Andrew

I thought some of you would get a kick out of this. My wife does not drive manual transmissions very well, so she was terrified to drive the vette. Well, I finally got her behind the wheel. I have very low gear ratio's, so you do not need to touch the gas while letting the clutch out. I instructed her on this and she took of very well. Shifted into 2nd and 3rd without grinding or event. She was having a blast driving around. The story changed when she had to stop on a hill with a truck right behind her. I told her to give a little gas just to get the car going. Well, she killed it a couple of times, then out of desperation, she stomped the gas, dropped the clutch, and here we went. Tires smoking, the rear end went into a ditch, and before I knew it we were going off-roading. My life shortened by several years in those few seconds. After the dust settled, literally, she got out and made me drive home. Now she is even more scared of driving it!!!

She still loves to ride in the vette though. Especially when we can take the top of, I just will not expect her to do anymore of the driving.

Chris Fowler

My wife's car is a manual, so that doesn't scare her.

What scares her about my vette is that she is 5'2" and from the seat cannot see any of the hood.

So in the almost one year I've had the car she's yet to even ask to try to drive it. :D

79MakoL82

A-h-h-h-h-h. That's the beauty of it. :D Historically, my wife has stolen EVERY new car we ever got, whether we bought it for me or for her. She would pout until I handed over the keys. WELL, she drove the Vette once, and although she LOVES to be seen in it, she HATES to drive it. "The clutch is too stiff, the nose is too long, the fenders are too high" :cry :cry :cry That just meansthat for the FIRST time in 22 years, I have a car that is mine, ALL MINE!!!!! :D :crazy: :smash:

Scott78

Pardon me for laughing, I hope no damage. Reminds when as a teen I taught my then girlfriend how to drive a manual in my 69 chevelle. She was panicky and I was scared to death :lol: but not enough HP to do what happened to you. Don't let her off the hook, maybe just a different car to learning how to work the clutch in though.
Scott

Andrew

Luckily there was not any damage. The ditch was more of a slight slope dropping into a grassy pasture. I can look back on it now and laugh about it. I do think that her drive ended all possibilities of getting another manual car. :)

Captain Morgan

Good story. My dad bought a 79 brand new and my step-mom refused to drive it after she bumped the nose into the garage wall. Luckily she hit in between studs and there was no damage to the vette. She ended up getting an automatic 81 a couple years later. :) Combined, my dad and step-mom have owned 6 vettes. The very first one is right below, in my sig. :D

Black68Vette

5'3" for mine, and with a later year seat (77 I think) with the drivers seat having leanback syndrome, she has a hard time just pushing the clutch all the way down and holding onto the steering wheel at the same time. I feel really bad about it, but somehow I haven't had the time to install that seat back repair kit I bought for her when I bought the sidepipes (amazingly, the sidepipes are on tho)...

And my wife's car is a manual too, a 2001 Lincoln LS. Thanks Lincoln for throwing the stick in again!

Dr_stingray

all the girls that i have dated dont want to drive, they're scared to death. the only girl that ever wanted to drive my vette was my mom, but i wouldnt let her because she has a heavy foot if you know what i mean!

Black68Vette

This is the wife.
and I enjoy driving OUR Vette, other than the minimum requirements... 2 phone books wrapped in ducktape and super glued to the driver seat (to clear the dashboard). 1 queen size pillow (king is too long) for back support, and pushing me forward to reach ALL of the pedals. plus 1 Clutch extension to REACH the clutch. Then there is the optional (evidently) emergency break. I must have one of those to drive the freaking thing in this condition and not have a nervous breakdown....
oh well, good thing I have the lincoln... it gets me by....
take care
:seeya

Dethtek031

I "let" my miss' drive mine around the block, thats it. she said she'll never do it agian hahah. I told her she'd better learn if shes goin to drive across canada to meet my 'rents :reddevil .

Reg
Pro Patria

PRNDL

I feel bad for your wife!! Believe me, I hate it when I am stopped on an incline - some idiot always sits on my bumper. I use the E brake. MJ

Captain Morgan

Some idiot always sits on my bumper at a regular light. I always stop back far enough that if I get hit, I won't hit the car in front of me. But can the person behind me think of that?? Noooo, they feel they should stop as close as possible. :rolleyes:

utahrookie

Sorry for laughing :lol: But this is real familiar.
My wife and I went out on a double date but we were in two cars. On the way home the wife wanted to drive the car and show it off to my buddy Tony, so his wife and I followed. She had driven it before but this was the first time with the new 700r4. When she left the intersection turning left I could tell she stomped on it. We watched as she launched my car across the curb and into someones front yard. This was followed by two 360s and then back out on to the street, just missing a full set of mail boxs. When we got to Denny's, Tony's knuckes where still white. The wife tossed the keys at me and never said a word the rest of the night. Tony's wife and I laughed the rest of the evening at them. She has never asked to drive my car again. :D

Gary79

LOL, after engine rebuild & 700r4 tranny swap, my wife was reluctant to drive the vette even with me in the car, about 6 weeks went by, came home from work one day, she's out in the vette, she came home a few minutes later, saying something about smoking some ricer on the way to the store, and getting rid of a "tailgater" real fast on the way back from the store. she loves that car almost as much as I do, and a few yrs ago, when it got time for some serious $$$$ to be spent on it or sell it, she said get it fixed, we'll find the $$$$. the vette is not done yet, but close.