The Allure Of A Manual Tranny

Well said and fair enough. Thanks, I'll take a look at the above.

Re the resale value of a car with auto transmission: Yeabut I now drive my cars
into the ground!

My 91 Civic manual transmission LX resale value (Trade-in, Private Party, Dealer
Retail):

Manual: $637 $1,108 $1,892

Auto: $694 $1,193 $2,038

So at most, one gets back $146 for the auto transmission.

Compare this to investing $500 ( = approx. difference in 1991 Civic manual vs.
auto) for 13 years. Only 2% interest compounded need be earned back each year to
get that $146 back.

To nickel and dime the topic to death, and totally ignore the comfort level of
driving an auto trans.

 

you can get glucosamine pretty much anywhere. i get mine at costco, and
take it for the ald elbows and knees. seems to work, but takes a while
to build up.

and hey- even if its mostly mental, i DO feel better.

 

VW Buses and Vanagons and first generation Chrysler minivans did come
with manual transmissions. So a minivan with a manual transmission is
not unheard-of.

 

I've had this happen to me numerous times, and it can still be
unpredictable. Many owners manuals recommend going into D3 (if
it's available on a 4-sp auto) to reduce surging. I know newer
automatic transmission controls make it better, but it's still not
ideal.

What I find really frustating are the people driving up a 20% grade
on the way home. I'm guessing most autos shift up a gear when it
quickly becomes a 10% grade, and most drivers end up slowing down.
Of course the ideal solution is to put it in 2nd (w/ a 4-sp), but most
automatic tranny drivers don't think to do this.

 

I believe the early Ford Aerostars could be had with a manual as well.
Ditto for the Toyota Previa.

 

Control. Many manual cars have more power than their automatic counter
parts. Usually you get the added benefit of better gas mileage.

 

A friend had a fully loaded Aerostar with a manual tranny.
Air, power everything... except the tranny.

 

i remember someone putting a gen2 turbo intercooled 2.2L in one with a
5spd, and went racing. funny shit!

 

Quick as well, IIRC...didn't he get it into the 11's?

 

SoCalMike <> decided to join the conversation

This guy?

http://www.turbominivan.com/videos/paulburn.mpg

 

A VW Microbus with shovels, rakes & other implements of destruction? Far
out!

 

If you put a four speed automatic into second at highway speeds, you risk
forcing it past redline. All that needs to be done with any automatic I
have ever had is to engage the cruise control and let the car do it. Its
amazing how well practically any car can maintain a constant speed, even up
a steep hill, once the bozo doing all the wrong things to the pedal is taken
out of the equation.

 

||Timothy J. Lee wrote:
||
||> In article <>,
||>>I agree modifying the minivan is not a practical idea. At the same
||>>time I would prefer an MT in an Odyssey. Don't assume what a minivan
||>>only goes to Sam's Club. They also are good camping vehicles for
||>>hilly, curvy terrain, another place where the MT shines.
||>
||> VW Buses and Vanagons and first generation Chrysler minivans did come
||> with manual transmissions. So a minivan with a manual transmission is
||> not unheard-of.
||>
||I believe the early Ford Aerostars could be had with a manual as well.
||Ditto for the Toyota Previa.

Chevy Astro as well.

Texas Parts Guy

 

Hmm... I remember going up from San José to Scotts Valley in a rented Mazda
Miata automatic. The thing would constantly shift back and forth 2nd and
4th never figuring out that 3rd was the sweet spot. And I'm talking five to
six shifts a minute.

It drove me crazy.

My current Accord AT EX I4 does Chilean (steeper) hills much, much better.

-Indirecto

 

Sure, but 2nd is really the ideal for someone trying to go 25-30 MPH up
a 20% grade. Again - I suspect that most 4-sp autos (in drive) are in
2nd gear going up that 20% grade, but go up to 3rd when the grade is
reduced to 10%. The drivers don't compensate with more gas (or even
let off the gas), and the end result is a slowdown from 30 to 20 MPH.