you won the lottery!

[MoneyMike]

Open a driving school that forces all students to learn to drive manual, automatic, different emergency maneuvers with FR, FF, MR, and RR cars with different drive trains: FWD, AWD, and RWD, learn to use your turn signal, and learn to do proper maintenance. The school would have it's own short circuit racetrack in the back)

I was reading through this thread again, I can't believe that I skipped over this part! That's what's wrong with so many driver's ed schools these days. We have a 911 Driving (cops make it extra special apparently, so pretty high price) & a Go Driving school. Those guys just go into local neighborhoods and call it good. Those guys freaking suck! I went through a driver's school where it wasn't a major name that people are familiar with. The guy that ran it was the only guy there, had only 1 car, did classes all day, and did drives with the students. But the way he did the drives were cool. We had to do 7 drives, each an hour long, but he'd take us through city roads, country roads, mountainous roads, highways, freeways, & even parking lots! He made sure that we knew how to drive everywhere with various speed limits.

But I agree with Z34, it'd be best to teach new drivers (or those that need the lessons) how to work both automatic & manual; rwd, fwd, & awd; as well as proper maintenance, and various emergency maneuvers. I also think that it'd be a great idea if you did classes during the winter, and it snows heavily, teach them how to do snow chains, and let them get used to driving in the snow so they don't chicken out of driving in the snow at all. Same with heavy rain & wind. At least my mom is too scared to drive in those conditions...

[petrified.rabbit]

i'd rather they chicken out than get stuck in my way..

[MetroMPG]

Oh and I would try and buy aveoclub forum

SOLD! For you, special deal.

I dunno what I'd do with a giant pile of cash. I already have all the stuff I need/want. (Well, I was looking at a $400 Fiat X1/9 recently... yes, I'm crazy. And I'd rather fix one up than buy one already finished.) I'd probably just give most of it away to family & friends. Oh, and free decals for everyone on the forum!

[MoneyMike]

i'd rather they chicken out than get stuck in my way..

True. I forgot to mention that you'd also want to make sure that they can handle driving in the snow and not be the screw up in every accident in the snow. Or the reason why traffic is being so damn slow when you know it can be going faster. And for those reasons, I would hold back driving in the snow for a while. Maybe when I have been driving for another year or 2. But that's just me and my feelings I guess.

SOLD! For you, special deal.

I dunno what I'd do with a giant pile of cash. I already have all the stuff I need/want. (Well, I was looking at a $400 Fiat X1/9 recently... yes, I'm crazy. And I'd rather fix one up than buy one already finished.) I'd probably just give most of it away to family & friends. Oh, and free decals for everyone on the forum!

Free decals, I can go for that! But yeah, fixing cars is pretty fun. That there is my future job!

[petrified.rabbit]

And for those reasons, I would hold back driving in the snow for a while. Maybe when I have been driving for another year or 2. But that's just me and my feelings I guess.

actually, i've been driving in the snow since i was 16, never had an accident because of the snow. the key is to go out and learn to drive in the snow, not wait until you have a year or two of experience not driving in the snow. 20-30 minutes driving like an idiot in an empty unplowed parking lot to see how your car reacts in snow and ice is better than a lifetime of driving on dry pavement and then thinking you have driven enough to try driving in snow. And testing cars handling and ability plus short comings in the snow is important in EVERY car you own, even something as simple as a new set of tire can drastically change what the car is like so you should make a point of it almost every year until you have experience to judge how the car should act, or at least be able to redetermine a technique when your on the street.

[mikedudley17]

SOLD! For you, special deal.

I dunno what I'd do with a giant pile of cash. I already have all the stuff I need/want. (Well, I was looking at a $400 Fiat X1/9 recently... yes, I'm crazy. And I'd rather fix one up than buy one already finished.) I'd probably just give most of it away to family & friends. Oh, and free decals for everyone on the forum!

Yay! Special Deal for me!!!!!!1 ))))))

[daug1502]

Come to think of it, I don't want everyone knowing how to drive a manual transmission. It gives me a bit of security knowing the average punk that is looking for a joyride car will likely not be able get anywhere with mine. The person that knows what they are doing sure is hell isn't going to steal an aveo. I am perfectly fine with less people knowing how to drive manual transmissions.

[trempus]

over in europe, automatic cars pretty much don't exist at all, i remember when i went to France, i was driving a 5 speed minivan

[daug1502]

Was it a nissan? I have seen them in Domincan Republic.

[MetroMPG]

Used to be able to buy American minivans with manual transmissions (Dodge Caravan... for the first couple of years it was out). With a turbo, too.

Is Mazda5 a minivan - it's probably larger than the original Caravan. You can get that with a manual.