B

just bought a 1999 trans am with all the bells and whistles and a 6 speed. i've never driven a manual before but i guess i'll learn which leads me into my question. what did you learn on and how hard was it?

75stinger

I learned on a 97 Ranger bought it new,I had to learn so I could go home.

Paul Borowski

I just got in saw the extra pedal, played around and figured it out :lolg: :lolg: :lolg:
Actually, learned when I was 14yrs old working at a golf course on a 3spd column shift three wheeled Cushman. Actually got pretty good at "lighting 'em up" with it. Boss could'nt figure out why they were going through clutches so fast, never had this problem BEFORE :lolg: :lolg: :lolg:

Twin_Turbo

you just got to get the feel for it. I've driven sticks all my life (and that's why I dumped the automatic) since almost all cars are sticks here. I find it much satisfying and generally ore fun to drive a stick. The thing you have to practice is synchronising the clutch pedal and the shifter to get nice smooth and quick shifts. Nothing more annoying that someone who clunks w/ the clutch, rattles the gears and generally is just operating the stick like stirring in a pot of honey :)


[Modified by Twin_Turbo, 8:51 AM 3/27/2003]

jerryp58

I guess the first "stick" I saw was on my dad's 1930 Reo.
That had all kinds of extra levers (spark advance, etc.) and such on the steering column. He sold it before I ever got to drive it.

The first stick I drove was a 1955 Chevy Pickup. Great to learn on. I don't think there's any way I could have hurt that drive train. I remember the rear bumper was bent in so I chained it to a tree (a BIG tree) and pulled it out. It took hit from a full sized station wagon travelling 35/40 MPH into the side of it to kill that one, but for all I know the engine and trans are still powering something :yesnod:

Just take your time. Find a nice, flat, open area where you can get the feel for coordinating the clutch & gas pedals. I just showed my son how to drive a stick in his Jeep. I was amazed to hear the 32x11.5s chirp in a 5spd, 4cyl :eek:

It'll be fun :thumbs:

fauxrs

Learned on a Triumph spitfire, honed my skill on an Austin Healy 3000 - have owned sticks my whole life with an auto sprinkled in there from time to time.

1LE

First stick I drove was my uncles 51 Chevy pickup. I was about 12 years old, used to ride on the running board, opening and closing the gates after the cattle would go through. On the last gate, when I got back to the truck, my Uncle had moved over on the right side and told me to get in an drive. We rode around in that pasture for about half an hour, I never saw he laugh so much.

PrarieShark

1956 3/4ton Studebaker The same truck my Dad learned in. :yesnod:

Brettmc

Niiice. I had a 98 Camaro SS. Nice engines, those LS1s. Sure you'll love yours. N-E-Way, I learned on my dad's 70-something Porsche 914. Not a real hard thing to master. Manuals are soooooo much more fun than autos.

Brett :thumbs:

page62

Have fun! You'll figger it out. But DON'T RIDE THE CLUTCH -- the #1 mistake that keeps a lot of tranny shops in business.

bence13_33

The funny thing is that the first vehicle I learned how to drive a stick in was MY 'VETTE :) . I have found that my 'Vette with the mechanical clutch linkage was much easier to learn how to drive than any other vehicle. I hate hydraulic clutches, I just can't get a feel for them like a good mechanical clutch. I like lots of peddle pressure too.

1Bad69

my first experience was when i was about 10...my brother bought a bug as a winter car (he had a 74 vette) and he was teaching his girlfriend to drive stick..it was on a sunday(long before the stores were open). i can still remember the faces of some of the people that were there learning to drive too....but i really got the hang of it in my brother-in-laws Corolla when i was 15....i drove it a few times and got the jist of it...then when i was 19 my dad bought me a Daytona Shelby Z...5 speed...the next time i drove standard was when i went to pick up the car....i drove that car for 11 years... :thumbs:

BlueL36

My grandfather taught me when I was 14. Went to a dirt road and he put me behind the wheel of an old Fiat (which, as I recall, was about as big as a riding lawnmower.) Lurched, stalled, etc., but finally got the hang of it. That is one of my fondest memories of him, rest his soul.

sammyb

The bassist in my band had to go pickup his Nissan Pulsar from the shop and since I was his only friend who hadn't lost their license for DUI/DWI I got to go drive it home. (He drove his dad's 300Z.) I spent about 5 minutes in the parking lot, then took it back to his house...in rush hour traffic and stop and go up a hill.

After that, I basically had no problem borrowing people's stick shift cars.

It's weird though, I didn't own a stick shift car until 1998 when I bought a Triumph TR-250(4spd,) and then the C5 in '99 (6spd.) Right now, I own two automatics (my wife's Olds Intrigue and the '69 C3,) a 4spd ('60 triumph TR3,) a 5spd (Porsche 911T,) and a 6spd (C5.)

And if I want to drive a 3 spd, I can borrow my dad's '29 Franklin (floor shift) or my father-in-law's '48 Lincoln Continental, with the "3 on the tree" (which is a hoot to drive!)

JJ Deuce

a 1984 VW Rabbit - Diesel. It belonged to a buddy of my dad's. We were out at his ranch, and I must have been about 14. He offered to let me drive it because I was bored. He was a little scared when I asked, "Which one is the clutch?"

I didn't own a manual until I bought my first car on my own, an '88 bronco II. It was pretty easy to drive.

I was surprised at how easy some of the older cars are to shift. I drove a '64 'vette with a 365 horse 327 and a 4-speed. It was real easy. I also drove my grandfather's '41 packard. Big straight eight, and a three on the tree. It was smmoooooth. :thumbs:

Graemeinvette

Most of us over here learn on a stick shift so its easier to go the other way to full auto :steering: Watch Pretty Woman again before you start and you will be fine! :thumbs: :thumbs:

isosceles

I learned the theory on dirtbikes while I was growing up. I drove my first one in my stepfather's Vega GT. When I was 18 I got a 1965 TR4 and honed my skills. I taught my exwife how to drive one and she got over 192K out of her last car and we towed a 23' boat behind it, all on the same clutch!

A few tips: Don't sit with your foot on the clutch while stopped at a light. Put it in nuetral. When going up through the gears, let it out, pause momentarily until the car gets going, then let it out all the way and take your foor almost all the way off until you are ready to shift again. If you want to down shift, blip the throttle with the clutch in. This matches your engine revs to the tranny , which will now be spinning faster in the lower gear. It's also OK to just put it in nuetral and coast with your foot off the clutch. You might go through brakes a little quicker, but they are far cheaper than a clutch. :D

Zack Wenning

I learned on my vette on the way home from buying it. My brother drove the car most of the way home and we stopped in a high school parking lot and he taught me in about ten minutes. The car had a very weak clutch so it was very easy to learn on. Since the vette, I havent owned another car with an aotomatic. I just get bored driving cars with automatics; they make me feel lazy becuase i hardly have to do anything to drive the car. :steering:

79 Midnight Blue L82

I grew up on a farm so I learned very early on how to drive a stick. Probably only 8 or 9 years old and learned in a '56 Dodge 1 ton grain truck bouncing around a field.

While I was still dating my wife I taught her to drive a stick. She is short and I had to take the seat out and move it farther forward so she could reach the pedals :rolleyes:

groovyjay

Like I had a choice, it's 95% manual transmissions here... I never really like automatic transmissions anyway, too cadillac for my taste :lol: