Can you drive a car with

[acem]

A manual transmission?

Manual choke?

Three on the tree?

These skills are passing away like cursive writing.

 

[naedlaen]

Yes, I can Ace, but I am older than you by a few years.  Have never driven a manual with on the tree shifter, but do not think it would be an issue.

The joke is that a manual transmission is an antitheft device for millennials.  

Neal

[whweldit]

And a starter button in the floor along with dimmer switch. 

[MT Matt]

Yep to all and I’m only 55. Still know how to use a rotary phone too. 😂

[Gearclash]

Three on the tree might slow me down a little. The rest not. I’m mid 40’s. 

[whweldit]

1 minute ago, naedlaen said:

Yes, I can Ace, but I am older than you by a few years.  Have never driven a manual with on the tree shifter, but do not think it would be an issue.

The joke is that a manual transmission is an antitheft device for millennials.  

Neal

Had a high school friend that bought a foreign car of some make that had 4 on the tree.  Reverse was go to 1st and either push shifter in or pull out and you were in reverse.  

[IHandJDman]

Yes, my 1st vehicle was a manual and currently 2 grain trucks.  1 grain truck has a manual choke.  Never sat behind the wheel of a 3 on the tree and probably won't.

[Lazy WP]

Yepper 

[TroyDairy]

Yes to all.  Operated all as well.  My girls school still teaches cursive.  Not as intense as I prob learned but none the less they know what amd how to write/read it.  My 2nd girl has a 03 TDi 5 speed.  Never need to lock the door.  

 

Iirc a Citroen has 4 on the tree.  French...just have to be odd.

[1480x3]

In highschool in mid 70s we had 3 ag teachers in our ag dept. One of them  ordered a base K-20, only option a 350 V-8. IIRC was a 1975.  Had the 3 on the tree. Low range got used a lot backing cattle trailers & pulling wagons

[Chester5732]

Yes to all of the above.  I even successfully drove a mail jeep with the steering wheel on the right side.  That may come east to some on here. 😂

[Alan Dinan]

Three on the tree is the only one I haven’t driven. My 69 Chevy has 4 on the floor. My 01 Chevy has a 6 speed manual 

[766 Man]

54 minutes ago, MT Matt said:

Yep to all and I’m only 55. Still know how to use a rotary phone too. 😂

  I can remember dialing up Sarah at the switchboard.  Just kidding.  

[marty966]

yes to all the above

[marty966]

Know how to get along without indoor plumbing too, even though that wasn`t on the list.

[acem]

I remember when dad was driving and the column shifter broke. It would go a complete circle around the steering wheel but wouldn't shift the gears!

I had a very special event in the seat of a 78 D150 with a three on the tree

[Mark (EC,IN)]

Funny story about the  " three-on-the-tree".

When I was in Driver's Ed (1967), we would take half the class in an automatic and the other half in a three-on-the-tree.

There were three of us in the car at a time; we took turns driving.  I was with two girls who lived in town who were having a lot of trouble with the clutch and the manual transmission.  

One girl kept putting it in third instead of first, then would chug...chug... chug and kill it.  Every time, the instructor would slap his knee and say: "You can't take off in third...You can't take off in third..."!

Well, I was the last driver that day, a farm kid who had driven trucks and tractors for years, and also being a smartass on top of that.

I slid behind the wheel, popped it in third, gunned it a couple times, slipped the clutch, and took off.

I looked at the instructor and said:  "You CAN take off in third if you know how"!  He wasn't impressed; he hit his emergency brake on his side and said "Do it right"!

[Mark (EC,IN)]

25 minutes ago, Chester5732 said:

Yes to all of the above.  I even successfully drove a mail jeep with the steering wheel on the right side.  That may come east to some on here. 😂

After returning home from a trip out of the country, a buddy asked about driving on the wrong side of the road. Said the driving wasn't that big a deal... Crossing the street as a pedestrian was a challenge.

[Alan Dinan]

4 minutes ago, Mark (EC,IN) said:

Funny story about the  " three-on-the-tree".

When I was in Driver's Ed (1967), we would take half the class in an automatic and the other half in a three-on-the-tree.

There were three of us in the car at a time; we took turns driving.  I was with two girls who lived in town who were having a lot of trouble with the clutch and the manual transmission.  

One girl kept putting it in third instead of first, then would chug...chug... chug and kill it.  Every time, the instructor would slap his knee and say: "You can't take off in third...You can't take off in third..."!

Well, I was the last driver that day, a farm kid who had driven trucks and tractors for years, and also being a smartass on top of that.

I slid behind the wheel, popped it in third, gunned it a couple times, slipped the clutch, and took off.

I looked at the instructor and said:  "You CAN take off in third if you know how"!  He wasn't impressed; he hit his emergency brake on his side and said "Do it right"!

When I was in driver’s ed, I rode with 2 city girls too. We were driving during a snowstorm and I asked the instructor if I could show them what not to do. He hesitated and said sure. We had a front wheel drive car, so it wasn’t as fun, so I had to use the e-brake to get it to slide sideways, but once I got it going, all 4 of us were laughing. The instructor finally said that was enough.

[DWV]

Yes, dumb thing to do when young back a three on tree out on the road and while rolling back shift to reverse then drop in low and burn rudder. Ones with synchronized second but not first gear. Went to four on floor then 5 then 6 unless a big truck. Only bought 3 new autos in my life. Have a six speed now. left the 2020 6 speed at a shop to have new tires installed. when I returned the were laughing. Two fellows sent out to drive in said it wouldn't start. Next one new to push the clutch down to start then couldn't figure out how to get in reverse. 78 years old and doctor wants to do a left knee replacement but still pushing clutch pedals.

[mrfred54]

Had a 68 GMC pickup with 3 on the tree, floor dimmer switch and had to rewire the starting circuit and installed a IH ignition key switch and push button to start. Straight 6 with over 300,000 miles and sold it in 1998 . 

[mike newman]

1 hour ago, acem said:

A manual transmission?

Manual choke?

Three on the tree?

These skills are passing away like cursive writing.

 

...all of the above Ace.....and indeed we have a 1989  example of  the then cutting edge of Japanese  technology.......a Datsun ute ,diesel and with the ubiquitous  ''three on the tree''..or as we would say..in more simpler language....''yeah...column shift''

That little 4x2 truck just keeps on keeping on.....we use it extensively on our farm....especially so at calf rearing time...

..one of our Toyota  Hilux has regular manual trans....t'other is  auto....

...also I  can still remember to pull up a dipstick......to check oil levels etc...this after a major verbal altercation with a ''Hertz'' employee after returning that Chevrolet rental car back to LAX .... That front drive car turned up a ''change the oil ''logo on the dash etc...checked the oil....found a trace on the very bottom of the stick...so brought a quart of the appropriate grade, to bring the level to the required amount...

Stupidly mentioned this fact to the  employee.....who proceeded to loudly articulate his total dissatisfaction  about people like 'me' who know nothing about engines etc

I was able to calm him down with extensive use of the copulatory adjective.. and some basic facts as to the purpose of a ''dipstick''...as apposed to the  in house warning systems.....

You had to be there !!!

Mike

[iowaboy1965]

Yes i can and have done all on your list Ace. 

[jeeper61]

Yes to all 3 

I could get rubber on the 1-2 shift with my 250 I-6 Nova 3 on the tree, my 1st car 

I did every low cost hop up on that 250 six, two barrel carb, recurved distributor, MSD box, more initial timing, turbo muffler and taller air filter.     

 

[lotsaIHCs]

Yup to all. Dad just asked me a few weeks ago where I was going to store the 64 Chevy C10 my grandpa bought in 68. Dad decided he probably isn't going to drive it anymore and it will be passed to me. It hasn't been driven for a couple of years now. I keep meaning to stop and take it for a drive some day but never remember to take the time. It has a strange combination of a 292 engine with a light duty 3 on the tree and highway gears. It'll run down the highway at 85 all day. It was restored in about 1990 and probably doesn't have 3,000 miles on it since then.

I learned to drive around the farm long before I was old enough for a license in a 1961 Rambler station wagon with a 3 on the tree.