Pedal Steel Players Prefer Manual Transmission Vehicles?

About Steel Guitarists and their Music

Moderator: Shoshanah Marohn

How do you feel about manual transmission vehicles?

I prefer driving stick
26
27%
I enjoy driving stick
27
28%
Doesn't matter to me
12
12%
I prefer automatic
33
34%
 
Total votes: 98

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Dave Meis
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Post by Dave Meis »

And I didn't always! Never landed on my hands, though! The owners manual wasn't written for the owner, but for the driver..who was admonished to NOT drive with your arm out the window or corner too fast! 🤣
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Stephen Silver
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Post by Stephen Silver »

I spent a lot of years racing, road racing type tracks. I own both types of vehicles. Though there is no gearshift in the manual transmission car......paddle shifters with a dual plate clutch helping the 550bhp flat six motor get up to speed.
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Dennis Montgomery
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Post by Dennis Montgomery »

Manual all the way...especially my '74 Stingray with the Muncie 4 speed that I just brought out for it's first summer run today ;-)

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Michael Rademacher
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Location: Killeen, Texas

Manual vs Automatic

Post by Michael Rademacher »

I prefer manual-shift cars. I also ride motorcycles, and since I got a motorcycle well before getting a car, I took shifting gears for granted. I can switch back and forth from one (motorcycle) to the other (manual-shift car) without thinking about anything other than where I want to go, even though hands/feet are doing completely different functions on each type vehicle. But since last month, my main vehicle is a pickup with automatic. I still have a motorcycle too, but as others have pointed out, heavy traffic that hardly moves these days makes me appreciate having the automatic when I am in any size city.

PS: That green pickup I saw earlier in this thread is to die for!! Just awesome!
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Matthew Walton
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Post by Matthew Walton »

This reminds me of my friend's response when I told him how many pedal steel players are also pilots: "You are saying that steel players like fidding with precise settings and overly complex multitasking?" :lol:
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John De Maille
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Post by John De Maille »

I started on stick cars and trucks, then, of course most things today are auto's. so, I've been driving auto's for quite a while. However, I'm a damn good back-hoe and Bobcat machine driver. Using hands and both feet come natural I guess.
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Jerry Horch
Posts: 373
Joined: 15 Dec 2013 9:07 am
Location: Alva, Florida, USA

Stick

Post by Jerry Horch »

Can you drive a stick big rig..?
CDL now has a seperate classification for standard & automatic...having one for 46 yrs..I do both well....kinda fits in with steel pedals...
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Matthew Murray
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Location: Rathdrum, Idaho, USA

Post by Matthew Murray »

I have a 1987 Ford Bronco with a 4 speed manual. A very fun truck to play with. And my Dad owns some very old manual vehicles if anybody is interested in listen.
Last edited by Matthew Murray on 20 Jul 2022 3:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Brooks Montgomery
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Location: Idaho, USA

Post by Brooks Montgomery »

Auto for me. Otherwise I keep banging my left knee on the steering column on round-abouts.😎
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Larry Jamieson
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Post by Larry Jamieson »

I have driven both over the years, my current car is automatic but my Yamaha 650 is a 5 speed with a clutch...
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Michael Rademacher
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Location: Killeen, Texas

Manual vs Automatic

Post by Michael Rademacher »

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Larry,
My current bike is a Honda CRF450L dualsport bike. I stopped riding street bikes this year. But, my wife still has her Triumph Street Twin, in case I ever need to hit the highway. The pic is from earlier this year when I was still living in SC.
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Herb Steiner
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Post by Herb Steiner »

I voted "automatic," but it depends on the vehicle and its use. I surely enjoyed going through the gears in my '73 240Z Datsun, but that was for fun driving only. And that vehicle went away a few years back. I now drive a Toyota 4Runner with an automatic.

Two things about an automatic transmission that I prefer are 1) I can drink coffee and drive at the same time, and 2) I don't burn out clutches while backing my bass boat down a ramp into the lake, or pulling it out either one.
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R Crow
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Post by R Crow »

I still have my 66 Plymouth 440 4spd that I bought in 68.
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Marty Broussard
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Post by Marty Broussard »

I want Larry Allen’s truck. A stick or on the tree….it produces fond childhood and teenage memories.
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Larry Allen
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Shift

Post by Larry Allen »

Marty, Had this since 1968, restored to the frame in 1985. The only truck that’s never hauled a steel! 255,000 miles 248 cu” engine, 321 rear gears, 3/4ton 1955 1st series… :D
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