Anyone still drive stick?

[djjimmyjames]

2007 Scion XB standard bought from the dealership brand new. Now it has 210,000 miles on it and well it’s time for an upgrade.

 

[Syn]

Right now I plan on owning a manual until I die...let the family decided what to do with my modded sleeper.

 

[roker]

Why not buy a Tacoma truck?

I'm not a fan of pickup trucks but even then for the manual configuration it's 10k over my target budget. I'm trying to buy a house this year. I don't want a high car payment to go with it.

 

[SignOfGoob]

There is no point in buying a car, any car, just to get a manual. You’re going to end up with something that sucks compared to your nostalgia, like a new Subaru, or something that just sucks period, like a Nissan Versa. The only car for sale currently that I know for sure has a good shifting manual is the Miata. New Honda, Subaru, BMW, VW, all have tight as hell shifters but an overall sloppy vague feel to the rest of it due to emissions regs. You end up with a zero fun car that’s harder to drive smooth than anything used to be and getting worse performance and MPG than the auto.

Remember in the 80s when they started cheeping out on LPs? They were so thin you could almost see through them and the packaging started getting cheaper. They were trying to push towards CD. This is what they are doing with manual gearboxes. Sabotage.

 

[evil wasabi]

I'm not a fan of pickup trucks but even then for the manual configuration it's 10k over my target budget. I'm trying to buy a house this year. I don't want a high car payment to go with it.

I hear you. I love the Taco turd pro front end. If they put that on the 4runner it would be game over. 4runner is still nice. That’s what I am driving. But even then, modding costs a lot, and it may never end. Between cool air intake, lift, improved suspension, may as well just get a house.

 

[SignOfGoob]

Haha! Cold air intakes. Are people still blowing money on that bullshit?

 

[evil wasabi]

Haha! Cold air intakes. Are people still blowing money on that bullshit?

Stop hurting yourself

 

[SignOfGoob]

Sorry, that skin is *so* thin. I cross the line of questioning your beliefs without even realizing it sometimes.

 

[wyo]

Never added a CAI but I do put a K&N filter in. Not sure if there's any benefit other than being able to clean rather than replace it but that's ok.

 

[NeoSneth]

I think we can all agree....Car people are the worst
Anyways, quite a few recent studies show K&N are no good. I recently switched my ducati back to paper filter.

 

[Syn]

There is no point in buying a car, any car, just to get a manual. You’re going to end up with something that sucks compared to your nostalgia, like a new Subaru, or something that just sucks period, like a Nissan Versa. The only car for sale currently that I know for sure has a good shifting manual is the Miata. New Honda, Subaru, BMW, VW, all have tight as hell shifters but an overall sloppy vague feel to the rest of it due to emissions regs. You end up with a zero fun car that’s harder to drive smooth than anything used to be and getting worse performance and MPG than the auto.

Remember in the 80s when they started cheeping out on LPs? They were so thin you could almost see through them and the packaging started getting cheaper. They were trying to push towards CD. This is what they are doing with manual gearboxes. Sabotage.

The latest ND Miata 6spd had/has issues. Someone created an adapter for the NC 6spd.

Not everyone has had issues so I guess driving style affects it going out.

 

[SignOfGoob]

The latest ND Miata 6spd had/has issues. Someone created an adapter for the NC 6spd.

Not everyone has had issues so I guess driving style affects it going out.

Interesting. It has issues with exploding 2nd gear, at least at first. That’s for sure a new issue. Actual shifting style, I haven’t heard about that but I’ve been checked out of that scene for a minute.

I don’t know why anyone would want six gears in a track car that won’t do 150. One too many useless gears, IMHO, that goes triple for the street.

 

[SignOfGoob]

I think we can all agree....Car people are the worst
Anyways, quite a few recent studies show K&N are no good. I recently switched my ducati back to paper filter.

Yes, that may be why cloth filters were rendered obsolete in the 1960s. The K&N style has its uses but not in daily drivers.

Whenever “customizing” any car with something so easily installed (K&N, chrome tubes, etc) you really stop and ask yourself, “What was the reason the OEM didn’t do this in the first place?” If you don’t know, then don’t put it on. Cars don’t need coffee enemas.

 

[evil wasabi]

Sorry, that skin is *so* thin. I cross the line of questioning your beliefs without even realizing it sometimes.

take a break. You’re trying too hard.

cold air intake on some vehicles helps out. Some it doesn’t. But if you’re into off roading, a cai could give a performance boost to balance out the weight added.

 

[voltronbadass]

Ive always been an automatic guy at heart. Now that Im 43 I feel I have an excuse to embrace it instead of being ashamed of it. Let the automatics into your hearts boys.

 

[Atro]

I do.

Nothing against autos, but I like having full control of the gearbox.

Shame it doesn't have a 6th for economy...

 

[wyo]

Yes, that may be why cloth filters were rendered obsolete in the 1960s. The K&N style has its uses but not in daily drivers.

Whenever “customizing” any car with something so easily installed (K&N, chrome tubes, etc) you really stop and ask yourself, “What was the reason the OEM didn’t do this in the first place?” If you don’t know, then don’t put it on. Cars don’t need coffee enemas.

I think you're underestimating how cheap car makers are. If they can save a few cents using shittier parts they usually will.

 

[SignOfGoob]

They ALWAYS will, is more like it. But if they can get 1HP by spending a few cents they also for sure will. Power and efficiency are basically the same thing in the modern industry and nobody throws away efficiency with MPG targets rising along with vehicle weight. Rule #1 is don’t break the law, rule #2 is profit profit profit. If they can’t satisfy #1 then #2 suffers. Nobody leaves performance on the table in the car business.

I’ve been in the auto testing business for 15 years and I’m still constantly amazed at how rigorous development is. You can only get a perspective from where you are, but then you visit some other place or change jobs and see how extreme testing is in other areas of the car. The idea that some eBay bullshit with zero documented engineering evidence will outperform the results of a $20B engine program without some sort of sacrifice is group think. Just because it’s metal or carbon doesn’t mean it’s more durable, for one thing. Filters that are cone shaped do not supercharge your engine. Also most “cold air” intakes actually raise intake temps in certain settings like idle traffic, what most people actually do in their cars, and in many cases allow for the egress of water which is…a pretty hilarious way to destroy an engine. Wasting a $3000 block because a Chinesium hose clamp fell off.

I guess what I’m saying is save the $$$ for tires and brakes. Having really awesome tires and brakes is something you can always feel. Most modern cars are too powerful for their owners anyway.

 

[NeoSneth]

i've heard from some old people that they needed to switch to auto as their knees couldnt handle it.
I wouldn't say always....

 

[Syn]

i've heard from some old people that they needed to switch to auto as their knees couldnt handle it.
I wouldn't say always....

Not that you were referring to me but that's why I said plan on.

 

[LoneSage]

Was at in-laws a few weeks ago, and they all went out to the village to visit other family. So it's just me, gf, niece and nephew. Sister in laws car is still here and they want to go somewhere. So we go down and I get to the car, everyone gets in, and its a stick.

Needless to say we walked.

 

[SignOfGoob]

It takes only a day to learn to drive a standard transmission, but not learning it lasts a lifetime.