

| Subject: | Re: .................... and vanagons (friday post with little Vanagon) |
| From: | Roger Whittaker |
| Date: | Fri, 19 Mar 2010 19:21:17 -0700 |
dear legs why not install hand controls like on a motor cycle then you could shift ... yours On Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 5:01 PM, Annie <lsandrsn@gmail.com> wrote: > Don, > > I agree with you. I much, much prefer a stick myself. Unfortunately, life > had other plans for me and now I cannot drive a stick shift as my left leg > falls asleep when I sit. Makes it incredibly hard to push the clutch in > when > you can't feel your foot or leg! I tried for a while to just deal with and > do it anyway, but then it became a safety issue because sometimes I just > have no control over my leg. > > I've gotten used to an automatic now but man, I sure do wish I could still > drive a stick still! Every now and then I get to drive one and I enjoy it > when I can. > > > ~Annie > > On Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 4:45 PM, Don Hanson <dhanson928@gmail.com> wrote: > > > On Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 10:56 AM, Neil2 <vidublu@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > My Sprinter has a tiptronic and a Bus feind teased me the day I bought > it > > > 'cause it didn't have a real stick. I suppose I might like the tip in > a > > > smaller van but Moby is 600cf inside and 25' long so it's still like > > > navigating a ship and I sure my me Westy and its stick! > > > > > > On Fri, Mar 12, 2010 at 6:45 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans < > > > scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote: > > > > > > > I will say that a 'good' automatic is a joy to drive. > > > > More than a 3 speed slush box like vanagons have. > > > > I am way satisfied with the 4 speed auto in my turbo volvo sedan, > with > > > > electric button shifting in and out of overdrive top gear. > > > > > > > I can't recall ever owning an automatic vehicle. I do not care for > them. > > I hate the way they are in snow...They suck in soft sand and having some > > engineer pre-determine when the vehicle will shift under +his+ > conditions, > > the one's they simulated on the computer in China, Japan, Germany or > where > > ever, that is often awkward. It can be fatal, if you're in an emergency > > situation right at the limits of traction, and your silly automatic > tranny > > decides it must shift... You can't really tow them, you can't push start > > them and you can't usually "baby" a faulty one back home in whatever gear > > remains. They seem to be more expensive to have repaired and most of > them > > are less effective for fuel economy..maybe brand new ones can match a > > manual > > trans for MPG..but I doubt I will every buy one until they get really > good > > or there are no manual tranny vehicles allowed on the highway.. > > > > I really can't picture myself driving an automatic Vanagon..Mine, I > drive > > it like a small truck..It's pretty heavy and has a similar power to > weight > > ratio to a loaded truck, so I like to control where my RPMs are with an > eye > > on the highway ahead and the traffic I anticipate.. If I'm caught going > > slow with a long grade ahead I like to have the option to be in any of 3 > > gears in my 5speed manual..depending on how slow and how steep the > > road ahead is..Fishing around for a usable gear in a slush box Vanagon > just > > makes me shudder thinking about it. On mountain or winding roads, as I > > brake and enter a corner I can select the proper gear that I will need to > > exit the corner effectively and lose no momentum at all nor induce any > > stress into the drive line with a shift under load, like an auto does. > > > > Only if I lived in a big city would I consider an auto-shift...and I > will > > never willingly live in a big city again. > > Don Hanson > > > -- roger w From Proverbs: Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up: a servant who becomes king ... ---------------------------------------------------------- Explore printed work at: http://www.prliving.ca/ View the growing list of video work at: http://revver.com/find/video/?query=LastonLastof&search_on=owners
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