'Ullo John, got a new motor

[debih]

I have a new car!!!! Well I will have tomorrow.

I pick it up tomorrow afternoon.

Mick knocked them down to £5000 plus our car.

I am well pleased.

Can I just warn everyone - if you are thinking of travelling in the vicinity of Chesterfield and Matlock tomorrow I would avoid being on the roads at around 4.30pm. If you are you may come across a lovely little red car bunny hopping its way home. Its 13 years since I've driven a manual (I have had a couple of hire cars and have driven the van but only for short bursts). As you know we live at the top of an enormous hill which has a single track road- I am going to have to practice my hill starts.

[meriad]

Congratulations!!!!! very exciting

and good luck with those hill starts Just remember to start practicing on a small hill first

[tonicha]

Lovely

I huaven't driven a manual car for - can't remember. Twice in 20 years

[molly]

Have fun with it Debih. I prefer an automatic but often drive my husbands car so I am used to swapping back and forth.

Wonder how many times you will forget to put the clutch down and stall it in the first few days

[debih]

Have fun with it Debih. I prefer an automatic but often drive my husbands car so I am used to swapping back and forth.

Wonder how many times you will forget to put the clutch down and stall it in the first few days

I stalled it twice on the test drive.

[meriad]

I learned to drive just after my 17th birthday once I was in possession of my provisional; and in all these years have only ever driven an automatic once. I kept on reaching for the clutch and really struggled not having anything for my left foot to do

Give me a manual any day

[cruiser2]

Have only driven an automatic once. Didn't like it.

I drove a tractor on a farm when I was 14. So learnt to steer and change gear on the private roads on the farm.

Passed my first test for a motor bike. This was on my elder brothers bike , a hand change bike with the gear lever on the side of the petrol tank. It was a BSA 500 cc side valve.
Passed my driving test for cars when I was in the RAF in 1956 in Cardiff.
Have driven 3 ton lorries where you had to double de-clutch even changing up as well as down. Some had syncro-mesh gears which made it much easier like modern cars. Would like to see some of the boy racers trying to double de-clutch.

[Diflower]

Woweeee Debih all exciting

The first time I drove an automatic, I had to go to Bristol (from Farnborough) for work. They preferred us to use a pool car if one was available, and when I went to collect the keys (half an hour before leaving) was told it was an automatic
So, 5-minute verbal lesson then off I had to go - virtually straight onto the motorway

It was fine, and I got to drive autos a few more times, but I do prefer 'proper' driving
In the States it's funny, when you hire a car they ask if you can 'drive a stick'

[miasmum]

I passed my test and was terrified of driving. So what did I end up with as my first car? My Uncle went to work abroad and gave me his 2.8GL Ford Granada Ghia automatic. It was lovely, but so big and far far too powerful for me. The times I put my foot down and nearly took off. Boy I learnt some bad habits driving that car. Even now (28 years later) I freewheel round corners, as I hate the feel when you change gear and lift the clutch, so I keep the clutch in.

This is what it looked like



and I only wanted a Toyota Starlet