I began driving standard stick vehicles on my Grandads farm around 1953, Farmall & Ford tractors, 1935 & '36 Ford bread trucks that had been converted to flatbeds.
The first vehicles that i owned were a Willys car & Henry J
In 1970 i went to work in road construction, we had several Ford 5 & 2 transmissions
In 1973 i was told to take a water tanker & continually spray water on some detours around some bridges that were washed out.
That was when i got my CDL, i was Grand Fathered in.
My Superintendent just signed the CDL test off.
Over the next 30 years, i drove 10, 12, 13, & 15 speed standard transmissions.
In
1970, My personal vehicle was a 1956 Chevy 1/2 ton , 3 on the tree, 6 cylinder
Engines got upgraded, transmissions were mostly standard shift, 3 speed, Muncie 21s & a 22, then 4 speed Saginaw , finally a beefed up Turbo 350
I sold that pickup with a 350 cu in with a Street & Strip Crower Cam, 350 turbo trans with a kit, & a Ford 330 rear differential, that was in
2009
The only thing that came close to a stick shift was the 2009 Dodge Ram with the automatic shifter on the floor console.
I could drive down what California calls Truck Trails, they twist & turn down into the canyons & around the hills & i had almost as much fun as when i drove the same roads on my Harley Trike
Even though it was drive by wire, it down shifted & accelerated very nicely & i never had to hunt for the shifter, my hand was on it except when the corners called for both hands to be on the wheel.
My 2016 is nothing like the 2009, i can't find the + - buttons on the wheel if the road is not straight
As far as racing goes, Nascar vehicles are 700 horse power & they are still Standard Stick, but the rear differentials sure are noisy now
I just get a special feeling, when i am driving a stick shift trans, i get a small grin on my face & my right foot starts tingling
