Learning a manual tranny on my own

[Syringer]

My car is in the shop and the place near me offers cheap rentals, with manual transmissions being an option.

I've never been behind the wheel of an MT before, but understand the concepts of it--and figure now is as good a time as any other to learn. Is this just a fail in the making or should I just go for it?

 

[datalink7]

So you're looking to pop your cherry on a tranny?

 

[coxmaster]

Go for it.

 

[Alone]

Clutch in, shift, slowly let clutch out, gas.

Not really that hard once you learn the shift pattern.

 

[amdhunter]

I learned 100% on my own --> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0BzovPMeO8

 

[lord_emperor]

May as well shorten the life of a rental's clutch instead of your own.

 

[pcgeek11]

Every man should be able to drive a manual transmission, before getting a drivers license.

Go for it.

 

[purbeast0]

i bought a car that was stick shift before i had ever driven stick and learned on it.

 

[QuantumPion]

Go to an empty parking lot and practice shifting into first from a stop without using any gas, over and over again until you get the hang of that.

 

[lxskllr]

Why bother? Driving a standard is a PITA with all the non driving tards on the road, and standard shift cars are going the way of 6V electric systems. It's hard to find a standard outside of high end sports cars.

 

[SlowSpyder]

I learned on my own, years ago I bought a 90 Plymouth Laser (got the good one, got the turbo 4G63) with a manual and figured it out on the ride home. I had tried one time prior to that in a buddy's car in the snow, and I had a Honda dirt bike. Since you understand the concept it'll likely come pretty easy.

 

[BoomerD]

Nothing wrong with learning to drive a stick even if you'll never own one. It's sort of like riding a bike...once you learn, you never forget...

I learned to drive a stick pretty early in life. It's served me well for more than 40 years...but I doubt I'll ever own another vehicle with one.

 

[lxskllr]

...but I doubt I'll ever own another vehicle with one.

I much prefer a standard if I'm driving around people who can drive, but those days are long over. I paid a premium to get my current Jeep in a standard shift, but half the time it just pisses me off. I'm not sure what I'll do for my next vehicle. I like the control a standard gives, but it can get tedious out on the road.

 

[Stifko]

I learned 100% on my own --> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0BzovPMeO8

thats your gli??? nice car if it is!

 

[mmntech]

May as well shorten the life of a rental's clutch instead of your own.

This is why I have facepalm hanging in my office.

 

[Tristicus]

Learning a manual was easy once I was told that you don't have to let out the clutch and press the gas at the exact same time to start out. I'm sitting there trying to get it just right on a little 4-cylinder that cuts out and jumps all over the place if you don't feed it right. Yeah.

Once you go manual, you don't go back to autotragic.

 

[IronWing]

Probably better to learn on your own w/o an audience. Stick is easy, far easier to master than a turn signal.

 

[lxskllr]

Stick is easy, far easier to master than a turn signal.

Empirical evidence would support that conclusion....

 

[Skeeedunt]

Sure, though if your first exercise is driving it off the lot and making it home in one piece, it could be a bit trying.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Why bother? Driving a standard is a PITA with all the non driving tards on the road, and standard shift cars are going the way of 6V electric systems. It's hard to find a standard outside of high end sports cars.

If you intend to travel and rent a car, learning stick is a must. Manual transmissions are the norm most places outside the US and Canada, and in many places (including continental Europe) it's either impossible or ruinously expensive to rent a car with an automatic.

 

[amdhunter]

thats your gli??? nice car if it is!

It was for ~2 1/2 years. I got rid of it a few months ago for an RX-8. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOB9bUJg4Uc

 

[amdhunter]

Probably better to learn on your own w/o an audience. Stick is easy, far easier to master than a turn signal.

I agree. I was trying to learn with too many people in the car and ended up annoyed most of the time.

It's far better to just be by yourself in an area with little traffic.

 

[amdhunter]

May as well shorten the life of a rental's clutch instead of your own.

It's pretty hard to ruin a clutch, unless you are doing some really hard launches over and over and over and over. And even then, it'll still have some life left in it.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

I basically taught myself stick and have driven it for more than 20 years. I've only owned one car with an automatic, for about a year, and I hated it!

In terms of basic tips, I'd start with a four-cylinder Japanese car (Hondas have particularly excellent, easy-to-use transmissions and clutches). It's a good idea to go to an empty parking lot and practice. Take your time. One good way to learn the engagement point of the clutch (which is the trickiest part of driving stick) is to start out in first and not use the gas pedal at all. This requires letting the clutch out very slowly, which forces you to get a feel for the clutch pedal.

 

[Tristicus]

It's pretty hard to ruin a clutch, unless you are doing some really hard launches over and over and over and over. And even then, it'll still have some life left in it.

Wrong. It is easy to ruin a clutch.