Driving Standard

My one friend bought a wrangler about a year ago so he basically had to learn how to drive stick. Till this day he still blows at it. He shifts way too early everytime. I swear he has never had the car over 3krpms Usually hes in 5th gear at like 35mph and the car vibrates violently into every gear because of the low rpms. Hes already had the tranny, clutch and engine replaced at 40k.
I basically learned driving my un-registered car around the block once or twice a day (kinda stupid). Mainly getting the car rolling in 1st gear was the only difficulty, after a week or 2 i got the hang of it without burning the clutch or peeling out.

First time I drove stick in a vehicle was my dads dodge the first day he got it.

Tells me to drive it and that “it is just like a dirt bike”
Everything was fine and dandy

I was born with the stick shift gene as well.

apparently i was too…i pulled out of my driveway, let the clutch out too fast and didng give it enough gas, so i stalled it. started it up again, let the clutch out a little slower and gave it a little more gas, and that was it. i stalled my lifted truck that was a stick a few times trying to climb up snow piles and other immovable objects.

My mother bought me my first car for my 18th birthday, unveiled it in my driveway after birthday dinner. I noticed it was stick, growled at her that I didn’t know how to DRIVE stick… she said “Then I guess you aren’t driving it to school tomorrow.” She went in the house, left me with the keys, and I learned it on my own around my neighborhood.

No offense, but your uncle needs his face punched in. MT is easily 2x’s safer than auto…

As far as learning… Took me 10 minutes to be decent at it. And now I’ll have a tough time buying an automatic.

Whenever I drive autoI miss having the control, the engine braking (especially in the snow), and there is nothing worse than searching auto trannys that won’t decide what gear to be in. Ugh.

i learned on my own car after the tranny swap. SPEC Stage 4 unsprung disk clutch and 2.73s. That takes some getting used to to get moving from a stop. But i picked it up fairly quick. Stalled it out a bunch of times, but wasnt that hard.

Choda showed me how with his winter beater one year. Its mad easy, just need practice for fine tunining your skillz and you are fine…just try not to ride the clutch too much and make sure its fully disengaged when you shift and your golden. The only thing that really will mess you up is the sensativity of the clutch. When I had the probe the clutch was slipping so it was easy, when Mike (tpgsr) put in a new one for me, it was hella tight and I boged it coming out of his driveway…but it was alot nicer…till the balljoint snapped and I Junked the car lol.

i had a car with a manual transmission when i was 15 that i drove up and down the driveway. i knew the basics from years of watching my 'rents drive their chevettes, datsuns and civics. i got in, felt out the clutch and i was good.

however, i had to teach my former boss’s nephew how and he just didn’t get it. he had no desire to get it. i had to entice him with the fact that his uncle would be putting him in exotic cars like the viper he had me drive to PA when he finally figures it out.

I don’t understand what people have against driving standard
IMO it makes driving a little more enjoyable
My girlfriend went out of her way to buy a standard as her first car because she like driving it.

not everyone thinks of cars as a fun “toy”. To a lot of people its just a machine to get them from point A to B. So having to do as little work as possable (aka autos) seems like a good idea.

i learned how to drive stick on the biggest piece of shit in the world.

A rusted to hell 1987 volkswagen gti. Linkage was super sloppy, every gear was worn, clutch was wasted, etc etc. I knew how to drive pretty well just from gettin drove in to HS with my one friend sophmore year, so i just watched him til i turned 16.

It was deff shitty though, i would stall the car out in the WORST of areas, for example pulling out from reserve road onto southwestern, or on milestrip turning left onto mckinly. I had my fun experiences.

Then i had a 88 scirocco, but by then i knew how to work on cars and same problem, sloppy linkage and worn tranny. Fixed that and had a solid driver

My 91 jetta vr6 had amazing gears and super tight linkage, so that was fun

My best advice is just get the feel for it around your neighborhood and hit the big roads after you get the basics down. You gotta do it sooner or later

it’s like teaching someone how to snowboard:

you’re just there for patience and morale :lol:

Hah… total truth. The only way to learn both those things is to just do it. It can’t be taught.

I learned driving stick in the parking lot at Boulevard Towers on Meyer Rd and the lots in UB North, the day we picked up the new Corvette at Fucillo last may. 2 days later i had it down. People gave me shit about learning in a new Vette, but this way the clutch goes under warranty.

redrum’s sentra. ECC south road course. i was 15. :pimp:

my ma gave me her little ford ranger and said here, have at it and now you know the rest of the story.

you can have it explained to you all you want but the best way is to just try it and feel it out

When I was 17 my father and I went to test drive a 5 speed Ranger. He drove it around and then said, ok its your turn. I drove it back to the dealer. Pretty easy.

:lol:

I jumped in my tC and off I went… It’s not nearly as difficult as it may seem, just understand the concepts behind it and youll be fine.