I learn to drive a manual transmission when I was about 9 or 10 years old....a 1963 B10 Allis Chalmers(Simplicity) garden tractor...then moved up to a mid 70’s Ford truck...3-in-the-tree with no power steering. I only weighed probably 140 at the time...felt like wrestling a gator.
My First car was a 47 Chev deluxe, 3 on the tree with vacuum shift. Hot water six.