NECRO started to learn to drive stick today NECRO

[Jinny]

my first car was a new civic 2004. i dind't know how to drive it.
but i was so excited since it was my first car i purchased insurance for it the same day and drove it to work the next day.

my commute was about 40 miles mostly freeway.

The first day driving home was a nightmare in bumper to bumper traffic. i stalled many many times and about 5 feet from the toll booth lol (bay bridge, sf bay area).

after about 2-3 weeks, it clicked all the sudden when i was backing up into a parking spot and i figured out how to work the clutch

 

[xSkyDrAx]

my first car was a new civic 2004. i dind't know how to drive it.
but i was so excited since it was my first car i purchased insurance for it the same day and drove it to work the next day.

my commute was about 40 miles mostly freeway.

The first day driving home was a nightmare in bumper to bumper traffic. i stalled many many times and about 5 feet from the toll booth lol (bay bridge, sf bay area).

after about 2-3 weeks, it clicked all the sudden when i was backing up into a parking spot and i figured out how to work the clutch

Oddly enough learning how to reverse was how it "clicked" for me to. I think one of the things people have trouble realizing with the clutch is it's not an on/off switch. Once they realize that, they should stall a lot less.

 

[marvdmartian]

I had tried learning stick on a friend's car, but could see on their face that they were concerned about me breaking something, so didn't bother asking again.

When I did learn, it was when I was going to move ~100 miles away, and reserved a U-Haul truck for the move. I specifically asked them which was the biggest size they had in an automatic, since I really didn't feel comfortable driving a stick. When I went to pick up the truck, the guy at the U-Haul counter tells me they're out of the size I reserved, but my good luck, they "upgraded" me to the next bigger size! With a stick shift!!

That was the day I learned to drive a stick. And believe me, it was the perfect truck to do it in, as U-Haul's manual transmissions were BULLETPROOF. :whiste:

 

[Leyawiin]

I learned to drive a stick in San Francisco at 16. Absolutely terrifying ordeal. I had been driving about six months when my parents bought a new Toyota Celica with a five speed. I wanted to drive it so bad and my dad basically handed me the keys, told me the basics and said "figure it out".

I stalled a lot on our quiet flat street near the ocean, but eventually got where I could tootle around The Sunset District - which is all residential and built on gently rolling sand dunes. Loaded it up after few days with three friends to show it off to them. Did O.K., but eventually found myself behind a city bus that had just been involved in fender bender. One way street, pointing up at a steep angle. Cars behind me were backing down the hill and taking alleys to get past the wreck. I kept killing the engine and my friends were laughing their asses off. I finally backed down the street to the alley and somehow got to another street (as cars behind me were blasting their horns as I kept killing the engine on the steep grade). When we got out of there I was shaking and soaked with sweat. Talk about trial by fire! https://maps.google.com/maps?q=975+...noid=d_SeKqnd-1jUyICPAECxOw&cbp=12,72.46,,0,0

Basically, learning to take off on hills is the worst part. Once you master that you're home free (no one told me about the pro-tip hand brake/clutch maneuver). Don't give up. I eventually got that Celica about five years later and I loved that car. So much fun shifting for yourself.

 

[hans007]

I had tried learning stick on a friend's car, but could see on their face that they were concerned about me breaking something, so didn't bother asking again.

When I did learn, it was when I was going to move ~100 miles away, and reserved a U-Haul truck for the move. I specifically asked them which was the biggest size they had in an automatic, since I really didn't feel comfortable driving a stick. When I went to pick up the truck, the guy at the U-Haul counter tells me they're out of the size I reserved, but my good luck, they "upgraded" me to the next bigger size! With a stick shift!!

That was the day I learned to drive a stick. And believe me, it was the perfect truck to do it in, as U-Haul's manual transmissions were BULLETPROOF. :whiste:

My dad told me he learned stick on a wily s jeep or something left over from the us army in the Philippines. He was like once you can drive that you cab drive anything

Once he immigrated he only bought automatics. I guess growing up in LA I knew no one with a manual so I didn't learn until way later. Wish I had gotten that experience sooner

 

[Throckmorton]

I had tried learning stick on a friend's car, but could see on their face that they were concerned about me breaking something, so didn't bother asking again.

When I did learn, it was when I was going to move ~100 miles away, and reserved a U-Haul truck for the move. I specifically asked them which was the biggest size they had in an automatic, since I really didn't feel comfortable driving a stick. When I went to pick up the truck, the guy at the U-Haul counter tells me they're out of the size I reserved, but my good luck, they "upgraded" me to the next bigger size! With a stick shift!!

That was the day I learned to drive a stick. And believe me, it was the perfect truck to do it in, as U-Haul's manual transmissions were BULLETPROOF. :whiste:

Uhaul seriously has manual transmission trucks?

 

[Fenixgoon]

when i got my genesis coupe, i barely had any practice on manual. i could go forward, but hadn't quite gotten reverse right, and needed to back my car out of the parking spot. good thing i was on a slight downhill

just practice and you'll have it in no time

 

[marvdmartian]

Uhaul seriously has manual transmission trucks?

Don't know about now, but they did back in the late 80's and early 90's. A few years later, helped a friend move his folks to Oregon (from Central CA), and drove a 35' U-haul full of household goods, with a stick shift, up mountain grades.

My dad told me he learned stick on a wily s jeep or something left over from the us army in the Philippines. He was like once you can drive that you cab drive anything

Once he immigrated he only bought automatics. I guess growing up in LA I knew no one with a manual so I didn't learn until way later. Wish I had gotten that experience sooner

My sister learned while stationed in Australia, a few hours north of Perth. She asked one of her Seabee buddies to teach her to drive a stick, he told her to meet him behind the warehouse after working hours. She said he drove up in a 5-ton truck, hopped out, and told her to get in and drive. Guaranteed there was no way she'd hurt that transmission!

 

[kitatech]

I had bought a "kei-ban"...a "light" van motored by a 600cc engine...in Japan with a stick...and taught a friend of mine to drive the MT so we could go on trips around Japan together.

...after she had it figured out she told me it was the first time she had driven ANY car other than when taking lessons to get her license...and Japanese don't much like manual trannies... she was empowered by it all...

 

[Cappuccino]

Master your hillstarts please

 

[natto fire]

Learned the intricacies of a clutch on our Massey Ferguson 65 at 12 years old. I was lucky and try not to belittle others because of their lack of knowledge, but I definitely feel the advantage when I have repeatedly been asked to drive a clutched vehicle and have no qualms picking them up blind, even when air brakes are concerned.

That said, this thread is more like a history piece now that the traditional manual is more or less extinct. Just like my generation grew up without "on the tree" manuals, the next one will have never heard of true manuals at all.

Granted some people will stay in touch and have insight, it will probably be the same amount of people that can tell you the difference between spark ignition and compression ignition. Let's face it people, the regular appliance buying housewives have outspent us by fabulous amounts on the car buying front. Evidence is everywhere, and while it is kind of sad, it is really an indication of how it is all going down, IMO.

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

The hardest part for me was trying to drive stick on the wrong side of the road.
So used to shifting gears with my left hand.

 

[SolMiester]

I knew going into it that it was going to be rough. But shit I stalled like 10 times out of the first 12 times trying to take off. After 15-20 minutes I was considerly better stall wise, but I was sort of lurching and still stalling a decent amount. I believe when I learned to drive originally in my Taurus after 20 minutes all I was fucking up on was over breaking and coming to a sudden rough stop. Probably 30 minutes driving felt like second nature. I found it odd how that initial take off's are giving me so much shit, but shifting after that is almost too easy. I think out of the whole 20 minutes I tried, I got off once where it felt smooth and natural.

I'm planning on buying a stick in a week or so, apparently I need a good deal more practice, at least I didn't grind the gears. Reverse seems surprisingly easy, either that or the 1 time I attempted it I just got stupidly lucky.

LOL, wait for a hill take off!

 

[QueBert]

LOL, wait for a hill take off!

If you mean hill hill, my town doesn't have any, now if I happen to find one I'll just avoid it

 

[Timorous]

In the UK you learn to drive in a manual so the first thing that they teach you is how to find the bite point and getting moving.

Find a flat, empty street and just practice moving off then stopping. In my first lesson I did that about a dozen times until it felt quite comfortable then you move onto changing up and down the gears and junctions etc. Once you get good enough you then learn how to do hill starts which require finer control of the clutch but its pretty easy with practice.

 

[tcG]

So did you make it? Still struggling after 3 years?