Where have all the manual transmissions gone?

[joecool85]

Similar to the old CJ-8 Scrambler? Owing to the OP... remember when all Jeeps had manual transmission? I read they started offering 3-speed auto in the CJ-7, but I honestly never saw an automatic Jeep until the 1990's.

Sounds like it will be very similar to the Scrambler. I hope so, those were neat. They also might be coming out with a smaller version of the Wrangler, more similar in size to the old Willys from the war days.

I hadn't seen an automatic Jeep (outside of a Grand Cherokee) until around 2000. I know they existing before that, just not much around here in Maine. I also hadn't seen (or even heard of) 2wd jeeps until a few years after that. Not sure if it was just Cherokees but apparently they did make those in 2wd. Why I'm not sure since mine was horrible in snow until 4wd was engaged. Way too light for just rwd.

 

[clemsonfor]

probably similar to the jeep truck that looked like the cherokee up front and a truck in the back, isnt that what they looked like? I do see and know what a scrambler was too.

 

[joecool85]

probably similar to the jeep truck that looked like the cherokee up front and a truck in the back, isnt that what they looked like? I do see and know what a scrambler was too.

That was a Comanche and was totally different from the Scrambler. The Scrambler is basically a CJ (Wrangler) with a pickup bed. The Comanche was a Cherokee with a bed. The CJ/Wrangler is a body on frame and the Comanche/Cherokee are unibody construction. I'd be willing to be they will stick with the Wrangler Unlimited as the base for this new rig so it will be body on frame like the ol' CJ-8 Scrambler.

 

[clemsonfor]

I know a cherokee is a unibody and that a cj/scrambler and the newer version of the wrangler TJ and Rj or whatever they call them are both frame on. I wrote it all screwed up when i said it but did not feel like editing it. I said something like i "do know and have seen a scrambler and what they look like".

I guess they will use a jeep front, they no longer make a cherokee or grand do thye so they cant use those.

 

[NE WOOD BURNER]

http://www.quadratec.com/showcases/aev/brute/

Is this what you guys maybe thinking of?

 

[joecool85]

http://www.quadratec.com/showcases/aev/brute/

Is this what you guys maybe thinking of?

Nope, but those kits are sweet. There are a few others floating around including one from Jeep called the JK-8. What I am referencing will probably end up pretty similar to that kit, but be an OEM vehicle from Jeep rather than a kit.

 

[NE WOOD BURNER]

ah yes the jk8 is a mopar product that conveniently takes hold after the brute year 2006. interestingly enough the jk8 still is covered under warranty.

vehicles just cant keep up with our intense need for instant gratification. the mahindra diesel pickup I dont think ever made it to US soil. had a three year lead time.

 

[joecool85]

ah yes the jk8 is a mopar product that conveniently takes hold after the brute year 2006. interestingly enough the jk8 still is covered under warranty.

vehicles just cant keep up with our intense need for instant gratification. the mahindra diesel pickup I dont think ever made it to US soil. had a three year lead time.

Sure they could, if only they had kept making the Ford Ranger or brougtht the "New Ranger" over here I'd be happy. Hell, if they just put a stick in the F150 I'd consider it even though it's way larger than I need. Too bad about the Mahindra pickup btw, I was excited about that even though I'm normally a "buy American" kind of guy.

 

[Highbeam]

That was a Comanche and was totally different from the Scrambler. The Scrambler is basically a CJ (Wrangler) with a pickup bed. The Comanche was a Cherokee with a bed. The CJ/Wrangler is a body on frame and the Comanche/Cherokee are unibody construction. I'd be willing to be they will stick with the Wrangler Unlimited as the base for this new rig so it will be body on frame like the ol' CJ-8 Scrambler.

Oh no, you're forgetting the full size cherokee and the full size j10, j20 and maybe even J30 trucks that Jeep and AMC made. Once upon a time, the cherokee was larger than the suburban. Pretty sure the jeep trucks were not unibody. I swapped an engine in one with a relative. It was a huge engine, maybe a 401?, but with a tiny two barrel motorcraft carburetor.

 

[joecool85]

Oh no, you're forgetting the full size cherokee and the full size j10, j20 and maybe even J30 trucks that Jeep and AMC made. Once upon a time, the cherokee was larger than the suburban. Pretty sure the jeep trucks were not unibody. I swapped an engine in one with a relative. It was a huge engine, maybe a 401?, but with a tiny two barrel motorcraft carburetor.

Those cherokees were from 1974 to 1983, I was referencing the ones most people recognize now that were built from 1984 to 2001.

 

[jharkin]

Their is a few of us left

Good luck finding someone under 40 that knows the shift pattern of a 3 speed on the column. It would be funny trying to see some punk steal one of those though.

Make that 3 of us. '55 Chevy 210, my friends Dad owned one (probably still does) when we where in High School. I got to drive it when I was 17 or 18. Looking back I'm suprised he let me, I got the hang of the shift pattern and double clutching it without too much trouble...

... but the 4 wheel drums almost got us all killed the first time I approached a stop sign


EDIT, now that I think about it, the 210 had a synchro trans... I think it was the old truck they had I had to double clutch.

 

[Ashful]

Now... what I was really hoping to get from this thread was, "oh, here's where you can still buy a new pickup truck with a manual transmission for under $40k."

 

[NE WOOD BURNER]

Now... what I was really hoping to get from this thread was, "oh, here's where you can still buy a new pickup truck with a manual transmission for under $40k."

yep! looks like you maybe SOL for a bit.

the wranglers are up at the price of a pickup. but they resell quick.

If one is not offered I think the aftermarket will fill the void. Chevys are easy to convert and many guys are familiar with the wiring. just not as easy as buying from factory.

 

[joecool85]

yep! looks like you maybe SOL for a bit.

the wranglers are up at the price of a pickup. but they resell quick.

If one is not offered I think the aftermarket will fill the void. Chevys are easy to convert and many guys are familiar with the wiring. just not as easy as buying from factory.

Are you saying Chevys are easy to convert to a stick? If so, do you mean the half ton trucks like the Silverado?

 

[NE WOOD BURNER]

The chevy LS engine has a great following. Hot rodders love them.

the wiring I am sure has already been thought of at jegs or summit. As you can buy stand alone controllers for the engine or the auto transmissions. the nuts and bolts of the conversion would be simple.

1.flywheel
2.clutch- i would think along the lines of hydraulic for easier pedal placement.
3.transmission
4. cut hole in floor and build dog house.

If you can think it! You can build it! If you can build it most likely you can buy it from some where.

My main thought with a chevy was that a chevy W/T is cheapest. Chevy parts are generally cheaper than others.

I will look into a bit more and see what kind of a price it would be for the parts going all new. obviously a doner vehicle would make things cheaper but then you have used parts not new.

 

[Ashful]

For the record, last time I checked, if you order a Chevy W/T with the V6, and standard cab, and short bed, and vinyl seats... you can still get the manual trans. Trouble is, I need a crew cab for the kiddos, and a v8 for hauling.

 

[NE WOOD BURNER]

(broken link removed to https://www.drivetrain.com/parts_catalog/manual_transmission/nv4500_conversion_transmission.html)

Here is the costly part!

yes Jotul for you it would be cost prohibitive. Off the dealer I believe you would have to jump up to a diesel dodge 3/4 ton. which brings you out of your 30,000 range.

I bet in time there will be companies doing a conversion if people are willing to buy into it. all new parts and labor I think the cost would push me to the cummins dodge upgrade to get the manual.

Its a fun discussion and I bet we will see some conversions happening in the future when folks have a bit more $$ to throw around.

 

[Stelcom66]

Interesting my search on manual transmissions in pickup trucks brought me to this site, where I'm a member. Don't know if the topic can still be active since it's almost 2 years old. I'd love to be able to find a full size 4x4 pickup truck with an 8' bed and manual transmission, a V6 would be fine. It would be great to find a pre '97 Ford F150 with the 5 speed manual and 300cid straight 6. Not sure why, I just like the direct feeling of a manual. My 2002 Subaru Forester is manual, and I always enjoy driving it. I thought Subaru would hold out - but they dropped the manual transmission option on the U.S. 2015 Outbacks. Although the CVTs provide higher mpg results when tested, I wonder if that's the case with the average driver. I had a couple of rear wheel drive manual pickups, a 4 speed Ford Econoline Club Wagon and 5 speed Aerostar - and even an '85 Dodge Caravan with a 2.2L 4 and 5 speed manual. That was a rare one, but averaged around 20mpg. Especially now 4 wheel drive is a must - a few times this winter I picked up firewood on someone's property with snow on the ground. Probably RWD would be ok with the wood in the bed, but one place I had to go up a slight hill empty, my Dodge Dakota or long ago '80 Dodge Ram (both manual RWD) certainly would have trouble. Every once in a while I search for the full size 4x4 with a manual transmission, the results are few and far between. I have an older automatic 4x4 Chevy Silverado. I love the truck though, it runs so well at 178k miles I'd probably be crazy to trade it in.

 

[Wildo]

I was just thinking about this. Who still offers a standard? I am looking but it seems like I will be looking for a long time. My wife is dead set on an automatic and insists that she can't drive an automatic, yet can do do a hill start on the second try when I put her behind the wheel. I

This is a good thread for those of us that are lovers of clutching.

A manual just makes ya smile.

 

[Oldman47]

I didn't realize they were an endangered species. My Civic, wife's Corolla, my S-10 and my bike are all manual shift. I haven't owned an automatic in over 30 years.
Maybe why I didn't know is that I haven't gone shopping for a car or truck in quite a while.

Update: I just did a quick Google search and there are quite a few new pickups with 5 or 6 speed manuals. Anything else would really have surprised me because I know it is near impossible to find an auto anything in Europe and the same folks make vehicles for that market as make them for here.

 

[peakbagger]

The emissions are more difficult to deal with on a standard., that in combination with a far lower demand means standards are endangered.

 

[ToltingColtAcres]

Good luck finding someone under 40 that knows the shift pattern of a 3 speed on the column. It would be funny trying to see some punk steal one of those though.

Well, I'm 10 years above 40, and my first car was a Chevy Concours with a 3-speed on the column. Used to drive that 30 miles r/t daily when I went to college.

I didn't realize they were an endangered species. My Civic, wife's Corolla, my S-10 and my bike are all manual shift. I haven't owned an automatic in over 30 years.

I wasn't able to find a manual truck when I was looking for one a few years ago. I ended up buying a 2008 Tundra Limited w/ the tow package, so I can haul upwards of 10k (I routinely haul my JD 1050 tractor on a beavertail with it, no problem). Only other option was to "upgrade" into a diesel, which not only costs more on the front end, but also each time you visit the gas station.

 

[jharkin]

They are endangered. Even Ferrari has stopped selling manuals. Porsche models and BMWs now even mostly offer an auto or paddle shift automated manual as standard, with a manual option that has to be ordered.

If you want a manual:

Japanses
Honda - Civic, Accord
Toyota... I *think* the Corolla has one. Tacoma truck offers it on 4 cylinder trims. Maybe 4 runner? Scion FR-S [corrected typo]
Nissan... Their sports cars like the 370z Possibly the Sentra?
Subaru- a bunch of them do

Korean
I have no idea about Kia or Hyundai

German
BMW - its an option on the 2,3 and most M cars.
Audi - option on most
VW - option on some like the Golf, GTi, etc
Merc - option on a couple models


US
Ford - option on Mustang, and I beleive hte Focus sport, etc. No idea if any of the F series trucks or larger sendans offer.
Chevy - I think a couple models offer option?
Dodge - no idea
Jeep - I think Wrangler

 

[Bigg_Redd]

Only other option was to "upgrade" into a diesel, which not only costs more on the front end, but also each time you visit the gas station.

So they cost more to buy and cost more to fuel? Why would anyone buy one?

 

[begreen]

Allegedly less service and better longevity. They produce more torque and usually get better mileage. This makes them good for load hauling and towing. FWIW, recently coming up from CA I frequently saw diesel fuel at or less than regular gas prices. Lowest was $2.08.