My first car had manual steering. I liked it back then. Not sure I could go back now for a daily driver.

I remember manual steering very well. Same with floor mounted dimmer switches. Three on the tree, spinning skinny bias ply tires. Hubcaps. Rubber rugs in the economy cars. Weak, yellow cast headlamps. Twenty cents a gallon regular gas. Huge interiors with zero seatbelts.

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My initial driving course of instruction was to drive into our large backyard, reverse turn around and drive back up front.

Like Yoopers, my own "first car" no had power anything~~1951 Ford much like this one but without the visor, whitewalls or the shine;

2 driveways in out 1 acre plot about 100' apart; in one as far as possible, back up & down the road to the other one. Several hours a day taught me a lot.

One of my bigger rigs, was a 1939 Flxible 25 passenger bus, pusher. Was remodeling into "house car"; no power steering. Met an old boy that made the milk run from Astoria Oregon to Roseburg & back to PDX during the war. He taught me a little more about the nuances; yes, there really IS a trick that makes steering about 90% easier most of the time.

My '85 Toyota 4x4 had standard, manual everything. I loved it. A fairly recent acquisition-my new toy--is a '96 Tacoma 4x4 with power steering. It feels way too light and "slick". I much preferred the steering on the '85.

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Originally posted by armored:

A 1972 DeTomaso Pantera...A modified 450+HP, 351 Cleveland engine required a heavy clutch, a 4000# Hays 3 finger was installed, another good work out when changing gears.

I was offered a test drive in a new Pantera around that time, but after attempting to depress that clutch and thinking about driving it in the City, I politely declined and left the dealership.

I trained on an '84 Jetta with no PS, and learned real fast it is much easier to turn the wheel when the car is still moving. So I always try to get as much steering input I can before the car comes to halt. A habit I still practice today even with PS.

I find it strange when I see people wait until the car is stopped before they crank the steering wheel when executing a turn about. They put more stress on the steering gears and the tires when done from a dead stop.

Do I "Remember Manual Steering"?
Hell... My first car had manual STARTING.

Yep, hole in the grill and a crank. It was a '41 ford flathead V-8. Disclaimer... it also had a 6 volt electric starter so the crank didn't see much use.

Had a old 66 ford F-250 Camper Special with a dump bed on it. Manual steering and brakes. I had it on the scales loaded with gravel at 10,000 pounds once, it weighed 6,000 empty! I found a wrecked one, years newer, with only 12k miles on it and bought the power steering and brake parts form it. Pretty much a direct bolt on for my old one. Maybe the best 100 buck I ever spent!

My second car had manual steering...’70-something Ford Maverick.

I had a 1964 Chevy C10 truck with power nothing, then later acquired a 1984 C20 with power everything and A/C. The '64 went bye-bye in short order.

My first new care was a 1986 Toyota MR2, unassisted rack and pinion steering, unassisted disc brakes. I loved that car, but I learned to park it when still moving.

Yes, I do remember manual steering..

My first car in 1978 was a 1969 Ford Fairlane.
It belonged to my Grandfather, mother's father.
He shot himself in the head after his issues with colon cancer in 1977.
I got his car..

Internet pics, but it had the same underdash AC unit and manual steering.
I remember installing that same steering wheel wrap in that car.
Dad helped me install a spring base 102" whip antenna in the rear fender for my CB radio.
At the time my CB handle was Crazy Idiot.





In the early 90's I started driving semis for UPS after 9 years of package delivery.
These GMC Astro cab-overs were 5 speeds with manual steering.
At that time my CB radio handle was, and still is Lowlife (even though no one runs a CB radio anymore).





Looking at these pics brought back a flood of memories.

I got my first car without manual steering in 2002.
Luckily the VW rabbit (‘82) I was driving was light enough that turning wasn’t too bad.

But everything else on the farm was heavy and horrible!

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Originally posted by flashguy:
My 1966 Mustang has non-power steering and a large steering wheel. Although I can handle it OK, it is a bear when parking or attempting to maneuver while stopped. I have been considering adding an aftermarket power steering system . . . .

flashguy

I put this on my '65. It was well worth it.
https://www.cjponyparts.com/bo...9-1965-1966/p/PSK11/

All my cars have always had power steering. I was driving an up armored HMMWV on my second tour in Iraq in 2006 that had the power steering go out, does that count? That thing was ridiculous to move at slow speeds with the thousands of pounds of additional armor added to it. My first tour in 2003 I drove plenty of Scanias that didn't have power steering. We were light infantry and only had one HMMWV in the company (for the commander), so we had to liberate quite a few vehicles in Baghdad so we could transport ourselves

Drove a 1964 Ford Falcon in high school. I remember it well.

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Originally posted by Leemur:
Drove a 1964 Ford Falcon in high school. I remember it well.

My first car was a 1968 Ford Falcon. It too hard manual steering.

The power steering in my 2011 Ford Edge does not give me enough "road feel."

The 1994 Volvo is much better in that respect.

my 1980 Miata had manual steering. It was almost telepathic. I would think of changing lanes and there I'd be. So direct and precise. Nothing since has come close. Granted it was a 2300# sports car. Even though, when parking, it was best to be moving a little when turning the wheel. I did have +2 tires on it.

My first car was a 1972 Audi 100 and it had manual steering. Fun times. I also used to drive a '65 C10 truck with a 283 and 2 speed tranny, with manual steering. I miss those days. Now my car has electro-mechanical steering and I can choose several different modes which completely change the feel of it.

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Hell... My first car had manual STARTING.

I had a 66 Citroen ID19 with auxillary hand crank. On several lengthy episodes when various starter parts were unavailable it came in very handy. A big a PIA as it may have been, it always fired up the engine very easily. As pleasant as that was, its soft puttputtputterputt engaged the ride height/suspension pump & by the time you were back in the cockpit all was well, you were ready to roll, and a chuckle came along despite the glitch.