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 Posted: Oct 23, 2020 06:12PM
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stick shift is too tiring and don't have cruise control for long trips. i'm building my own auto trans from aToyota RAV4 going to the rear of my mini. i want to be able to drive my mini thousands of miles in the highway with ease and without breaking down.
Rav4 engine 167Hp. if successful, i will share the rollcage measurements and mounting points.

 

 Posted: Oct 23, 2020 03:55PM
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A couple in SCMM (Southern California Mini Maniacs) were early adopters of the MINI. Their's was a manual "S", and they would bring their young daughter along on runs and weekend trips.  Said daughter told her folks she wanted the MINI when she was old enough to drive.

Years pass, the daughter is now old enough, and the MINI has been turned over to her while Mom and Dad upgraded.  But it's a stick, and she didn't want to bother to learn.  But learn she did in order to have the car.

Then when she drove it to school, she discovered -to quote her mother-, "driving a stick gives her 'street cred' with the boys in high school".

Heh!

 Posted: Oct 11, 2020 11:49AM
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As you ask Scott back in the day (cira 1963) Drivers education was taught on automatic transmission cars I got my learners permit at 13.  The family car was a 1949 Chevy "three on the tree".  Around that time I got a 1960 Austin 850. When the Wife and I moved from London to North Carolina she took her drivers test in my 1967 Stewart and Ardern Radford Cooper'S MiniSprint.  Four children later and they all have driven my Mini's.

 Posted: Oct 10, 2020 12:01PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by oldminimover49
When  l first looked at the topic subject, l just assumed we were talking “ Classic mini Automatic”

But, it seems to cover every make, model etc

But back to the classic mini,

Automatic mini or Minimatic just plain NO, too many bad experiences with them,

Example, when you have to fly in an expert Auto Tranny mechanic  from Scotland with special tools and parts to rebuild/repair 4-5 sick Automatic minis you will know why


Big AL
Andy rebuilt more than 5 during his stay in Florida. He borrowed tools from Malcolm in Orlando, who was good enough to let us use his facilities, free of charge. So no Special tools were used. All we brought over was 8 sets of Jpat Repair Kits for the Mini boxes. Andy was the best I've ever seen working on these cars. Believe Joe M down in Miami also paid his fare, and lodgings to get his Mini up and running, a couple of years later after local mechanics couldn't fix it.  I've still got the last Box he built with the last Kit left over. 

Saor Alba

 Posted: Oct 6, 2020 02:36PM
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Both my wife and I can drive manual transmission cars. Not sure when or why she learned but I started at around 12yrs old when I got my first Honda motorcycle. My brother taught me how clutches work and it was an easy thing to do. Although I learned how to drive in mom's 65 Galaxy (talk about a boat) which was an automatic. Once I got my license my oldest brother bought me a 61 Beetle so I could deliver newspapers on a motor route as he was a district manager for the local newspaper. It lasted about 6 months until I made enough to upgrade to a 67 Beetle. Since then it's always been automatics for family car and standard for Minis. I started my son out the same way I did, on a small bore Honda motorcycle. He started driving a car behind the wheel of my Moke. That was around age 14. Flashback to Seekonk RI Mini Meet East 98. I had two friends who came over from England for the event. They said they wanted to go to some store called Wal-Mart and could I take them? I said the keys are in the Moke, just take it. As my friend Don said, "I don't really feel comfortable on this side of the road and would rather I drive them" I looked at Eric and said to take them. Off they went! When he got his permit at 15 I hooked a trailer to my truck and said I was going to teach him how to pull a trailer and off we went to California to pick up a Mini I had just bought. He did quite well, and is better at backing a trailer than I am. When he was 17 his mom wanted us to move her to NC in a 26 ft Uhaul. We loaded it and he drove through the mountains to deliver her stuff. Now I would trust him to drive anything anywhere. Oh yeah, BTW, only one of my wife's 4 kids can drive a manual, and that's only because he was in the Army and learned there.

"Retired:  No Job, No Money, Wife and I!  Will travel anywhere for Minis"

[email protected]

 Posted: Oct 6, 2020 02:19PM
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CA
I learned with a 3 on the column standard.
I think every youngster should have some training as part of their drivers education class

 

"Everybody should own a MINI at some point, or you are incomplete as a human being" - James May

"WET COOPER", Partsguy1 (Terry Snell of Penticton BC ) - Could you send the money for the unpaid parts and court fees.
Ordered so by a Judge

 

 

 

 Posted: Oct 6, 2020 11:05AM
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CA
When  l first looked at the topic subject, l just assumed we were talking “ Classic mini Automatic”

But, it seems to cover every make, model etc

But back to the classic mini,

Automatic mini or Minimatic just plain NO, too many bad experiences with them,

Example, when you have to fly in an expert Auto Tranny mechanic  from Scotland with special tools and parts to rebuild/repair 4-5 sick Automatic minis you will know why


Big AL

[email protected]

Niagara Ontario Canada

 Posted: Oct 6, 2020 06:38AM
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Up until Children entered our life we have been a Manual only Family = Manual Pickuptruck  + Miata + BMW Sedan wife's daily driver. - multiple Mini's.  I even Manual swapped my 1996  850R Volvo Wagon = now a 5 Speed Manual.
 
Add children the need for an SUV Arose and manual choices are VERY limited.  BMW Made X5 In a Manual but that is about it... old BMW - no thanks
  Now having a SUV with an auto (Toyota) = It does make multitasking easy with all the other inputs required with the family on board.

Still have plenty of manuals in the stable none the less... Can you buy a new one? = not really.... manufactures aren't offering them / if you get one its a 'low' optioned base model in most cases. inthe USA atleast = Europe  the manual Diesel sedan /Estate is king!

 Posted: Oct 6, 2020 05:39AM
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Im the only one that drives stick. My wife has no desire to and my oldest is still learning to drive. 

check out the official website for updates!!!!!  //www.minimeetnorth.com

 

 Posted: Sep 29, 2020 07:02AM
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I was so surprised to find a 03 Dodge Dakota mid size P/up with a 3.9 V6 and a NV3500 5 speed tranny I bought it.
The body and bed are in good overall shape considering age. Once everything suspension, brakes and AC were replaced
it's a great truck. Extra cab with room for important things to be stored and carried. Six and a half bed which carries 4X8
with gate down. Pulls my single axle trailer with a mini loaded just fine. Son Alex age 20 thought std tranny would be a
problem when he got his Honda. It was not long before I heard him telling a friend if you can't drive a stick you are lame.
Shopping around and finding trucks new selling from $45 to $65 thousand the $1500. purchase price $4000. in parts,
tires, alignment and AC service I'm doing good. I' have had it for a year and logged 14,000 miles. The plan is to rebuild
the engine, replace the complete cooling system and have paint and interior done. Quotes for body and paint running
$4800 to $5500 ( clear flakes on these trucks ) engine rebuild with any upgrades the ECU will handle looks like $4,000.
New headliner and carpet another $500 installed. After driving a classic mini for 17 years and 176,000 miles the AC is a
plus while MPG is not all that. Steve (CTR)

Now I have to teach Liz to drive a stick.

 Posted: Sep 28, 2020 06:08PM
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You can still get a Toyota Tacoma in manual shift. It's a bit of a chore to find one though.

"How can anything bigger be mini?"

 Posted: Sep 28, 2020 05:48PM
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So far I've never owned a vehicle with an automatic transmission.  That may change soon as I'm about to get rid of my rusting Ford Ranger.  I don't think anyone makes a smaller (non full size) pickup with a manual transmission.  But I still have my Mini pickup with its 4 speed manual shift.  Right hand drive to boot!  Nothing especially against automatics, just prefer a manual.  I feel I'm more "in tune" with the vehicle and have more control with the manual.  

Now days, so few drivers, especially younger ones, don't know how to drive a manual that having a stick shift is sort of an anti-theft device.  I've read about several instances where younger kids were either trying to steal or carjack cars, and when they found they were stick shift and couldn't drive them, were frustrated and ran away.  

Don

Why take the time to learn when ignorance is instantaneous?..... Hobbes   (to Calvin)

 Posted: Sep 22, 2020 06:46PM
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First time I drove an auto car was in the USA - growing up in the UK I thought they were just for old people
My wife's current cars are evenly split between stick and auto. Son has a stick. Daughter learning on stick. I didn't let the kids drive an auto until they learnt proper driving.

 Posted: Sep 22, 2020 05:00PM
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My wife learned on a Honda 600 Coupe and I never remember owning an auto other than the race team Bus. Son Alex has two std shift vehicles. I have been rebuilding std trannys since I was 11 years old. The NV3500 five speed medium duty truck trannys are a pleasure to
drive. My first car was a 1930 Model A Ford. Steve (CTR)

 Posted: Sep 22, 2020 12:26PM
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My wife can't drive a manual. My 20yr old daughter drives a 5 speed Ford Focus (it was difficult to find a manual) and can drive pretty much any manual trans. With the exception of my company vans and truck all of my personal vehicles are manual.

 

 

 Posted: Sep 22, 2020 11:27AM
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Both my wife and myself grew up in Europe....so stick was the only option for us. I much rather prefer it than auto.


*Another issue is why people do not use their turn signals....but that would open a very large can of worms.

 Posted: Sep 22, 2020 05:12AM
 Edited:  Sep 22, 2020 05:16AM
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First a 48 Ford Tractor, then a 64 Biscayne that liked to buck in first if not done correctly. A mystery shift 73 Hornet, and 81 Chevy Custom truck, column shift that you could get into 2 gears at once. All good fun. My wife can, but does not like it.

 Posted: Sep 21, 2020 05:16PM
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But my 20 year old daughter can’t. She was supposed to learn on a Subaru but was never interested. And time slipped away.

 Posted: Sep 21, 2020 05:05PM
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This is probably the wrong place to ask but I’m wondering how many people don’t know how to drive a stick.  I’ve noticed this a lot lately and I believe most of you can so please answer this for you and your significant other. Both my wife and I can drive a stick.