Learning Manual and Test Driving Cars?

[ichy]

I'm grateful that my parents insisted that I learn how to drive on a manual. They bought a beat up old Nissan Sentra & I spent several weekends in a parking lot with my father learning how to drive it. That's one of those things where there's really no substitute for practice since so much of it is muscle memory. Unless you're hopelessly uncoordinated you should get the hang of it fairly quickly.

 

[fbrdphreak]

I'm grateful that my parents insisted that I learn how to drive on a manual. They bought a beat up old Nissan Sentra & I spent several weekends in a parking lot with my father learning how to drive it. That's one of those things where there's really no substitute for practice since so much of it is muscle memory. Unless you're hopelessly uncoordinated you should get the hang of it fairly quickly.

This is how my children will learn to drive.

 

[StageLeft]

Not sure if they even have anything but automatics anymore, but I learned how to drive a stick on a U-haul truck! I reserved the biggest auto transmission truck they had (this is back in '88), showed up to pick it up, and they'd run out of that size........so gave me an "upgrade", to a bigger truck with a manual transmission.

I had about 100 miles to learn how to drive it, though I had tried learning in a car previous to that, so at least knew HOW it was supposed to work.

My oldest sister learned while she was in the Navy, stationed in Australia. A SeaBee buddy of hers had her jump in a 5 ton truck and drive it til she had the basics down, and THEN let her drive his car.

Big trucks with bullet-proof manual transmissions, FTW!! :awe:

I drove a large (24' maybe) uHaul back in 2002 with a manual. It was an epic piece of sh*t. Among other things it would only get into first gear when stopped and doing some crazy other crap like first putting it in 2nd or reverse or something I can't remember.

its one of those things i want to learn how to do before manuals completely disappear.

What's really the point then?

If you really suck balls have a friend do the test drive for you. I would hate showing somebody a car who can't drive the stick, it would drive me batty.

I see no reason not to learn/perfect on a new car, though. As long as you are paying attention you can get the hang of it quickly.

 

[Possessed Freak]

Bought my current ride (94 Saturn SL2) manual without knowing manual. Friend drove it home, and I learned for the next month before I started driving it to work and whatnot.

 

[thescreensavers]

I so want to learn but no one I know other then my cuz drive a manual lol.

same here, i drove a friends car in college and i know the basics, but there is nothing to practice on.

one of these days i'm going to just buy some old beater and consider the money burned on learning. its one of those things i want to learn how to do before manuals completely disappear.

I dont think manuals will completely disappear soon, maybe in the higher end cards with the Double Clutch Automatics, but in Europe many cars are sold with MT's and its still very prevalent. My next car is going to be a MT for sure. I just need to practice on something.

Some people say you should rent a manual uhal truck and learn on that, since truck Clutches are alot more resilient. idk.

 

[SearchMaster]

Cars with more torque are easier to learn than those with less.

Then learning on a Datsun B210 like I did must have been quite the feat!

 

[Fenixgoon]

The GTO is a piece of cake to learn driving stick - it was the first stick car I'd owned, and the 3rd I'd ever driven.

You can start up in 2nd in the GTO, to help you get the feel of the clutch in a more forgiving gear. Thanks to Marlin for that tip

There's no way to get a manual transmission car to practice on, unless you have a nice friend or are lucky enough to have a rental car agency nearby that has some (good luck).

cool - maybe i'll try test driving it this weekend then?

also is there anything special for selecting reverse? i saw on one video that in the car used, you had to press the shifter down, then move it over, in order to select reverse.

 

[fbrdphreak]

Clutch in, throw the shifter all the way right, and pull back. Reverse on the GTO is a bit tricky to get into and the shifter throw is very long, so push it ALL the way to the right. Same for 6th, except you push forward into 6th of course.

While you will be focusing on starting up from a stop, keep this in mind for getting into 3rd from 2nd: move the shifter out of 2nd and let it auto-center itself. You don't need to pull it out and then over to find 3rd. It will center itself and then just push the shifter forward gently like you're pushing your hand to the radio. You will find 3rd without fail every time. If you try to hamfist it from 2nd into 3rd being badass, you run the risk of jamming it into 1st and if you were at redline in 2nd, you will over-rev in 1st. Don't ask me how I know.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

A little of both as well. If you know mechanically what's going on when you're pressing the pedals, it'll make more sense as to why you need to do things in a certain way. After that it's just a matter of practice.

i don't understand the "know mechanically" part.
my gf has absolutely no clue what a clutch/pressure plate/flywheel does, yet she is able to drive stick just fine.

all she needs to know is push in the clutch, shift to desired gear, release clutch, and repeat.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

same here, i drove a friends car in college and i know the basics, but there is nothing to practice on.

one of these days i'm going to just buy some old beater and consider the money burned on learning. its one of those things i want to learn how to do before manuals completely disappear.

that's a shame. i drove a manual A4 (not the current gen like the one you have, i think it was a 2006) and it had a shifter/clutch feel.
much more fun than an auto A4.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

I would not recommend buying a manual til you've learned and are comfortable with one

unfortunately you don't get comfortable until you daily one for a few weeks and not many people can do that unless they own the car.

i love how people play around on their friends cars for 10 minutes, probably stalling or burning clutch 9 out of those 10 minutes and claim they "know" how to drive stick.

anyway, buying one is the sure way to force yourself to learn.

 

[chorb]

I approve the purchase of this car.

If you live the Orange County, CA area you can come watch me smoke the tires in mine no way in hell I'm letting you drive it though

 

[DeliciousTacos]

Rent a tractor, if you can drive that, you can drive any stick shift known to man.

 

[scorp00]

I learned on an LS1 trans am, that is a fine engine to learn stick on. I bought mine and figured it out the first day I had it.

 

[inspiron]

lol I am used to dirt bikes with clutches, anything like manual trucks?

 

[Fenixgoon]

lol I am used to dirt bikes with clutches, anything like manual trucks?

motorcycles != cars

i found shifting on a motorcycle to be much easier than a car (the few times i tried w/ a car)

but i suppose that's a bit natural since the hands are used for more... agile/dexterous(?) activities than the feet/legs, typically

 

[brblx]

i don't understand the "know mechanically" part.
my gf has absolutely no clue what a clutch/pressure plate/flywheel does, yet she is able to drive stick just fine.

all she needs to know is push in the clutch, shift to desired gear, release clutch, and repeat.

it helps a little to know why you do things in a certain manner. especially if you drive beaters, where synchros and old and maybe sometimes you need to double clutch to get into a gear or some other elaborate maneuver.

i really think the OP is fine to buy a manual as long as he gets maybe a weekend lesson from a friend. most people have not driven a plethora of manuals and might need a minute to adjust to a new (to them) car. i think sellers will give you some leeway to not be perfect as long as you don't shift like an ass. or you can just have a friend drive it.

the last thing he should worry about is being able to drive the car once he buys it. as long as he's got a little bit of experience and takes it slow at first, he'll pick it up just fine. so long as he has good habits (knowing how to not roast the clutch and whatnot).

 

[Fenixgoon]

it helps a little to know why you do things in a certain manner. especially if you drive beaters, where synchros and old and maybe sometimes you need to double clutch to get into a gear or some other elaborate maneuver.

i really think the OP is fine to buy a manual as long as he gets maybe a weekend lesson from a friend. most people have not driven a plethora of manuals and might need a minute to adjust to a new (to them) car. i think sellers will give you some leeway to not be perfect as long as you don't shift like an ass. or you can just have a friend drive it.

the last thing he should worry about is being able to drive the car once he buys it. as long as he's got a little bit of experience and takes it slow at first, he'll pick it up just fine. so long as he has good habits (knowing how to not roast the clutch and whatnot).

just for my sake - how do i not roast the clutch and whatnot?

i want to (try) and be as informed as possible

 

[IronWing]

You already know how to drive, right? Operating a manual transmission is such a small addition to what you should already know that you'll likely pick it up quite easily. The big thing to keep in mind is that unless you are totally deaf to grinding noises, the chances that you'll damage the car in learning are pretty slim so don't be afraid to stall a bit or screw up a bit; transmissions are pretty tough. Just don't take stupid chances while you are learning. For example, don't try to zip out into traffic until you're really, really sure you aren't going to stall the engine while making the attempt. And don't sweat the small stuff, just remember to use the driving skills you already possess to keep screw ups from becoming big deals. Also, don't get so focused on working the transmission that you lose awareness of what is going on around you. Even after driving manuals for years, when I was switching frequently back and forth between manuals and autos, I'd glide up to a red light only to kill the engine because I forget to take the car out of gear. It happens. Just go on.

 

[fbrdphreak]

Use very little throttle with the GTO and bring the clutch up smoothly and progressively. Heck, if you bring the clutch up slow enough in first gear on a flat or down sloped surface, it will start up without any throttle.

Basically you won't want to rev the engine too much while you're slipping the clutch (i.e. bringing the clutch up from the floor). During this time, the clutch is not fully engaged and is slipping against the flywheel(?). More power (especially from the GTO) causes the two to slip more than they should and it causes premature wear on the clutch.

Burning up the clutch a little bit here and there won't cause permanent damage generally. But your goal in driving should be to slip the clutch as little as possible while maintaining smooth takeoff & shifts. At first you will want to be slower with the clutch to get used to it, over time you will get to start up very quickly in 1st with the GTO.

Don't feel too bad if you smoke it a few times. One time not long after I got a Stick 101 lesson from a friend, I pulled up to a stop light on an exit ramp, which was at a VERY steep incline. Of course some ass honkey decided to pull VERY close to the back of my brand new $30K 2006 GTO. I was a bit nervous.

I had been starting off in 2nd gear to get used to the clutch and was so nervous, I forgot I was still in 2nd. Trying to get the clutch in ASAP and take off so I didn't roll into the dbag, I revved like hell and had the clutch maybe half in. It moved just fine, but dear GOD did it stink of crispy clutch. It still smelled 10 minutes down the road when I parked at wal-mart. And luckily there were no permanent effects once the clutch cooled down

How many miles on the 04 GTO? After a while, the stock clutch on those heavy cars can wear a bit and it will slip easier than a brand new clutch. If you ever have to replace it, get an LS7 clutch and flywheel. Same price as the stock one, fits fine and will hold about 500 RWHP with stock driveability.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Use very little throttle with the GTO and bring the clutch up smoothly and progressively. Heck, if you bring the clutch up slow enough in first gear on a flat or down sloped surface, it will start up without any throttle.

Basically you won't want to rev the engine too much while you're slipping the clutch (i.e. bringing the clutch up from the floor). During this time, the clutch is not fully engaged and is slipping against the flywheel(?). More power (especially from the GTO) causes the two to slip more than they should and it causes premature wear on the clutch.

Burning up the clutch a little bit here and there won't cause permanent damage generally. But your goal in driving should be to slip the clutch as little as possible while maintaining smooth takeoff & shifts. At first you will want to be slower with the clutch to get used to it, over time you will get to start up very quickly in 1st with the GTO.

Don't feel too bad if you smoke it a few times. One time not long after I got a Stick 101 lesson from a friend, I pulled up to a stop light on an exit ramp, which was at a VERY steep incline. Of course some ass honkey decided to pull VERY close to the back of my brand new $30K 2006 GTO. I was a bit nervous.

I had been starting off in 2nd gear to get used to the clutch and was so nervous, I forgot I was still in 2nd. Trying to get the clutch in ASAP and take off so I didn't roll into the dbag, I revved like hell and had the clutch maybe half in. It moved just fine, but dear GOD did it stink of crispy clutch. It still smelled 10 minutes down the road when I parked at wal-mart. And luckily there were no permanent effects once the clutch cooled down

How many miles on the 04 GTO? After a while, the stock clutch on those heavy cars can wear a bit and it will slip easier than a brand new clutch. If you ever have to replace it, get an LS7 clutch and flywheel. Same price as the stock one, fits fine and will hold about 500 RWHP with stock driveability.

the 2004 i'm looking at has 63,000 miles.

also, for braking, i saw somewhere that you have told clutch in order to avoid stalling under braking? is that right, or am i just making crap up?

 

[Cobalt]

Learned on a friends ws6 trans am, drove his new evo x a few times, and just bought my first manual car a couple weeks ago. Took me about a week to drive that comfortably and smoothly. Still getting used to it a little bit, haven't really got on it too hard as it's still snowing in Chicago.

 

[BlackTigers]

the 2004 i'm looking at has 63,000 miles.

also, for braking, i saw somewhere that you have told clutch in order to avoid stalling under braking? is that right, or am i just making crap up?

You have to watch the RPM's.

When braking, you can either throw it into neutral (then you don't need to hold clutch in), or you can hold the clutch in and leave it in gear.

You just need to realize that there is a direct line between your right foot and the tires with a manual. If you don't give it enough gas and let the RPM's fall, you lurch and eventually stall, which is why you need to do one of the two above options.

Honestly go watch some videos on Youtube. There's some asian guy in a MiniCooper that does a damn good job of explaining everything.

 

[fbrdphreak]

Where are you located anyway? Maybe a friendly AT-Garager would be willing to lend a hand...

 

[Fenixgoon]

Where are you located anyway? Maybe a friendly AT-Garager would be willing to lend a hand...

southern maryland. think DC, then head about 40 miles south.


edit: checking out the mini cooper guy's video on youtube. thanks for the suggestion!