How to drive a manual transmission Bronco (I teach my nephew)

[blsbikes2]

Back in the late-90s when I was about 16, my father insisted that I learn how to drive a stick-shift before "learning to drive" ... he insisted ... and I hated it at first. After finding an empty parking lot with plenty of open space, he tried to teach me and I hated it. His solution was this: Every day when you come home from school, take the keys to his manual Jeep Wrangler Sahara and practice driving around the yard. We had about 2 acres, just enough to let me drive around in a big circle. After a few weeks, it started getting easier and easier and I got the handle of it. Then we could proceed into "learning how to drive" etc.

I thank God and him that he insisted I learn. It's been a while since I've had a manual - I've got a Wildtrak that just arrived in Florida and hopefully will be available soon enough, but had it been available with the manual transmission, I probably would have gotten it. I wanted that 2.7L Twin-Turbo but no manual option. (Can't imagine why, Ford did a lot of BS when it came to 'Can't get this Interior Color with That Model or This Option with That Package/Trim/Etc. etc.) ...

My Dad's firm belief was two-fold: One, you'll thank me later, which is damn right. (I don't have any kids and am getting a little long in the tooth for all that but if I did, I'd make them learn languages and play sports. They're giving Baseball players $400+ million contracts and being able to speak multiple languages opens up all sorts of possibilities in life, both of the type of things the kids will thank you for them later...) - and two, and this is less likely to happen these days with less manual transmissions but the thought is logical - let's say you're somewhere and there's an Emergency, someone gets sick or seriously injured and the only vehicle available is a manual and nobody can drive it ... So I totally agree with that. You just never know.

Plus there's nothing else like a manual sports-car. Vroom Vroom baby. Peeling out off the line at a red light while you leave everyone in the dust... awww yeah baby. Today's my 41st Birthday, I can remember being 17 vividly. Alas, Old & Busted now.

Great story, thanks for sharing.
And practical application: was looking at a 2004 Honda S2000 in a dealers lot. No one was availablel to drive it to the front because it was a stick, so I had to go get it from out back.

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[Texas Sunshine]

Uh no, I've had a manual Jeep Wrangler Sahara limited-edition and a BMW ZW ... both when I was 17 ... and I type at a pace that would allow me to compete in professional typing competitions so ... again, you keep saying ridiculous stuff when you talk to me, I guess having a First Edition makes you think you're like some sort of badass? You're not me buddy.



Right, but were any of them a manual transmission?

He can do this so just accept that some people can learn skills faster than others. I learned in an hour and I'm sure he will learn faster than I did due to manuals are easier now.

 

[2050Broncoorsomething]

My dad taught me on a 98 frontier, since then ive had mostly autos but itll be nice to have a manual again with the Bronco.

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