Remember three-on-a-tree?
Sure. I had three on the tree with. 65 El Camino.
This old song talks about 3 on the tree.
‘Cause I’m out on a mission, a stolen car mission
Had a small problem with the transmission
Three on the tree in the middle of the night
I have this steak on my head ‘cause I got into a fist fight
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr1Qe2m8oOA
My grandfather and I were driving on the ranch and he got out of the beat up ranch truck and told me to drive. Three on the tree. I was 12 years old. He started walking back to the house, 1/4 mile away. I drove all over that 360 acre field. Even backed into a tree, the only tree in that whole field. Naturally, the tailgate was down. I put a nice dent in it, to add with all the others from cows rubbing on the truck to scratch their backs. Lol…
Three on the tree is one thing but I am unwavering on the opinion that the best vehicle to really learn the art of a manual tranny is a Volkswagen Beetle. If you screw up, you're smushed. I'm not sure what would be a modern equivalent for learning the art of manual shifting. Maybe a Mini Cooper base? Or an old Civic hatchback rice burner?
My first car was a ‘65 mustang, 4 on the floor. Jeez, how I loved that car! One day, someone who was angry with my neighbor (from whom I rented a garage space) sabotaged that car by taking all but one lug nut off the left front tire. And he loosened the last one. The accident I had bent an axel and my parents convinced me to sell it.
Wish I still had it.
That’s how I learned to drive when I was 15. Loved it.
Learned to drive my father’s 59 Ford with the old column shift. Clutch work got very good as well, starting on hills and all.
Imagine a millennial trying to get going from a stop going uphill.