The preslector gearbox

[Chip Chester]

Taught my son to drive manual in about ten minutes when he was 12. I had a warehouse with large private lot at the time. We went out in my '60s sports car -- manual everything. I adjusted the idle to about 1200 rpm, then we worked solely on being able to get the car moving without killing the engine, using only the clutch. No accelerator, no brake. Let him focus in on the friction point for smooth engagement without shudder or over-slipping. Nothing to hit, plus car has a lever e-brake I could stop it with. Once he learned the dynamics of engagement, we introduced the accelerator pedal to the equation, and worked on real-world acceleration. Then I dropped the idle back down for him to put everything together.

After that, the next lesson was hill-holding using lever e-brake in conjunction with standard clutch/accel operation.

Added bonus: no father/son teaching tension!

All that said, the smoothest-shifting auto I've ever driven is in my 2500 Suburban. Entrance ramps in particular are just a continuous smooth application of power. Pretty good for a 16-year-old truck.