[ajsmith]

If you were to go out to buy a bug out vehicle and had a choice of stick or auto, what would you chose and why? The reason why I ask is the other day I injured my left leg (not very bad) at work. It was uncomfortable to put pressure on it but I still had to drive home in my Jeep that is a 5 speed stick. The discomfort of pushing the clutch in got me to thinking what if I was hurt/wounded and trying to bug out? Anyway, what are your thoughts, pros and cons of one over the other?:scratch

 

[UncleJoe]

I like a standard because it can be bump started. However most of are vehicles are automatic. Go figure.

 

[Tirediron]

Given the choice a standard, As uncle Joe said you can bump or pull start them, the can provide better engine braking. When I was in high school I cut my left knee with a chain saw and couldn't use my left leg for a couple of months, I learned how to release the clutch with my right leg and shifted by matching RPM
won quite a few bets during that time cause people thought there is no way to drive a standard with a leg in a cast. I really wouldn't want anything with advanced electronics in a BOV,

 

[Woody]

I woke up one morning and my right elbow locked up the joint and lower arm was numb (tendonitis). I drove a 1 ton chevy 4-speed at the time. It was difficult but I was able to drive with only the left arm. I have had leg injuries and was able to drive/shift also. No, maybe not the safest thing to do but it can be done with one leg or one arm.

Besides being able to pop start a manual, you can also hypermile better than an auto. With a flat towable transmission you can get double… or more… your average mileage in one. Getting 600 miles instead of 300 per tank is a winner in my book.

For security, I don’t think half the U.S. population even knows how to use a clutch so stealing your vehicle is less of a worry. That and if you take the knob off the shifter they will not know where first gear is!!! For BOL storage just unbolt the clutch linkage and it ain’t going anywhere. I don’t think any crook would think to look for that.

In a 4x4 a manual can’t be beat. You let off on the clutch and you know something is going to happen. With an automatic you have to keep pressing on the gas until something happens.

 

[nj_m715]

Pro's and con's to both. You can can push/pull start a stick, but they are hard to impossible to drive with a leg injury. I find the older non-syscro trans to be easier to "power shift". Shifting by timing the wheel speed with the motor speed and shifting w/o the clutch. I had a clutch cable snap in my sbc powered jeep when I was 1.5 hrs from home. It had a 4 speed with a granny first. If I had to stop at light I would turn off the motor, start the jeep in 2nd gear and power shift. I tried my best to keep it rolling and not stop if I could. It wasn't fun, but I didn't need a tow truck.

My current truck has an auto, but I'm a fan of a stick. Keep in mind not everyone can drive a stick. If you are badly injured can your wife, teen neighbor or friend drive you to safety? If not they need to learn.

 

[NaeKid]

My two main Jeeps are pictured below. The white-one without the doors is now an automatic. For better hill-control (uphill) the automatic is best, for mud the automatic is best because it does not fill-up with muck. The silver-one with the doors is a 6-speed manual. It tows loads very well and have awesome hill-control (downhill).

Each of those Jeeps has its positives and its negatives, so, depending on the situation, I can choose either one. Oh ya, both of them are equipped with self-recovery-gear (winch, straps, chains, etc) and both are equipped with communication-equipment (CB-Radio), both are locked-up and both are almost equal in their capabilities. The white one can easily cross water upto 4' 6" and the silver one is limited to about 3' water-crossings (till I put the snorkle on it).

 

[JayJay]

While on this subject, I am amazed at the population today that can't drive a manual shift, stick shift, 4-speed or 5-speed!!

It would be wise for everyone to have this skill conquered before TSHTF!!

You never know!!!

Our next door neighbor asked to borrow our truck to haul gravel...I actually laughed when he said he couldn't drive the 5-speed!!! I apologized

I thought he was kidding.

I learned to drive with a '66 Chevy Super Sport and a '57 Chevy!!

Fathers, teach your daughters to drive a standard...it could save a life.

 

[ajsmith]

NaeKid, Nice Jeeps:thumbraise: When I was a kid all we had to do with our trucks was go muddin' or hill climbing, I think I liked the auto best for that. For the street racing in our two wheel drive rigs the old Muncie four speed can't be beat.
JayJay, I to learned to drive with a stick, started with a '58 chevy pick up at the ripe old age of 12. At 15 my first car was a '57 chevy, we put a 327 cid in it with the three on the tree...lol As I got older, and lazier, I really got to liking the automatics. I think I'm still torn between the two, I've had good luck with both. :dunno:

 

[UncleJoe]

I to learned to drive with a stick, started with a '58 chevy pick up

My first stick was a '68 fastback Mustang in '77. 289/4 speed. ZOOM-ZOOM. Got my first speeding ticket in that car too.

 

[BadgeBunny]

My first was a '64 VW Bug with a sunroof that didn't leak!! I loved that car! :2thumb:

I now own a couple of older Toyotas. I LOVE my pickup!! Like the rest of you guys I am amazed at the number of people who cannot drive a stick shift.

 

[MrSfstk8d]

Don't know why my dad was against them, but I never learned to drive a manual until I joined the Army. Thinking about getting a beater with manual to let my kids tear it up learning too, lol.

 

[Tirediron]

Even "18 wheelers" can be equiped with automatics now, :gaah:

 

[BasecampUSA]

Bugout combination !

I tow this (gas, standard):

Behind this (diesel, automatic):

A 10,000# winch fits interchangeably on both...

Instant mobile basecamp with 4 months of supplies
and fuel and 4wd independent mobilization, is what
I figured for... plus all the ham AM & FM communications
frequencies, marine radio and CB...
On-board diesel generator, sleeps 4, Kitchenette, Potty.

Might see some of you at the mid-Atlantic meet in a
few months - We'll be coming to it like this.
Maine cops made me put duct tape over the lights, but
the siren and intersection stop-light changer still work

 

[ajsmith]

Basecamp, that's a sweet set up.:2thumb: Would like to see more, post up some pics if ya got'em.

 

[BasecampUSA]

:Hi AJ,

I took all the radios and freeze-sensitive stuff out of the Ambulance before Christmas for the winter (minus 20 here last week), but in Summer I'll be using it for the Search & Rescue team I'm working with here. I was an EMT in mountain rescue for years.

It used to be an EMT training ambulance for a college and is just like new in back - very little use, and has 125K on the odometer. Its got a 7.3 turbodiesel and pulls like a locomotive train! (I bought it at a government auction for $2500.00)

Probably get some pics then and I'll bump the thread...

Right now it's under 18" of snow, and I'm digging it out today with the tractor bucket to charge the 6 batteries and start both diesels. Finally got up over freezing here daytimes for a couple of days.

If it came to a bug-out scenario I'd have it ready within an hour, there's propane heat on board as well.

The Jeep is a daily-driver in the winter up here, towbar attaches in 5 minutes.

- Basey

 

[Lonewufcry]

I prefer a standard but my 250 super duty is an auto and the wrangler is a standard both are in the process of upgrades for bov's.

 

[sailaway]

My first stick was a '68 fastback Mustang in '77. 289/4 speed. ZOOM-ZOOM. Got my first speeding ticket in that car too.

Mine was a 67 Chevy Camaro, 250 cid, 3 speed, purchased in 79. Lost DL in 78 bue to 3 speeding tickets before 18, in 71 Mavrick 200cid auto.:nuts:

 

[Jason]

My parents had a lima bean green Maverick when I was a kid. That's the first car I remember!

My first car was a 85 VW Golf diesel with a 5 speed. I loved that car but it was worn out when I got it, with 203K on the clock. I put about another 20K on it. When we replaced the tranny we just unbolted it from the engine and reached into the engine compartment, grabbed it, and set the new one in. Really lightweight and easy to do. I'm a real big fan of manuals because I feel you can control them better.

We had a 1974 Ward LaFrance fire engine at my fire hall for a while and I was the only one who liked to drive it-it was a 5 speed wth something like a 14 inch throw on the clutch pedal. You couldn't lift you leg high enough to use the clutch in bunker pants so the driver always had to get dressed on scene. It would start out on a very significant hill from a dead stop in third gear. It groaned, but it did it. We got rid of it when we got the new truck in 06. The new one's no fun-you push a button and you're in drive. The gear selector pannel looks like a calculator.

My pickup is an automatic only because I got it off the lot at the end of the year when they were trying to move the old stock and I couldn't beat the price. There were 3 left and they were all the same-all autos. Knock on wood it's been a damn good truck for 7 years now.

 

[ajsmith]

I'm still torn between the two. If there's enough time left in our world as we know it I would like to build my "preper mobil". It will consist of a Jeep FSJ four door put on a mid-seventies Chevy Blazer frame and running gear. Most Blazers came with autos so I might just swap from a TH-350 to a TH-400, that way I could just shorten the stock rear drive line and get a stock front drive line from a 3/4 ton with a TH400. That keeps it pretty simple

 

[nj_m715]

I might just swap from a TH-350 to a TH-400,

Don't be too fast to dismiss the 350. It's more common and much cheaper to replace. It has a lower first gear ratio than the turbo 400. I ran a 350 for years behind a mild sbc in a jeep on 44" tires. I broke a lot of stuff, but never broke a trans. A good rebuilder can put in stronger clutches and advise you which torque convertor to run. My guy suggested a diesel convertor because of the lock up speed. I like running cheap readily available junkyard parts. Unless you are running a 10 second car you might not really need a th400.