YACT: Drove a manual car properly for the first time today!

[Aikouka]

Originally posted by: krunchykrome
Agreed. It's fun to shift gears during normal driving, but it's equally as fun to shift up or down in a sport-shifter.

Oh, I understand the allure of manual cars. My old DSM was a manual and was very fun to drive... there's still a different "feeling" to a manual shifter vs. the +/- system in my Altima.

 

[krunchykrome]

Originally posted by: Aikouka

Originally posted by: krunchykrome
Agreed. It's fun to shift gears during normal driving, but it's equally as fun to shift up or down in a sport-shifter.

Oh, I understand the allure of manual cars. My old DSM was a manual and was very fun to drive... there's still a different "feeling" to a manual shifter vs. the +/- system in my Altima.

I still prefer the +/- system

 

[j00fek]

 

[Skotty]

Originally posted by: Xyclone
I definitely want my next car to be a stick

I like manuals myself. Welcome to the club! They are more fun to drive, and automatics can get down right annoying with their occasional poor decisions on when to downshift or upshift.

Originally posted by: Mellman

Originally posted by: AgaBoogaBoo
You learned to drive stick today, and then rev matching with heel and toe in the same day?

If you want to see if you really learned how to shift into gear properly, push the clutch in, put the shifter in first, and try getting the car in motion without using the gas pedal. If you can do this, you know what you're doing.

agreed... + do it on a hill, then you REALLY know what you're doing.

Let the engine's idle speed power the take off? I'm not sure this is a good measure of how well you can drive a stick. I would think a better and more realistic test would be taking off on a decent incline without killing the engine or rolling back more than maybe an inch or two.

 

[JDub02]

Originally posted by: krunchykrome
Try driving a manual as a daily driver through stop and go traffic.

Tell me if You still want a manual.

I do it every day for 30 miles each way. It's not bad ... except for the fact that I drive 30 miles each way.

 

[Aikouka]

Originally posted by: JDub02
I do it every day for 30 miles each way. It's not bad ... except for the fact that I drive 30 miles each way.

My friend, it's just as bad with an auto. Well, honestly, I didn't mind the drive so much when I worked 3rd shift, but first shift I tend to get stuck behind dump trucks way too often and I never get to drive my typical 6 over... it ends up being 6 under.

 

[dmw16]

It's great to own at least 1 manual. I dont really think it's fair to consider yourself a great driver unless you can drive a stick.

 

[overst33r]

Originally posted by: dmw16

Originally posted by: AgaBoogaBoo
You learned to drive stick today, and then rev matching with heel and toe in the same day? Take it slow and do it properly, too many idiots running around burning their clutches because they didn't give themselves a chance to learn how to properly drive a car with a manual transmission.

If you want to see if you really learned how to shift into gear properly, push the clutch in, put the shifter in first, and try getting the car in motion without using the gas pedal. If you can do this, you know what you're doing.

This isn't really true. This is just a matter of how fast you can let out the clutch. Also a function of how much torque the car has. In my car (S2000) I can only get going a few mph with no gas, in my friend's camaro I can get up to about 20mph.

A better test would be hill holding with just the gas and the clutch.

Why would you want to purposely reduce the life of your clutch even more if you can just push the brake?

 

[Jinny]

Originally posted by: krunchykrome
Try driving a manual as a daily driver through stop and go traffic.

Tell me if You still want a manual.

I"ve been doing that for years and up and down the hills in SF. I"d still want a manual hehe.

 

[Eli]

Because of it's heavy flywheel huh? LOL

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: SampSon
heel-toe driving on the streets is for people who want to think they are a racecar driver, but are really just rocking an econobox.

I rev-match because it saves synchro wear. I double clutch 2nd and 3rd for the same reason.

 

[QurazyQuisp]

I test drove a 325 auto this weekend... it made me cry. It's nowhere near as fun as manual.

 

[Xyclone]

Originally posted by: Eli
Because of it's heavy flywheel huh? LOL

Although I'm a total noob at cars at the moment, I thought that this was the right term?

 

[Aikouka]

Originally posted by: Xyclone
Although I'm a total noob at cars at the moment, I thought that this was the right term?

I'd say that you were right. Lighter flywheels take more precision with the accelerator to get to the right point as they're easier for the engine to turn (less weight to rotate). A heavier flywheel is simply more mass to turn and it's a little easier to handle.

That's if my knowledge isn't unfounded.