Reasons Not To Get A Stick Shift Car

Cons Of Having A Stick Shift Car

I prefer driving a car with a stick shift transmission over driving a car with an automatic transmission. However, since I stated some reasons as to why stick shift is better in my last blog post, I am now going to state some reasons that appeal to those who are against stick shift cars.

Purchasing Or Selling:

If you're looking into purchasing a stick shift car, it can be troublesome. When I was on a car hunt, there were countless times where I thought I had found the perfect car, upon looking at the car's details, I'd often find that the car actually has an automatic transmission (not what I was looking for). Which in turn had me feeling something like this:

 

On top of that, having a stick shift car may make your car harder to sell. Given our short attention span society, people are lazy and prefer what comes easiest. If people could have a car that drives itself, they probably would... Oh, wait. You know how it goes; if it requires effort, many won't head in that direction.

Interaction:

This point was used as a positive in my last blog post, as people tend to enjoy the interaction with the stick shift transmission. As there are those who enjoy this interaction, there are those that do not. I have heard people say that they get irritated with the stick shift transmission in particular cases. One of these cases is during city driving. Let's amplify the situation and apply traffic to the city driving scenario. You can see how the constant need to shift from first gear, back to neutral, back to first gear, back to neutral can be annoying. Not to mention that as you're doing that, you're also required to press and let go of the clutch pedal. If you're trying to enjoy your drive, stick shift can be tedious.

I imagine their frustration to look something like this:

 

Hills And Learning:

With a stick shift car, there is no natural resistance moving you forward the way automatic cars do. This means that when your car is sitting on a hill waiting for the light to turn green, it is in neutral. The car being in neutral means that it can roll back at any moment, unless you either hold the brake down or start accelerating. Starting the accelerating motion is somewhat tedious when driving stick shift, therefore failing to do so while on a hill can have you rolling back into the car behind you. In the given video, we see how a minor accident almost occurs because of the way stick shift cars can roll back.

Learning stick shift can also lead to frustration. Since it is more tedious than an automatic transmission, people lose their patience. Not to mention that it is also more dangerous. Think about a person who is learning how to drive stick shift being out on the road. Stick shift cars can actually turn off on you if the pedals and shift knob are not used properly.

 

Reasons To Drive Stick Shift

Benefits Of Driving Stick Shift

What's more boring than driving stick shift? A lot of things. One of these things is: driving an automatic car. How many Fast & Furious movies show cool scenes done with an automatic car? Although I don't expect you to drive like the people in those movies, I can assure you that driving stick shift has its benefits.

Fuel Economy:

In an automatic transmission, your car's gears will shift on their own. All you have to do is step on the pedal. This means that your car is in control of what gear you're in, not you. Let's say your car is in third gear, approaching fourth gear. If it's on the verge of switching to the fourth gear, but it's not there yet, your engine is actually at higher RPM (revolutions per minute). This means that you're wasting more fuel, as the engine is more active.

  

In a stick shift car, you can manually change the gear to fourth gear, which will bring you RPM lower, resulting in less fuel consumption.

Interaction:

A lot of us consider driving to be "fun". It gets more fun with stick shift as you use all four limbs, making it a completely interactive experience. Both of your legs are in use, as the left leg controls the clutch pedal (left) and your right leg controls both the brake and gas pedal (right).

Your left hand is then used for the steering wheel, while your right hand shifts through the gears using the shift knob.

The engagement needed to drive stick shift is very engaging and therefore it allows you to focus on the actual act of driving, rather than looking at your phone. Being more attentive at the wheel can also help your chances of not being in an accident. If you're being more active, it is less likely that you'll fall asleep or get distracted with something else.

 

 It's More Fun

Plain and simple, it's more fun. Manual transmissions tend to put out faster acceleration than their automatic counterparts. With that being said, if you're at a red light next to the exact same car, and you guys both take off, you'd most likely win the race (assuming that you know what you're doing). 

When you're putting that gas pedal on the floor, it's always fun to feel the car interact. You feel the car's torque with every shift's kickback. It's great to know that there is some skill involved. Think in terms of racing an automatic car, all they have to do is step on a pedal. That's it. In the case of a stick shift car, you're letting go of the clutch pedal, pressing the gas pedal, shifting, then pressing down on the clutch again and repeating the experience. The skill element adds to the experience of racing.

Hidden Benefits:

-Overall, being able to drive stick shift is more rewarding. Some of the benefits include, on average, being lower in price when purchasing a new car. 

-With a stick shift car, it is also said that the transmission is more durable, due to the fact that its system has less components than an automatic transmission. A less complex structure means that there are less parts that can break.

-If done properly, you can actually push start your own car (if your battery) has died, WITHOUT sourcing energy from another car through jumping cables.

-There is a sense of pride within the car community in being able to drive stick shift. Something I always found disappointing was to see an awesome car, then find out that it's automatic. People take pride owning a stick shift car or even in knowing how to drive one.

Looking For A Car? Check This Out Before Buying One

Things To Consider Before Buying A Car

 

If you're reading this, I would have to assume that you're either: A). looking for a car or B). reading blog posts for one of your classes. Luckily for you, there is no particularly right answer, I will try to educate you on the topic regardless of what end of the spectrum you fall under.

Miles:

It is safe to say that the mileage given on the odometer is a good indication of the car's age. It is said that on average, people drive around 12,000-15,000 miles on their car. Given that information, if you're looking into buying a 2014 Camry and it has 349,320 miles on the odometer, it is probably not a good idea to purchase this car. You'd expect a 2014 car to have 24,000-30,000 miles. Being below the mileage expectation is usually a good thing, but surpassing the mile expectation usually means that the car is taking more wear and tear than anticipated. The idea is, the more miles the car has, the more the car has traveled and been used. The more use the car has, the higher the chances of one of the car's components failing. Logically, the more you use something, the more it wears down.

 

Exterior:

Having low mileage on a car you're purchasing can be great! However, what good does a 1967 car with 3,000 miles do you if it looks like this?

 

Yes, the mechanical condition of the car is very important. Something that has to be considered is the car's aesthetics.  Keep in mind, you are going to be driving this around. Cars tend to be big investments, therefore its aesthetics should also be a priority during process of finding a car. Even small indications of rust can be bad, as rust can spread throughout the car. As covered in my last blog post, body work can be very expensive.

Interior:

You can find a car with decent mileage/mechanical condition and a great exterior, but don't forget about what's on the inside.

Would you rather have this?

 

Or this? 

 

If you're looking for a well rounded car, don't forget to take the interior into consideration. Having an interior that is in bad condition can make both you and your passengers uncomfortable. As we've established, nothing in the world of cars is cheap, so remodeling the interior can put you in debt very quickly. It is better to just find a car with an interior that isn't torn up.

Behind The Scenes:

This is something that I feel people don't always pay much attention to. Let's say you get a sports car. The actual car may be at a good price and the car may be in excellent condition, but cars are big investments. The cost is then amplified when you make a more fun choice, such as a luxury vehicle, a sports car or even a sports luxury vehicle. Take a look at some of these points.

Maintenance: 

-Car maintenance tends to be pricey, now imagine the cost of maintenance on a luxury vehicle. Some luxurious car makes actually set their engines up in a manner that will ONLY allow their certified technicians to perform the maintenance. So if you were thinking of doing this yourself, not a chance.

Gas consumption:

Yeah, I understand that gas is currently at $1.99 at most locations, but we all know that gas prices change more spontaneously than the current weather in Illinois. Given that ideology, you really have to consider whether it is better to buy a beefy eight cylinder engine or a smaller four cylinder engine. Yes, the eight cylinder engine sounds better (literally, the roar is much better), but the four cylinder engine will save you a lot of money on gas. Let's say your eight cylinder engine is getting 13 miles to the gallon and gasoline is currently at $3.99, do you really want every 3.25 miles to cost you a dollar? I'll tell you from first-hand experience, it sucks.

 

Paperwork:

This is a somewhat miscellaneous category, but there is a lot of paperwork to go with every car. Along with paperwork, there are also fees. Some of these fees include license plate renewal, insurance fees and even tickets. You can't do anything about the fees to renew your license plate, but the cost of your insurance is directly correlated to the kind of car you get. Be sure to call your insurance company to receive a quote before making the decision. As for tickets, you can also control your likelihood of getting a ticket simply by choosing a car. If you're driving a sports car, you'll find that cops will often target you, even when you're not doing anything wrong.

Road Rage Gone Wrong

It's Never A Good Thing

If you've ever had road rage, it is a clear indication that you are one of the two: a human or a driver. If you're lucky, you are both. I can say that I've had my fair share of road rage incidents, but I will use one particular one as an example as to why you should avoid acting on it.

What Happened?

It was an intersection with a four way stop. There was a car across from me and he was turning right. I was turning left. It was my turn to turn, but the car across from me decided to turn anyway. I sped into the turn, as it was my turn and it aggravated me that the other car was attempting to go.

 

 Given that the car is rear wheel drive and this happened in January, my speedy turn resulted in the loss of control. Something like this, on a much smaller scale. It's really great, the way it works: tires need friction to grip the road. So when you lose that friction through acceleration, your car loses its grip (who would have guessed?). The loss of grip resulted in a swerving motion known as fishtailing. The fish motion then sent my car straight to the curb. The front passenger side wheel took the impact at around 20 miles per hour. 

The Result:

 The result was far from pleasant. The impact was so harsh that the wheel's axle (the visual is a toy, but you get the point. It's the a part of the car that connects to the wheel) bent. The bending of the axle shoved the rim straight into the passenger side car body, resulting in a damaged fender and rocker panel.

This is an actual picture of the car after the impact

Given that the car's wheel was literally shoved into the car's body, the car was undrivable after the incident. 

It Gets Better And Better

 I knew a good amount about cars prior to the incident, but the experience taught me how expensive repair work can be. Let's analyze this and list prices, since we all love burning money. 

-The lower control arm was $120.

-The installation of the lower control arm was $80 (with an employee discount).

-The alignment needed after the work was $50 (again, WITH an employee discount).

-The fender is $300, given that it is a good quality fender.

-The rocker panel is listed at $195.

-The actual paint job isn't cheap either. One of the estimates I received was listed at $500-600.

Solution:

To this day, I am still working on the full recovery of the car. The axle is back in place and it drives perfectly, but the fender and the rocker panel have not been painted. It's crazy to think that this could have all been avoided in a matter of seconds.

Lesson:

One thing to take away from all of this is, be logical. When you are driving, there are lives at risk. You are more likely to do something stupid (like I did) if you are not using common sense. If something happens on the road, shrug it off and forget about it. Chances are, you'll never see that person again anyway. Don't let a few seconds of frustration put you in need of $1,000+ worth of damage.

After all, this looks better than

this.

The Positives Of Having A Sports Car

Still Thinking Of Getting A Sports Car?

While my last blog presented some of the negatives, I'm here to lighten up your day by giving you some of the many positives of owning a sports car.

Going Fast:

To some, going fast is a good feeling. As mentioned in one of my previous blogs, it is comparable to the adrenaline rush you get when accelerating on a roller coaster.

What makes this different than riding a roller coaster is, you're in control. You're in your car, you control when to accelerate and you control the direction you're going in. This makes it the ultimate adrenaline experience. Although I highly encourage safe driving, there is always something fascinating about including a bit of risk in your experience.

Making It Faster:

While your sports car may be fast, you can definitely make it faster. Sports cars tend to have a bigger market for modifications, as companies will specifically target groups who own sports cars. The logic is simple: If you own a minivan, you are probably utilizing it for its extensive space and comfort, rather than its speed. Therefore, it would make little sense for after-market companies to target mini van owners using performance car parts.

 

While this may be true for mini vans, if you have a sports car, you're in luck. There are companies out there that will specialize in distributing performance parts specifically for your car. An example is American Muscle. On the given website, you can the car parts needed to modify your Mustang, whether it be the engine or the aesthetics of the car.

Stick Shift Is More Fun On Sports Cars:

If you're driving stick shift on a slow car, it almost feels like a chore. You can say the complete opposite of driving stick on a fast sports car. Driving stick itself is a very personal experience in which you give full engagement to the car. Your whole body is being used. You utilize your left hand to steer, your right hand to shift, your left leg for the clutch pedal(stick shift cars have 3 pedals), and your right leg for the brake/gas pedals. You simply have more fun when driving stick on a sports car, you feel the car's force pull you forward with every shift. Stick shift sport cars also tend to be faster than the automatic transmission version of the same car.

Expression:

Think about who you are and how much you like expressing yourself. For the reason mentioned earlier (sports cars have more after-market parts than other cars), expression is easier with sports cars. Even coming straight out of the factory, sports cars tend to have a more appealing aesthetic, they are meant to catch your eye.

On the left we have a family oriented sedan and on the right we have a two door sports car, straight out of the factory with no modifications.

Your car is a reflection of who you are, so why not project that image utilizing your sports car?

The Downsides To Having A Sports Car

Thinking Of Getting A Sports Car? 

 

One thing that I feel people don't give much consideration to is: the negatives of having a sports car. There are plenty of positives, but in the end, it all just depends on whether you think the negatives outweigh the positives. That's what will help you make your decision.

After a year of owning my car, I have definitely become aware of the negative side of owning a sports car. Luckily for me, my love for cars outweighs all of the negatives.

Insurance:

Insurance prices are definitely something to consider if you're looking into getting a sports car. If you're like me (20 years old), chances are that companies like Nation Wide will not be on your side. If you're anything younger than 25, chances are that insurance companies will charge you more than what they would charge a "responsible adult". Why is this? This speaks for itself, given the age, insurance companies figure that younger drivers will be more irresponsible on the road. This is for many reasons, whether it be because young drivers do not have as much experience or, you put someone like me behind the steering wheel of a sports car and this happens:

Logically, risky driving increases the chances of an accident.

Gas Prices:

If you're capable of reading this, chances are you've been in a car. In order for those cars to work, they need gasoline. The thing about getting a sports car is that they usually have a stronger engine. A good example is a V8 engine, often seen in muscle cars:

While the engine itself looks and sounds great, the number of miles each gallon of gas gives you will not. As a daily driven car, my V8 is averaging 13 miles per gallon, on average. Today I drove past a gas station selling each gallon for $1.79. Given the price, the weekly total is not too high. However, we are all aware that gas prices can rise at very rapid speeds. Your weekly spending on gas can double in a matter of a few weeks.

Profiling:

If you drive a sports car, chances are that you will get profiled at one point or another. The other day, I was pulling out of my street. A cop drove by and looked straight at me. I pulled out of the street only to find that the cop was waiting for me on the side of the road. As soon as I passed him, he turned his lights on and pulled me over. Mind that I was not speeding or doing anything irresponsible (at the moment). I was pulled over because my "tints are too dark". While they are five percent "too dark", this is not something that is visible to the human eye. He would have had to use a device that scans the tint percentage in order to know this. With that being said, you may sometimes get pulled over because they simply assume you're up to something.

Make Your Car Look More Aggressive!

If your car looks too dull, check this out.

Cars that come straight out of the factory tend to have a dull look to them. If you read my last blog post, you are aware that it seems car companies do not want you to have fun with your car! They limit its performance from the start and they make your car look harmless. If you're looking to make your car look more aggressive in a relatively cheap manner, take a look at some of my suggestions.

Plasti Dip

I feel that this is one of the options that people have the most fun with. What exactly is it? It comes in a spray paint can, but it's definitely not paint; it's a durable rubber coating that LOOKS like paint. The great thing about these is that they can be found anywhere. 

Taking this one step further, there are tons of ways to apply this to your car's aesthetics. This is a great area to let your creativity flow! Some people choose to paint their rims using Plasi Dip, while others use it to paint actual parts of their car's body. Some even use them to tint different lights on the car.

The second image of the Mustang shows the center panel (between the tail lights) in black. In most cases, you have to purchase a black deck lid panel to cover the panel. With Plasti Dip, you can actually paint the panel for a much cheaper price(usually five to seven dollars for a can). Of course, it is recommended that you cover the tail lights and the area around the panel with tape, in order for the Plasti Dip to land ONLY on the panel.

Rims

Yes, new rims can definitely change the look of your car. The bad part is, not everyone has money for rims. Now, if you're in that situation, you can resort to using Plasti Dip once again!



Plasti Dipping your rims is simple. All you have to do is remove the wheel from your car, set it down somewhere that it is safe to spray paint, and then begin the process. Using this method can take away the look of a factory car, as black rims tend to look more aggressive!

The nice thing about Plasti Dip is that it is a rubber coating that goes over the rims. Which means that anything that is painted is not permanent! If you get tired of the color, simply remove the Plasti Dip (can be removed by hand once it is dry, but it is still durable for road use), and start over with a different color!

Brake Calipers

Nothing says "lame" like some unpainted brake caliper. This can easily be fixed with a paint caliper kit! The work is not too tedious, simply remove the wheel and paint the caliper using the paint and 

brush included in the kit.

 

It may not seem like much, but it can definitely make your car look much more aggressive. Especially if paired with a set of black rims (which can be easily attained using Plasti Dip).

Slow Car? Let's Fix That

Tired of your Slow Car? Add Some Horsepower!

If you're anything like me, going slow on the road gets pretty boring. I'm not encouraging unsafe driving, but it sure is a great feeling to put the pedal on the floor as soon as the light turns green. The roller-coaster like experience produced can make your heart race. From personal experience, there's nothing more boring in a car than stepping on the pedal and continuing to go slow. Whether you have a sports car or a minivan, there are car parts out there that can make your car faster if you're willing to invest a bit of time and money!

Cold Air Intake

Alright, so here is how this works. Your engine is very similar to a person. It may eat gas, but it breathes our air. When cars are made, they come with a mechanism that has an air filter which connects to your engine. The thing is, car manufacturers limit the engine's abilities by providing an air filtration system that does not meet the car's full potential.

Air filter that comes with your car

Regardless of the idea that these companies are trying to impede our fun, we will revolt. How will we do this? It's called a "cold air intake". What do these do? They increase the flow of air to your engine. Increased flow of air then turns into the increase of power on your car. If you're still having trouble making sense of the cold air intake, imagine this scenario: Let's say you're not feeling well and your nostrils are clogged up. Think about how much more efficient your breathing is when your nose isn't clogged. That's right, these companies make us sick... With their restrictive components.

After-market air filter

More flow to your engine means that your car will produce more horsepower. Apart from making your car faster, it definitely gives your engine a sharp look.

Exhaust

If you're exhausted of your slow car, the answer lies within this sentence (twice, actually) : exhaust.

In more simple terms, your exhaust system is the set of pipes under your car from which the engine's emissions are released. Much like the situation with the cold air intake, car companies restrict the flow of air in cars using a muffler.

.

What you should be gathering from this is, the better the air flow, the faster your car will be. The exhaust that your car manufacturer provides you with will make you car run quietly and it will also steal some of your car's air flow. The main reason is: car companies clearly don't want you to have any fun. Aftermarket mufflers will take away the restriction of air flow and they will even make your car more aggressive. Take a look at the exhaust that this Mustang has for example. What better way to modify a Mustang than to give it the exhaust it deserves?

Aftermarket exhausts can be found anywhere as long as you know what kind of car you have.

All it takes is a quick search on your favorite search engine!

A Tune

I feel that this is the one that most people find interesting. As if we don't already have a grudge against car companies for restricting our fun, it doesn't stop with air intake and exhaust systems. Car companies actually restrict your car's performance simply with the software that is included with the car. How can we combat this? A tune! What's interesting about tunes is that you do not have to physically add anything to your car. You simply purchase a tuner 

If you're wondering what the tuner does, prepare to be mind-blown. A tuner connects to the car and has the ability to optimize the car for performance purposes. This means you can increase your horsepower without physically installing anything on your car. Tuners benefit you in many ways, some of which are : increase in fuel efficiency and acceleration. The irony is, your car will be going faster and saving gas more gas than before. American Muscle claims that their tuners can add 50+ horsepower to 2011-2014 Mustangs. 

If you take the initiative and take some of my suggestions, I will guarantee that you will have more fun than ever with your car!

Small Changes That Will Improve Your Car

Hello! Welcome back.

Today's post will be educating you on some of the more basic things that you can do to enhance your car's performance. You'd be surprised at how some of these minor alterations can make a big difference!

Tires

To the average reader, tires may seem insignificant. If you thought that before, you will definitely change your mind this time around. Let us take a look at what tires do. You step on the accelerator, your wheels begin to spin, and suddenly you're in motion! When your tires do not have tread (part of the tire that grips the road), you can get into big trouble. Although having no tread is excellent for doing , donuts as shown in the video. If you do not intend to do donuts, you should definitely invest in some good tires. Having tires with good tread helps you grip the road when you're accelerating at a rapid pace. More importantly, good tires are essential to your safety, as they will help you steer and stop at faster rates when needed.

If your car is rear wheel drive, it also helps to buy tires that are wider than the factory tires. It gives you an aggressive stance and these tires also provide more contact to the pavement, therefore providing more traction.

Cleaning your Fuel Injectors

Intimidating title, right? Well, I'm happy to let you know that this is actually the easiest thing I will probably ever talk about. Here's how it works. You run to your local auto parts store, you purchase a bottle of fuel injector cleaner, which will cost you no more than $6. It should look something like this:

What does this little thing do and why is it shaped like that, you may be asking yourself. Alright, here is all that you have to do:

1. Wait until your gas tank is low.

2. Open the bottle and pour the liquid into your gas tank.

3. Refill your gas tank with gasoline.

And you're done!

Here's how it works. It cleans your fuel system by removing all the junk inside of it! As a result, you can regain lost acceleration, fuel economy, power and operation of the fuel gauge sensor. 

Fuel injectors spray a mix of air and fuel into the car's cylinders in order to make the engine function. It is essential to have these bad boys clean in order for maximum performance. Techron recommends the additive every 3,000 miles or so.

 

Thank you for reading the bit of information that I am sharing today,  hope to see you soon!

 

A What in the Garage?

Aesthetics, Performance and Durability

Like every other college kid, I tend to be sarcastic at times. Sarcasm is cool and all, but I don't think I'll be using much of it, given the intention of my blog. The blog is titled "A Monster in the Garage", as you can see. No, it is not an instructional blog on how to rid your garage of the monsters that lurk in it. It is more of a metaphor on turning your car into a monster figuratively.

My optimistic side hopes that everyone feels welcome to join in on the fun, but my realistic side tells me that the potential audience is: people that like cars. I have decided to write about this because it is something that I do in my free time. I work on my own cars, I've helped others work on their cars and I work at a car dealer. If you're reading this, chances are that you own a car too. As you can see, we can already relate on so many levels.

I will be writing about many ways in which you can improve your car. This will cover aesthetics, performance and even durability.