OV9

They have a massive obsession over manual gearboxes. People feel the need to mention it in every single post, even when it's not relevant. I've just spotted one guy's signature is:

1999 3 pedal gated stick-shift manual 6 speed 360 Modena

Being able to drive a manuel in the US is something that Americans think is a specialist skill, and shows how HARDCORE they are about driving.

You know, something our grannies all did when they popped down to the shops when we were nippers.

Americans and the manual gearbox have a very strange relationship. They simply cannot understand that for large chunks of the world it is a completely normal, regular, everyday thing.

If you ever happen to mention you have a manual there are two responses, either wow that’s cool or omg do you think you’re special because you drive stick?

They seem amazed that we have different licenses for the two types too. Having seen lots of videos of people in the USA who have only ever driven auto trying to drive a manual, I’m glad our system is like it is!

Apologies to any Americans who may be reading and don’t fit in with my blatant generalising and stereotyping.

Americans also can't comprehend that we use "Military time" here. There was a surprised couple in London Euston shouting about it and found it all rather confusing

integrale_evo wrote: Sun Nov 19, 2023 10:08 pm Having seen lots of videos of people in the USA who have only ever driven auto trying to drive a manual, I’m glad our system is like it is!

Common trope in films/shows too - "Have you ever driven stick before?" before they repeatedly crunch the box while being chased by volcanos/aliens/zombies.

I heard many of them could care less what gearboxes we use.

They will brag about the 6 speed gearbox More so as most old American manuals were 3/4 speed and many had column shift manuals “4 on the floor” “3 on the tree” etc

Aye, they were still doing column shift manuals into the 80s. Ford used them on the Pinto/Maverick and the Ranger truck.

integrale_evo wrote: Sun Nov 19, 2023 10:08 pm If you ever happen to mention you have a manual there are two responses, either wow that’s cool or omg do you think you’re special because you drive stick?

That looks like it was produced by whatever AI has been doing new electric railway designs

I'd give it a go. How hard can it be?

This could be a recurring thing (until I get massively angry and get myself banned from the Ferrari forum).

Bloke opens a thread with:

I recently purchased a 2000 Rosso Corsa on Beige gated 360 Modena off BAT with ~20k miles.

Then asks about fitting a challenge grille. Apart from "recently purchased" and "360" none of that is relevant

I'm going to have to start trolling them by listing excessive detail about my car, then asking an utterly mundane question.

Do they do that thing where they list their car in their signature along with the mundane options it has or mods they’ve done? I always lol at that.

Mito Man wrote: Wed Dec 06, 2023 11:24 pm Do they do that thing where they list their car in their signature along with the mundane options it has or mods they’ve done? I always lol at that.

I like it on (usually 1 make) forums where they’ve had their car dyno’d and list the result as xxx.y bhp.

Yeah your car looks pretty healthy at 472.2bhp mate, but mine made 472.7bhp. Eat my dust looser.

That kind of quoted precision - tenths of an hp - and I will emphasise that precision is NOT the same as accuracy - makes me chuckle too. I’ve never seen any kind of uncertainty figure attached to a dyno result. In the real scientific / engineering world, measurements always come with an uncertainty. I’m guessing it’s something horrific like in excess of ±10% but everyone in possession of the appropriate data has a vested interest in keeping quiet.

Sundayjumper wrote: Wed Dec 06, 2023 11:44 pm That kind of quoted precision - tenths of an hp - and I will emphasise that precision is NOT the same as accuracy - makes me chuckle too.

That. When Andy Forrest remapped my WRX (which he does on-road with a probe up the exhaust and a box of tricks sat on his lap in the passenger seat), I told everybody about the 282.x bhp run we did at the end, and exactly nobody about the 273.x bhp run we did 30seconds later. Must have been up hill slightly, or into the wind mate.

I've just realised that the last manuel I drove was Jobbo's Jimny when we went green laning a couple of years ago! I'm clearly becoming an American which would at least explain why I'm getting fatter.

Jimmy Choo wrote: Thu Dec 07, 2023 10:26 am I've just realised that the last manuel I drove was Jobbo's Jimny when we went green laning a couple of years ago! I'm clearly becoming an American which would at least explain why I'm getting fatter.

Yeah, but your left leg will be withering through lack of use.

Jobbo wrote: Thu Dec 07, 2023 10:28 am

Jimmy Choo wrote: Thu Dec 07, 2023 10:26 am I've just realised that the last manuel I drove was Jobbo's Jimny when we went green laning a couple of years ago! I'm clearly becoming an American which would at least explain why I'm getting fatter.

Yeah, but your left leg will be withering through lack of use.

As I'm on Shanks Pony at the moment, it's getting enough exercise to make up for it.