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My first two cars were manuals so I will always be biased towards manual
I just bought a Ford Focus hatchback manual, it doesn't have much power but it can be fun to drive.
Aside from the fun factor, I think manual transmissions last longer and are cheaper to fix (clutch) than automatic transmissions. And if your battery dies, you just need to get somebody to push your car to start it.
I found it's a lot easier to do by yourself if you pop the clutch pushing it in reverse.
.....just, you know, don't screw up getting in since there is an open door coming your way. lol
I do have to agree with you about the worn out clutch. I've replaced the clutch in my Mustang about 4-5 times or so, for an average mileage of about 60K+ per clutch. Traffic is heck on it, so I try to commute after the main rush hour. But each clutch only cost me about $200-250 since I did the work myself. It only takes me about 4-5 hours in my garage to do the complete job now!
What brand of clutches are you putting into your Stang that cost you $200-$250?
Yes. Automatic transmission work costs three or four times more than manual.
Not usually. I'm guessing finding a mazda 5-speed for my old Ranger might run close to a grand. The ZF stickshifters in the heavy duty trucks aren't cheap. If you're paying 4x for a run of the mill auto trans like a 4L60E ($1400 for a beefed-up rebuild on my dad's old Chevy) or 4R70, it better be made of gold. Yeah, I get the exotic stuff, but that's not everyone.
Vehicles are not toys to be played with, they are equipment that is heavy and can cause injury, damage and death if one decides it is just fine to go really fast because it is fun.
You drive a vehicle to get you from point to point as safely as possible, if you want to "drive fast just for fun" move to Germany and use the Autobahn or become a professional race car driver.
I didn't realize my grandma finally got on the internet!
I have been driving a Ford Fiesta for 10 months and I think it is a nice entertaining car to drive.
However the automatic in this car is really poor . The car would be so much better with a manual even with its relatively low power. If an when the automatic needs service it will cost lots more than the manual to fix.
What brand of clutches are you putting into your Stang that cost you $200-$250?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Magnatomicflux
Probably LuK. Clutch kits can be had for under 300 bucks.
Since my car is 100% stock motor wise, I used the Ford Motorsport King Cobra or Ford Racing - FRPP heavy duty clutch kits with PP, TOB, and clutch disc from Tommie Vaughn Ford. They used to be about $169 + $30 for resurfacing the flywheel, and the last one I changed was about $220 + $40 resurfacing back in 2006 or so. They look to be about $220-240 now. The car has not been mobile since 2010, but it will need a new clutch along with the new motor since it was barely slipping again before the motor blew.
Since they took away compound low, getting a load started with a manual transmission is really hard on the clutch. Using engine compression on downgrades still saves the brakes.
What do you mean? My truck has a low gear. 1st gear is my granny. I never use it because its such low gear. 2nd gear is my " 1st gear" from a stop. The sad thing I read that Ford completely stopped offering the ZF6 speed manual on the Superduty trucks. But I think it's because the manual can't handke 800 ft/lb of torque.
I'm assuming 1/2 ton trucks with manĂ¹al is what you're talking about?
Oh yeah. Back when my cars were made, manuals were faster and got better mileage. Case in point, my 1970 Maverick. 200 with auto's took 14.5 to 60 and got 19 mpg. Stick shift ( with a column shifter) did the same trip in 12.3 and got 22 mpg. According to Motor Trend testing at the time.
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