InVinoVeritasty
Well-Known Member
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- #1
I grew up in the '70s with older muscle cars, and a few, somewhat newer, sports cars. All of them had manual transmissions. The men I looked up to growing up all drove pickup trucks and Jeeps. They, too, all had manual transmissions, to the best of my memory. As I got a bit older, I bought a couple of fancy German cars -- names like BMW and Porsche. They, too, had third pedals, and I drove the hell out of them. And then, like everyone else, I suppose, I started buying cars with automatic transmissions. Now I have a teenage son, who grew up not knowing anything about driving a standard transmission. It is like a foreign language to him and his peer group. To me, that's a sad state of affairs. I started thinking about what he is missing out on. An engine revving. Downshifting into a turn. Choosing a gear. And so, I ordered a Willys with the 6 speed just for the hell of it. Not exactly a muscle car, but a fine exemplar of what tossing gears is all about. We're about four days into my son's baptism by stick and he's mastering the basics and apprehension is turning into wonderment. So today, just for fun, I showed him a bit of what's possible with a standard transmission. His face lit up. Good times. A father and son. A simple vehicle. A new skill. A new adventure for him. A blast from the past for dad. Jeeps are special. Third pedals are special. If you know, you know. Carry on and enjoy your Jeeps. I'm having a blast.
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