there was. I drove a VW a few times and that one messed me up as well. As for the manual automatic, with most automatics you can hold them on one gear. This is useful on ice if you want to start in second instead of first to maintain traction or if you are using the cruse control for braking on a long down hill run. Some transmissions have a shifter that is faster so you can use it for racing by selecting the gear you desire. When you are done playing, you can return to full automatic. I think the clutch is part of the joy of a manual but that's just my opinion. |
Iona Send message Joined: 12 Jul 07 Posts: 790 Credit: 22,438,118 RAC: 0 |
Learned on a manual, courtesy of the RAF, whilst having a motor-cycle. One of the things I got to drive, was an Alvis Salamander Fire Tender...6WD 4WS with a 6(?) speed, pre-select, split range box (high and low ratio....plus forward and reverse selection! The Stalwart was born from these....and we all know how good they are, 'off road'! Currently drive mainly an auto, because Honda, for some insane reason, decided that in the UK, we would only get the Legend (3.2 and on) with an auto, rather than have a choice as per everywhere else! I hate automatic transmissions with a passion, as it takes away control from the driver and if I could afford to do it, I would convert my '91 Legend to a manual, in an instant! Thankfully, my sanity is preserved via my little Rover 216 Coupe (yes, Honda powered and hopefully turbo-charged by this time next year), which I do heel-and-toe in, as I have done, in almost all my 'manuals'. Even the much maligned Daimler Sovereign, which I could only fault on fuel consumption (compared to most other cars on the road at the time!) had a manual box with 'over-drive'. Car history; Alfa Romeo Alfasud Sprint 1.7 Alfa Romeo GTV6 Daimler Sovereign 4.2 Honda Accord (3dr) X 2 (1602cc and 1829cc) Honda Legend (4dr) x 3 (2659cc X 2 and 3206cc X 1...all still owned or in use) Honda Legend (3dr) X 1 (3206cc under 'restoring to road use') Lancia Montecarlo Series 2 (still owned with brother-in-law) Rover 3.0 Mk2 (P5) Rover 216 Coupe...in use. Rover 800 Coupe (turbo....frightening!) Toyota Celica Supra 2.8 'Mk2'(Lotus Spec...owners will know which one is meant) Don't take life too seriously, as you'll never come out of it alive! |
James Sotherden Send message Joined: 16 May 99 Posts: 10436 Credit: 110,373,059 RAC: 54 |
We can argue untll the cows come home. I loved driving a standard. But my knees Refuse it. So call me a whimp. I dont care. Its not you driving with my knees. [/quote] Old James |
Carlos Send message Joined: 9 Jun 99 Posts: 30694 Credit: 57,275,487 RAC: 157 |
Ferrari or auto? It's a manual transmission, Ferrari 6 speed. Ferrari has a tradition of putting a grate on the stick to make sure you hit the gears just right. It can be a pain, no room for error. |
Dena Wiltsie Send message Joined: 19 Apr 01 Posts: 1628 Credit: 24,230,968 RAC: 26 |
We can argue untll the cows come home. I loved driving a standard. But my knees Refuse it. So call me a whimp. I dont care. Its not you driving with my knees. I would never call you a wimp for that! My brother started out on manuals and then drove a mix until his legs went out. Before he passed away, all the vehicles in his fleet were automatics including the 700 horse power hotrod he was working on and we are finishing for him. I may not drive that hotrod very much, not because of the transmission but because of the engine. |
zoom3+1=4 Send message Joined: 30 Nov 03 Posts: 66354 Credit: 55,293,173 RAC: 49 |
Ferrari has a tradition of putting a grate on the stick to make sure you hit the gears just right. It can be a pain, no room for error. I still like the American horse, the Mustang... Savoir-Faire is everywhere! The T1 Trust, T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, America's First HST |
David S Send message Joined: 4 Oct 99 Posts: 18352 Credit: 27,761,924 RAC: 12 |
All the rentals and loaners I've had recently, a Suburban, 2 Equinoxes, and now a Traverse, have rocker switches on the side of the selector that are marked +/-. This lets you have manual control of the automatic. I tried it once, but I didn't see any advantage in doing it that way. The US (Illinois, at least) has no restrictions about being trained on manuals to be allowed to drive them. David Sitting on my butt while others boldly go, Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri. |
Carlos Send message Joined: 9 Jun 99 Posts: 30694 Credit: 57,275,487 RAC: 157 |
My Audi is the same. And even Ferrari has done away with real sifters. The new ones have paddles. The eletromechanical systems can change gears in 100 milliseconds. |
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