[fireman15]

On the fire department that I retired from we had a 1927 LaFrance Fire Engine that we drove in parades. The thing had to be “double clutched” when downshifting. I learned how to do this because of my experience growing up with old farm trucks. There were only two people on the fire department who knew how. I was one of them, so got to drive it in parades.

[elcid1970]

Years ago my Bicentennial reenactment group bought a 1965 school bus with a “crashbox” transmission. I learned to double-clutch in the Army so I became the designated driver; no one else could learn how, as it had to be d-c’d both shifting up and down.

Years later I got deployed to Central Asia where our off-base vehicle was a Land Rover with a standard transmission that only I could drive because none of the active military there even knew how to clutch shift. Felt like 007 tearing around Uzbekistan and gear jamming.

[yarddog]

My hometown, DeFuniak Springs had a 1928 Lafrance. Finally after I was married and living all over the country, someone told me they finally got a new one.

First time they took it out, it tore up and they had to go back and get the old Lafrance.

[Texas resident]

My dad taught me how to double clutch on a ‘31 Ford sedan. Model A.

I have a 79 VW beetle convertible. When I take it in for a state inspection, there is only one guy at the shop that can drive it, the oldest guy there. The rest just stare.

[doorgunner69]

Besides double clutching, I learned how to shift military 4x4 trucks without using the clutch. I am sure the slow spinning gears and low ratios helped, but it could be done, using the clutch only for starting.

Most cars I tried it on did not work very well, probably because the rpm dropped too fast.

Did get my Corvette home with out clutch once this way after the POS GM clutch linkage broke.