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Anyone here first learn how to drive on a stick shift, not an auto?

fuzzybabybunny

fuzzybabybunny

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Anyone here learn how to drive for the first time ever on a stick shift? How were you taught? Was figuring out how to drive stick plus figuring out how to drive on the roads kinda of task overload? I'm considering teaching my new roommate how to drive stick shift, but it's her first time driving a car, ever.
 
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RocksteadyDotNet said:
Yes.

That's how everyone does it.
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No, not true...at least not here.

I learned to drive with an automatic, (59 Buick Electra 225) but learned to drive stick shortly afterwards. (my step dad wanted me to learn the basics before he taught me to drive a stick Chevy pick-up with a 4-speed)
 
Me.
Practiced clutch mechanics in a parking lot including starting on hills. Then got on the road to drive around town: first at night with little traffic, then during rush hour traffic.
 
Any tips on how to teach this gal? I don't think she even knows why cars have transmissions...
 
I hope you're not using your car.
Never let someone learn how to drive a stick in your car.
(Unless they want to buy a new clutch after burning it out.)
 
I learned to drive going out to the desert off roading. I wasn't even old enough to drive on the streets yet.
 
yup. t'was a '64 plymouth "double ugly". you old timers will remember it. 3 speed on the column. them's were the good old days.
 
Definitely never let a beginner practice on your own car if it can be avoided, each grind will make you wince.

That being said, I learned the basics of driving a manual transmission (mainly just shifting and when to do so) by playing Gran Turismo 3 lol, driving that ugly Sprinter Trueno. By the time I jumped in an actual MT car, the only thing I didn't know was that the clutch had to be pressed to turn the car on, took me 10 minutes to figure that one out :sneaky:

I definitely wasn't an expert, but I was better off because I had the concept nailed down pretty hard. A day of occasional gear grinding and sudden stops from letting the clutch go in an actual car was all it took.
 
I learned to drive with a stick shift.

The main thing is not to start out doing it in places with other drivers around. Find some place with lots of space, and noone else there. In my case it was a large empty parking lot. And then just work for a while on starting and stopping.
 
I've been learning on a stick for about a year and a half. All the cars in the family are manual so i dont have much choice.
 
Nearly everyone in the UK learns to drive in a manual. Some just can't do it but if you pass in an auto then you are not allowed to drive a manual unless you retake your test in one.

As others have said find somewhere quiet (in my case it was an industrial estate) and practice starting and stopping. First thing I was shown was how to recognise the bite point, after that it was just pulling away and coming to a halt, did not even come out of 1st gear the first couple of times. I did not get to go onto any main roads until I was comfortable going up to 3rd and down again. Just start slow and simple and build it up at her pace.
 
WT said:
Fixed. Sad to see today's kids spoon fed yet another thing in their lives. I'd say half of them can't drive a stick properly.
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I haven't learned to drive a manual transmission yet, but I can ride a motorcycle if that counts. Do you think that my experience with changing gears on them will help me with learning to drive a manual transmission car?
 
Joseph F said:
I haven't learned to drive a manual transmission yet, but I can ride a motorcycle if that counts. Do you think that my experience with changing gears on them will help me with learning to drive a manual transmission car?
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Not really in my opinion. Probably find getting the bite point a bit easier as you will know what to listen for but other than that the act of changing gears is a different set of muscle groups. I suppose once you have the muscle memory in a car the extra knowledge might help a bit but it did not really help me.
 
I learned how to drive in a manual. Took my test. Got an automatic a year later. Never went back. I'd rather be paying attention to the road. Plus its nice in traffic. Just slowly let the foot up from the brake and you creep forward.
 
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zinfamous said:
park on hill.

tell her to start car.


be patient.
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Elaborating on this comment... I live in UK and almost everyone learns in a manual (stick) car. My first driving lesson the intructor took me to a medium sloped hill. He left the hand brake on and showed me the biting point of the clutch and told me to notice how the car felt when he did this. Then I did this...then he got me to hold the biting point while he took the hand brake off. Holding the revs (gas) at a set point while just moving the clutch in and out to rock the car back and forwards. This taught me a lot about clutch control and I never had a problem with it really.
 
First cars I drove were the family cars, all automatic. My first car was a 4-speed manual, I learned by driving around, and avoiding steep hills until I was confident.

edit: I did go to a 2-week driving school to get a car insurance discount, the school only taught automatic.
 
No, but drove many after. I have to say I think it's an inferior way to learn, it throws even more things at the driver to worry about when it's a skill that can be picked up later just as well.
 
I'm in my 30's and still have never driven a stick, not even one time.

I used to ride quads when I was younger so I understand the concept of a clutch and gears, but I'm sure it still would take some time to get it down. I'll stick with my autos, or maybe a auto/std hybrid someday when I have some money.
 
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