I rented a Ford Mondeo in 98 when we traveled to the UK. If I can drive manual with my left hand, I can use my right right?

We landed in Glasgow and the first day was hell on earth.

After a few days, it was a blast.

Golf R
Subaru Impreza

1985 Koenig Widebody SEC , 4 speed Muncie rockcrusher ,Race clutch , Hydraulic throwout bearing, mated to 504 CI Chevy Roller motor, only version in the world.

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I’ve owned a few over the years. Never gets old rowing through the gears on a drive.

89 mustang gt 5 speed
99 Camaro ss 6 speed
93 eagle talon tsi 5 speed
04 srt 4 5 speed
06 WRX sti 6 speed
08 z06 6 speed
10 mustang gt 5 speed
13 viper gts 6 speed

Current
68 roadrunner converted to a 08 v10 w/6 speed
69 charger 4 speed converted over to 392 SC hemi 6 speed
16 viper ACRX

96 stang - hence the username
06 stang
94 ranger
2011 ranger (the only one I still have)
03 Dakota

All 5 speeds

So are we going to see the end of manual cars? Obvious that Americans can't handle the complexity anymore, which is another topic.

Are there any EV manuals? As we approach the end of the combustion engine, will manuals die as well?

Manual transmission only for me.

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That is a list of cars from a man that has a PhD in fuckery.

Honorary from Penn State. I taught a few courses.

Manual + diesel = all smiles.

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Only Land Rovers worth owning!

That's a sweet looking Defender.

Thanks friends, they are a PIA to work on but man they are cool

I drive stick in my sweet ride: 2009 Honda Civic. Read it and weep (in pity for me).

Did you restore yourself? If it is anything like your pinball restorations-it has to be top notch. I bet you get the thumbs up everywhere you go.

Does anyone else have really fond memories of the good ol' HURST shifters? I can literally close my eyes and feel the nostalgic knob in my hand. From GTO's, Trans AMs, and Corvettes I grew up with all had that iconic HURST shifter. Sorry if I am daydreaming-but those were the days. Now I rock the COBB knob with a short throw shifter added.

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Ok so driving a manual is almost as good as sex(especially with a turbo)

I would add it to your bucket list-never too late(do it before manuals are extinct)

Other bucket list things everyone needs to experience...

Scuba Diving-there is a whole other world to be explored(currently getting kids certified)

Snowboarding in waist deep powder after fresh dump on back bowls

Seeing Jam bands/Rock bands front row(especially at Red Rocks)

Last but not least-play every pinball machine ever made and try and own most of them at least once

I have one in my 78 Trans Am. Car came with the original round shifter,but I left the Hurst one on.

pinmister you are too kind. The Defender is in amazing shape, but not full restore. However it is about 98% rust feee which is almost unheard of for one that has not been fully restored.

I have a pile of sound deadening and a carpet kit waiting to go in once it gets warmer cheers

I've only ever owned manual transmission Honda Civics (1991, 1996, 2005, 2015). I've loved them all, but I am buying a Chevy Bolt as my next car soon. Sadly, good bye manual transmission.

Forgot one a BMW Z3

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91 NSX 5 Speed
Bought it in 1995 and have no plans to sell...

Past:
84 Porsche 944 (First Car) 5 speed
87 Porsche 944 Turbo 5 speed
86 Porsche 911 Cabriolet 5 speed
90 Porsche 911 Cabriolet 5 speed
86 Jeep CJ7 Laredo 5 Speed
95 Ford F450 Powerstoke Diesel 5 Speed
5 or 6 Dodge Cummins Diesel Duallys 5 speed and later 6 speed manuals back in the 90's

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Sweet NSX…. Winston Wolfe would approve!

I have been a fan of manuals since I learned to drive at aged twenty six. I grew up in Toronto and had neither the money nor interest to drive. My first car was a manual 1980 Honda Civic 4 speed. I needed a car for work. I bought it and then learned to drive. Second car was a manual with over drive, rather rusty 1976 Volvo 244. I took it to Houston and then to Denver. It had to go around 1998 when my kids didn't want to be seen it. You did get a little wet from the rust in the floor pan. I had a 1990 manual Subaru Legacy wagon that got totalled. I moved on to a manual 1998 Subaru Legacy Outback that I still own and drive. My garage queen is a 2006 Honda S-2000 (nothing but manual in 2000s) with all of about 18,000 miles on the odometer. I bought it used in 2007. Not the most practical car but it is sure fun to drive. It has the best short throw stick I have ever encountered.

I learned to drive a manual in a Ford Feista (Grandma's car in the country)

First car I bought was a Mercury Lynx

I've had a half dozen manual Jeep Wranglers and still drive one.

Purchased a manual Saturn for my sons first vehicle. I wish I could find another manual for my youngest son. It's a great starter vehicle for kids. No texting while driving, friends can't drive it and it's basically theft proof.

Great thread!

When I got my license, I basically inherited my dad's '72 Bronco with the famed 3 on the tree. That always confused my friends. After that it was only and ever manual transmissions for me and my eventual wife for nearly 30 years. I was a big fan of the late 80's and early 90's WRC homologation models (like the 323 GTX, Galant VR4, Isuzu Impulse RS, etc) In college I bought an '88 Toyota Celica All-Trac Turbo (GT4 to the rest of the world). A few years later I replaced it with a '91 All-Trac Turbo. Both of these were great fun for bombing up to the ski hill sideways. After that it was all manual Subarus for a few different models, including two we still own; '00 Impreza RS, '05 Legacy GT Wagon (rare in 5MT form). Both we purchased new. The final manual left in my current fleet is an '88 Toyota MR Supercharged.

As an aside, I never thought I could hate a MT in a car, but there was one exception; the Gen4 Outback with the 6MT. Subaru was lazy and just plopped the same transmission from the Turbo Legacy. The end result was a terrible match of gear ratios to an under powered 2.5L 4cyl. Loaded down and traveling over mountain passes was pure agony. I really think I would have preferred the AT or CVT in that thing. OOF!

I am proud to say both my kids learned how to drive stick. My daughter never grew an interest beyond maybe the novelty. But after a couple of years, my 19 year old son finally get's why it's a magical thing. I seriously doubt he has even met anybody in his peer group that could drive one. It's too bad.

Don't own, but renting one was a highlight on a trip to the UK. It took me a while to get used to extending my left arm fully out for the 1-2 gate. Shortly after picking up the car I meant to shift down to 2nd to squirt through a roundabout, only to find out I was in 4th and almost got rear-ended. That was a Nissan Juke Sport I think they called it; turbo diesel with a 6MT. Super fun.

Anyway, thanks for the non-pinball diversion.
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You have excellent taste my friend!

Past
1981 Chevrolet Chevette - 4 Speed
1975 Ford Pinto - 4 Speed
1984 Dodge Colt - "Twin Stick" 4 Speed
1985 Honda Civic CRX - 5 Speed
1989 Ford Taurus SHO - 5 Speed
1989 Ford Mustang GT - 5 Speed
1991 Ford Escort GT - 5 Speed
1995 Ford Mustang GT Convertible - 5 Speed
2003 BMW 325i Sport - 5 Speed
2003 Ford Mustang Mach 1 - 5 Speed
2007 Chevrolet Corvette - 6 Speed
2019 Ford Mustang 2.3 Performance - 6 Speed

Current
1970 Chevrolet Corvette - 4 Speed (Muncie M20)
2017 Fiat 124 Abarth - 6 Speed

Worst manual trans - Chevette - its criminal that they made cars this bad.
Best manual trans - 2003 BMW - butter....

I drove one of these for 12 years. Man it was fun to drive!

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I had a 1980 Chevette. Horrible car.

My current daily driver is my first auto (it's hard to find manual SUV's unless you make that the only criteria...) but I've still got a few manuals around. I've had my '90 GTR for the last 5 years or so.

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In 1979, during the second oil crisis, my dad traded in his Olds 442 on a new Chevette. It was a four speed. He’d let me shift gears from the passenger side while he worked the clutch.

Alright! Another RHD manual! Really amazing car. It is definitely my favorite era of skylines.
--Scott

My '73 VW Beetle came with one. I was young, didnt know what it was, and I hated it. One day I found it particularly annoying and yanked it off and threw it in a pond at the end of a friend's cul-de-sac.

On that note, I
had:
1970 VW Beetle
1971 VW Transporter
still have:
1973 VW Beetle

Bonus points for pop-up head lights.

Looking at that picture I posted makes me want to find one just to have on my desk. My sisters used to fix up GTO's and Trans Ams and would race them at our local speedway. I grew up with the smell of bondo in our garage(love that smell) and have very fond memories of the HURST shifters. If I get another classic car or truck-the first thing I am putting on is that ol' HURST shifter knob.

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I learned on the same exact car! My father said he would pay for half of any car I wanted and I had to come up with the other half. My budget was not that big working as a lifeguard and making pizzas. So when I saw a red Mustang with the back window louvers I was sold. I quickly learned it was not a good car for year round driving being rear wheel drive and traded it in for a lifted K5 Blazer.

My summer ride...counting the days....

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I bet he would! Ha

Thanks.... I wish I could have kept those air cooled 911s. The 944 Turbo was cool too.

Hooray for the new models added in 2023 that are available with MT! According to this article the total is now 38.

https://gearjunkie.com/motors/manual-transmission-cars

Plenty of nice cars there.

Nice to see the standard Corolla still able to get the 6mt version. Lots of sweet cars come with manuals but theres pretty limited options for just standard commuter type cars. The manual Corollas must be pretty rare still though, mine is a 2020 and when I took it in for its last dealer service in 2021 it blew their mind that it was a stick. Also, they had to get one of the mechanics to drive it in because the office guy didn't know how to drive stick lol. Man I want to upgrade to the GR so bad though!

Was looking to get a Mazda 3 with a MT. You can still get one, but only in the hatchback. Not available in the "Sport" sedan. Go figure...

Streetcars right? I think one of the most fun cars i had was a 86 CRX with an 87 Integra drivetrain, Wow that car was trouble from a speeding ticket standpoint...

Or maybe the 84 civic with dual sidedraft Mikuni's, Mugen XA1 Cam.

Currently:
2007 STI - You know, for Sundays
2014 Wrx - for everyday

If you want a new manual, this is what is left:

https://www.caranddriver.com/features/g20734564/manual-transmission-cars/?utm_source=facebook_dda&utm_medium=cpm&utm_campaign=dda_fb_cd_d_i_t_g20734564&fbclid=IwAR3G4MVsPaPO-15B--t1vdqtsJnw0IBsWj2kLW7o9j4aIx62pn9oVVkruKU

The rear window louvers looked cool. If I remember correctly top speed was about 75 mph as long as you were not going uphill. It was also great that the the back seat folded down so there was a flat area all the way to the rear of the hatchback area.

My brother owned a 1991 944 turbo with manual trans. We traded cars for two weeks when he wanted to have a convertible on a trip to Florida. It was good looking and handled great but I preferred my 1986 mustang GT. I’d rather drive a manual V8 over a manual turbo 4cylinder. Both were great cars but the Mustang was so much more fun to drive.

I have a good buddy that used to let me drive his 86 Mustang GT manual back in the day..... it was a lot of fun but I enjoyed driving my Porsche way more..... My buddy ended up getting a 93 Cobra and put a blower on it.... that was a fast beast back then. I don't remember him ever losing a street race.

I'm a foxbody guy, i own a 1990 that i've had since about 93. Has the engine out of a dohc SC terminator, makes 485rwhp and 500rwtq.
The things that make them great cars are also what makes them so dangerous.
Lot's of torque, light ass end, drum rear brakes (well, these don't make it great, but they add to the danger), no basic drivers aids like antilock brakes.
Very much a drivers car, if you are good it's rewarding to drive, if you aren't so great behind the wheel, you wreck it...

Please post a pic