Shifting gears is good for your brain.

[freebeard]

JACG: Manual Transmission Cars Help Prevent Dementia, According To New Study

According to Japan's Best Car Web, this new study comes to us from Professor Ryuta Kawashima (who helped develop Nintendo Brain Age games) of the Tohoku University’s Institute of Development, and it found that driving a manual transmission equipped car can actually stimulate the brain's prefrontal cortex in ways that an automatic cannot. Through his research, Kawashima discovered that the physical sequence of rowing through the gears is particularly stimulating for the region of the brain that controls things like attention, decision making, and memory.

https://bestcarweb.jp/news/entame/1552917
https://fordauthority.com/2026/07/ma...g-to-new-study

Attention, decision making, and memory are tested by jumping from a car with one shift pattern to another. Is reverse right and back or left/down/back? The five-speed conversion on my Type III transaxle was four gates wide (reverse left/down/back and 5th right and forward).

[Isaac Zachary]

Originally Posted by freebeard

JACG: Manual Transmission Cars Help Prevent Dementia, According To New Study


Attention, decision making, and memory are tested by jumping from a car with one shift pattern to another. Is reverse right and back or left/down/back? The five-speed conversion on my Type III transaxle was four gates wide (reverse left/down/back and 5th right and forward).

I almost snagged a Toyota Matrix with a stick for $1,000 yesterday. Too bad I didn't jump on it in time.

I miss my stick. Without it I feel driving is just a chore, and any alternative is better than driving. Driving with a stick, even in an old "under-powered" air-cooled VW... Let me rephrase that. Driving with a stick, especially in an old "under-powered" air-cooled VW just feels so good.

[freebeard]

My favorite is still the Notchback. Type IIIs ride better -- the front and rear subframes are mounted in three rubber donuts at each end. It had enough power to steer with the throttle.

The 5-speed was nice because of high-speed low-RPM cruising, more choices around town, and the low fourth worked well for towing. Plus which, you could loan the car to someone (never did though) and if the shift pattern wasn't on the knob, they'd never know about fifth. Sort of a valet mode.

[Isaac Zachary]

That was an awesome car! A Type III with a 5-speed is basically my dream car. I think I'd prefer a squareback, but then again, I'd take a notchback or a fastback.

Originally Posted by freebeard

Plus which, you could loan the car to someone (never did though) and if the shift pattern wasn't on the knob, they'd never know about fifth. Sort of a valet mode.

The problem I had with people borrowing my VW's is they'd force them into reverse without pushing the shifter down, often damaging the lock-out mechanism. This was especially true of my Golf that had a plastic lock-out mechanism that would break if they did that. I had to fix it three times IIRC.

[freebeard]

I cited the Notchback because of it's modifications. I have to admit the Squareback I had later was more useful; I could carry an apartment-size washer and dryer in it. Here's my favorite Squareback. It belonged to a guy that delivered chicken eggs by the score, to where I was working.



Light blue, MGA wire wheels and a full length roof rack.

[freebeard]

[post failed? 2nd try]

I cited the Notchback because of it's modifications. I have to admit the Squareback I had later was more useful; I could carry an apartment-size washer and dryer in it. Here's my favorite Squareback. It belonged to a guy that delivered chicken eggs by the score, to where I was working.



Light blue, MGA wire wheels and a full length roof rack.

[freebeard]

[post failed? 2nd try]

I cited the Notchback because of it's modifications. I have to admit the Squareback I had later was more useful; I could carry an apartment-size washer and dryer in it. Here's my favorite Squareback. It belonged to a guy that delivered chicken eggs by the score, to where I was working.



Light blue, MGA wire wheels and a full length roof rack.

[freebeard]

[Can't edit posts. WTF?]