I thought Camaros had the highest death rate of any cars.

 

Both have their ups and downs.

I've owned both types...and prefer the auto.

 

GEEZ...It's not that hard, it just takes practice....... :rolleyes: :confused: :confused:

I'll take a stick anyday.......

 

Whats the steepest grade in your town?

I drove sticks until I got sick of them. It didn't take long.

 

I know a guy who love sticks and just slip the clutch to stay in position, of course the clutch doesn't last long. I know another guy who holds it with the brake and lets out on the clutch until it starts to die, etc.

Neither is a GOOD method. Personally I hold the car with the brake and when I get ready to go, press the clutch, put it in gear and get off the brake and onto the gas as I let off on the clutch. Sure it sucked when I first started driving, but now it's news if I roll back an inch. People usually don't get THAT close. You've just gotta be fast enough to do it, and it's all practice.

If you wanna learn how to drive a stick, do what I had to do. My first car was a 91 Cutlass with a 2.5L 4-cyl, 5-spd. It had all of 110 flywheel horsepower. I drove that for 3 years. After the initial learning process of about a week I was never afraid of a hill again. Then I got the Vette. If you learn how to drive a 4-cyl manual, a Vette is just cake, you have to TRY and stall it or roll back.

Don't take this the wrong way, I agree there are times I would like an Auto (heavy traffic), but if anybody has a fear of rolling back and uses that as justification for not driving a manual, well that person just needs to learn how to drive. You don't really have control of the car unless you shift it yourself.

 

I traded in my perfectly good '91 automatic Dark Red Metallic with 8,000 miles for a '92 6-speed Dark Red Metallic. The LT1 engine wasn't even that big a factor. The automatic just bored me to death.

 

Nathan,

Where were you in 1957? I had a 1953 Hudson Jet then. It had a 3 speed stick on the column and no sychro on low. With the manual steering and shifting it kept drivers busy. I had a new 1966 Porsche with the 5 speed stick (where were you Nathan in 1966 anyway?), that Porsche had syncro on low but the 912 model had no torque so 1st was needed. It was a spring loaded left and back. Not fast to get into or out of for that matter. It was like rowing a boat trying to keep the car going.

Ever drive a Pontiac with the 421. That clutch was so heavy that your leg would shake if you had to hold it more that a few moments.

Another plus of the auto is the safety in passing another car. I don't have to shift down and wait for a opening and then shift back again if the opening does not happen. It's just automatic.

Go ahead have your fun. I had mine. Like it was said once you owned a 4+3 you can spend the rest of your life explaining it to people. I am glad that is gone too. Been there done that.


[Modified by Don Martin, 6:54 PM 11/4/2001]

 

You point out all of these cars that you've driven that as you describe are about 100 times harder to drive than a manual vette. So my question is if you can drive those, what's your trouble with the vette? Like I pointed out, it's almost too easy.

BTW, all your old cars are nice and all, but my dad has a 46 Chevy pickup that has no power steering, no hydraulic clutch, no power brakes, and a completely unsync'd tranny. 4 wheel drum brakes that pull first to the left, then to the right, about 3 inches of free travel in the steering wheel. Oh, and it weighs more than almost anything on the road. :nopity

I know what it's like, alive in 57 or not.

Any of the other younger vette owners feel like you don't get any respect. I get slammed from somebody who does not even know me at all just because I'm not the typical age for a vette owner.

 

6 speeeeeeeed :yesnod:... ohyea... :yesnod: :lol: :D :cheers:


[Modified by Yello95, 11:30 PM 11/4/2001]

 

Dr Don,

Our cars are some of the safest cars on the planet. It is some of the drivers which are not safe. I would feel much more unsafe in a car with no power, marginal brakes, and that doesn't have the ability to quickly change directions at high speeds. A person has to drive like a real jackass to get in trouble with these cars (not that it doesn't happen--people buy more car than they are ready for all the time).

By the way...lots of people remove power steering belts at the strip to get better times. People often remove power steering all together for more power and weight reduction.

Comparing power steering to an automatic transmission doesn't make much sense to me. You still have control of all aspects of steering with power steering. You do not have control of all aspects of the transmission/drivetrain with an automatic transmission.

 

Nathan,

Do you really care if someone who's best arguement against your point of view is "I drove a so and so in 1957" respects you? Personally, I wouldn't sweat it.

 

I grew up in the Mountains, in ski country. The hill I lived at the top of was very steep. In the winter there's sometimes a coat of Ice on the road. The sand trucks wit chains have to spend half an hour with the salt going backing up the road spinning their tires. Its about 200 yards up in that section. We also had a backhoe loose its emergency brake and roll into someone's livingroom. Lastly, we could break 40+ mph coasting on our bikes without pedaling. I grew up on that hill. If you practice, you never roll. I just keep my foot on the brake and release the clutch as I release the break as if I was at a light on flat ground. I would be suprised if I've rolled more that 6 inches in the past 100,000 miles. Manual steering. Been there, done that. Not much difference at speed but sucks when parking or k turning. Not that its hard, just a PITA. Had my vette die at 75 mph(loose wire). Instant manual brakes and steering. Big deal. I am, as most vette drivers are, a very technically proficient driver. Nothing like a 6 speed without CAGS, and ASR. I would almost get rid of the ABS. I'm sure I could brake better in the dry and I've never gotten in trouble in the rain without it regardless of the road hazard, but in snow its nice. If I lived down south, it'd be for sale.
92TripleBlack :cheers:

 

Doesent the king of drag racing 'john force" use a automatic. Sure 6 speeds are sweet and i agree there funner to drive, but only when youre ripping thru the gears is it fun, and the rest of the time its pretty much a pain in the butt imho.

I drove the same car as mine and it was a six speed same color year close miles and mine seemed alot tighter of a car by far for some reason. I still wish a had a six speed but i was not not going to buy my car because it diddnt have one.

I guess if i ever get a c5 i will get the sixspeed only. But at the track you better know how to drive youre sixspeed because us
auto vetts have a very BIG edge in the race and then when a pr!ck with a six speed losses the race he can come tell me my vette aint a real sports car. :jester


[Modified by 93aquaConvert, 10:24 AM 11/5/2001]

 

OOOhh i forgot you aint got a REAL corvette unless its a convertible :bs

 

Doesent the king of drag racing 'john force" use a automatic. Sure 6 speeds are sweet and i agree there funner to drive, but only when youre ripping thru the gears is it fun, and the rest of the time its pretty much a pain in the butt imho.

I drove the same car as mine and it was a six speed same color year close miles and mine seemed alot tighter of a car by far for some reason. I still wish a had a six speed but i was not not going to buy my car because it diddnt have one.

I guess if i ever get a c5 i will get the sixspeed only. But at the track you better know how to drive youre sixspeed because us
auto vetts have a very BIG edge in the race and then when lose you can tell me that my vette aint a real sports car :jester

 

I couldn't imagine driving a corvette with an auto...some like it, but I like the amount of control the 6-sp gives you, not to mention breaking the rear tires loose in 1st, 2nd and 3rd :D. I drive my Vette very often, and sitting the traffic doesn't bother me, after all I'm in a VETTE! :D

 

How much should I pay for a 92 with 6 spd, in good contidion in the US?

Regards

 

That's another thing about it. So an auto is easier to drive at the track, that's just it, EASIER. When you can drive a manual consistently at the track, you have something that other people don't. Anybody can drive an auto consistently, especially if you let it shift for itself.

Personally I like the skill required to drive a manual. It amazes those who don't have any self confidence.

 

Hey Martin;
I was checking out that TOP SPEED post in the general area and came across this:
The first time I got mine up to 103 she down shifted at 103, which kind of scared me, I wasn't expecting it, and I shut her down.
Hahaha... automatic safer at high speed. Right !!!!!!
Justin

 

First find the sites listing the cars. If you do a search here under the name "Juliet" you may find the threads where she listed all the sites.

I used cars.com, autotrader and bargainnews. There are many others. I was going to settle for any black coupe with the tranny I wanted but then I found the one I had way down in Philadelphia (250 miles away). I never would have looked that far without the internet. I got one with the rare ZO-7 pkg and the performance rear.

Yea get a 92 or newer. That traction control will save you.