My Dad has just got a TownAce (well getting delivered this weekend).
He has driven a manual car for a century or so and he is worried about driving the manual.
Any tips ?
Shall I tell him to ignore OVERDRIVE until he gets used to it.
PS
David I read all your posts and their great keep up the good work. Also there was a recent post from Julia regarding the Rad CAP. I think I will tell my dad to replace even to be on the safe side.
I did get a bit confused though. I read something about PSI and was wondering where people had realised that theres was wrong.
We are also very worried about servicing.. So my parents are going to have to take a crash course in mechanics... - (#2525) Andrew, 13 Mar 02

Just put it in "D" and drive it...
The only time to turn off the O/D is on long steep hills. Think of it as fourth gear, not overdrive... - (#2529) david miller, 15 Mar 02

Andrew
Calm down, you're sounding like one of these people that reads a medical encyclopedia and convinces themselves they've got half a dozen rare diseases!
Don't go looking for problems before they occur. A Townace may seem daunting because of its size and all the wizardry it comes with but believe me its one of the easiest vehicles to drive. As David says, just stick it in drive, point it in the right direction and let it drive itself. When your dad gets used to it and if things don't seem right then ask the question on this site and hopefully we will be able to help.
As for servicing, where has your dad being going for the past century? If its an independant garage then presumably he's built up a rapport with them over the years. See if they will take on the Townace. If not ask around. Where abouts do you live? Maybe someone on this site can recommend somewhere.
HTH
Ian - (#2531) Ian Dunse, 15 Mar 02

Andrew. Tell you Dad that, if he has not driven an automatic before, he has been missing a treat all these years. If there had been an acceptable auto box, in the early days of the motor car, drivers weould never had been given the opportunity to have that uncivilised bit of machinery called a gearstick. We have splendid engines, driving splendid transmissions, and the driver is given the opportunity to muck it all up with a fiddly bit of nonsense called a gear lever.
They should be banned. Anyway, you can probably deduce that I am a fan of autos and, so will your Dad be in a few days but, do tell him to use this forum for any queries, it's better than having a workshop manual - (#2533) John Davis, 15 Mar 02