Soon to be Obsolete

Article today on foxnews.com about soon to be gone auto

accessories. Don't know how long this URL will last.

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2012/09/07/obsolete-automotive-accessories-five-disappearing-car-features/?intcmp=features

My car has three of them; cassettes can't be found,the vinyl top

behaved as described and I love the clutch.

mike

Article today on foxnews.com about soon to be gone auto

accessories. Don't know how long this URL will last.

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2012/09/07/obsolete-automotive-accessories-five-disappearing-car-features/?intcmp=features

My car has three of them; cassettes can't be found,the vinyl top

behaved as described and I love the clutch.

mike

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well there goes my idea for my 63 Falcon 351windsor and 4 speed!!

Great, Just Great!!! And I was just gettin ready to upgrade all my cars to cassettes! It getting harder and harder to find 8 Tracks at the Yard Sales!!!!

Nah, I dunno about the clutch. The automatic trans is mainly an American thing. Here in Europe most cars aren´t even available with auto transmissions and if they are, it comes only on one or two motors but not over the whole range of one model.

What actually does start to appear more often is that thing that is basically a manual but has an automatic clutch, like the DSG on VWs, Audis and Porsches.

I was just about to update to one of these

Nah, I dunno about the clutch. The automatic trans is mainly an American thing. Here in Europe most cars aren´t even available with auto transmissions and if they are, it comes only on one or two motors but not over the whole range of one model.

What actually does start to appear more often is that thing that is basically a manual but has an automatic clutch, like the DSG on VWs, Audis and Porsches.

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yeah lux...but you have to consider the American element... "oh its too much trouble to teach my kid how to operate a manual transmission." called LAZY!!! My oldest said "but I dont want to learn how" "Okay good then you will be in good shape from walking every where you want to go"

Nah, I dunno about the clutch. The automatic trans is mainly an American thing. Here in Europe most cars aren´t even available with auto transmissions and if they are, it comes only on one or two motors but not over the whole range of one model.

What actually does start to appear more often is that thing that is basically a manual but has an automatic clutch, like the DSG on VWs, Audis and Porsches.

Click to expand...

+1 to that I'm thinking this is is just one reporters opinion!

Nah, I dunno about the clutch. The automatic trans is mainly an American thing. Here in Europe most cars aren´t even available with auto transmissions and if they are, it comes only on one or two motors but not over the whole range of one model.

What actually does start to appear more often is that thing that is basically a manual but has an automatic clutch, like the DSG on VWs, Audis and Porsches.

Click to expand...

yeah lux...but you have to consider the American element... "oh its too much trouble to teach my kid how to operate a manual transmission." called LAZY!!! My oldest said "but I dont want to learn how" "Okay good then you will be in good shape from walking every where you want to go"

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I have three daughters and they all learned on a 5 speed manual. They had no choice in the matter. They were fine with it. I took a co workers 10 year old son for a ride in the Mach 1 and he said that he wanted to drive a manual when he is old enough. I told him to come and see me when it is time.

I finally broke down and bought my first car with an automagic transmission, simply because none came with clutches in the full-size four-door style I was looking at.

The other incredible accessory that all of us use and miss in the newer cars are the small wind-wing windows at the front of the driver's and passenger side windows.

Nah, I dunno about the clutch. The automatic trans is mainly an American thing. Here in Europe most cars aren´t even available with auto transmissions and if they are, it comes only on one or two motors but not over the whole range of one model.

What actually does start to appear more often is that thing that is basically a manual but has an automatic clutch, like the DSG on VWs, Audis and Porsches.

Click to expand...

yeah lux...but you have to consider the American element... "oh its too much trouble to teach my kid how to operate a manual transmission." called LAZY!!! My oldest said "but I dont want to learn how" "Okay good then you will be in good shape from walking every where you want to go"

Click to expand...

Both my son and daughter learned to drive on manual tranny's. For my son's 16th I bought him a 65 stang with the straight 6 and the 3 spd tranny and for my daughters 16th I bought her a nissan 200sx w/5 spd in it. Coming out of our community was a steep hill with a stop light at the top and both were told they couldn't drive on their own until they could stop on the hill and consistently be able to get through the light smoothly! Both are excellent drivers but they both did pickup my bad habit of speeding!!!

It does count on the town...I consider my self a very good stick driver...I drove everything from a motor bike too a kennworth.....but in down town seattle "im sure jim knows what im talking about" A stick can be a nightmare...Cause there not just hills...they are mountains!! with oil slicks on them...Or its raining with oil on them.....last time i was going threw there in a toyota 4x4...I had to stick it in low range just to stop from hitting anyone...Its scary with a stick there and not fun at all..But most other towns or hills...No trouble for me..And i been from here in Wa all the way to georgia..And all states inbetween there..lol

"real men shift gears"

For us Europeans, manual transmissions are not a problem, because we all learn it in driving school. They simply don´t have automatic transmission cars. So here you learn to drive and you learn to shift, period.

I am one of the few Europeans however who really loves automatic transmissions.

I used to have a series 5 BMW and the clutch on that car was hard as a rock. Great for fun but no fun at all when in a traffic jam during rush hour. As I knew automatic transmissions from the Jaguar I had before that one, I soon missed it badly.

Same thing on the Alfa Romeo. Now I try to get an automatic if possible, but as I said, many, many cars just don´t come with it.

I´m glad my VW has the DSG now.

The only car I´d like a manual transmission is is the Mustang because that car is for fun only. But that one of course has an automatic. Life´s a b....

"real men shift gears"

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Do manual shift automatics count???

Absolutely!

Driving my Mustang is so much better with 3 pedals.

"real men shift gears"

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Do manual shift automatics count???

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yes it does!!

I finally broke down and bought my first car with an automagic transmission, simply because none came with clutches in the full-size four-door style I was looking at.

The other incredible accessory that all of us use and miss in the newer cars are the small wind-wing windows at the front of the driver's and passenger side windows.

Click to expand...

Ahem, "our cars" (71-73 Mustangs) didn't come with wing-windows either. 1968 Mustang was the last year with those gems. I never had a car with wing-windows, so I really don't know what I am missing!!

It sure is getting hard to find stick-shift cars. I guess it's too hard to talk on the cell or text when you have to shift. There is a big american 4-door car with 6-speed manual: Cadilac CTS-V, available in sedan or wagon, with a 565hp v8. So no excuses now, unless you don't like the $60K price tag (which is not bad for 565hp).

I finally broke down and bought my first car with an automagic transmission, simply because none came with clutches in the full-size four-door style I was looking at.

The other incredible accessory that all of us use and miss in the newer cars are the small wind-wing windows at the front of the driver's and passenger side windows.

Click to expand...

Ahem, "our cars" (71-73 Mustangs) didn't come with wing-windows either. 1968 Mustang was the last year with those gems. I never had a car with wing-windows, so I really don't know what I am missing!!

It sure is getting hard to find stick-shift cars. I guess it's too hard to talk on the cell or text when you have to shift. There is a big american 4-door car with 6-speed manual: Cadilac CTS-V, available in sedan or wagon, with a 565hp v8. So no excuses now, unless you don't like the $60K price tag (which is not bad for 565hp).

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I was looking at one in 2006 (non-V version), when I opted for a Mustang GT. The local Caddy dealer didn't have any CTS's in stock with stick shifts; he said the last one he had celebrated its birthday on the lot. 2 weeks after I bought the GT, he called and said he had another CTS on the lot, but he sold it in 2 hours. Was I still interested in another?

Nah...can't afford that sticker price nor the likely insurance hike.