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  • 1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk-

How hard is it to learn to drive a stick?

  • Thread starter Thread starter drakesdad
  • Start date Start date Mar 29, 2006
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urban96

bubb rubb says:"woo woooooo"
Founding Member
Sep 24, 2002
3,464
1
69
Syracuse, NY
Mar 30, 2006
#21
  • Mar 30, 2006
  • #21
granny shifting not double clutching like you should
 

95Vert

New Member
Aug 19, 2004
1,785
0
0
North Mexico (deep south Texas)
Mar 30, 2006
#22
  • Mar 30, 2006
  • #22
First off,Urban, that sig is driving me crazy every time I see it. I try not to look but it just pulls my eyes towards it. I'm getting dizzy trying to type this. lol

Oh, and about driving stick, it depends which one your talking about. The manual transmissions are easier than the other one. You don't need no how to's on google, just get in and go.

That damn sig. ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!
 

95riosnake

Member
Dec 21, 2003
630
0
17
Pittsburgh, PA
Mar 30, 2006
#23
  • Mar 30, 2006
  • #23
Whenever someone asks me what driving stick is like I just say "learning to drive stick is like learning to f***, it can be a bit awkward at first, but once you do it the first time, you wonder how you ever lived without it."

 

urban96

bubb rubb says:"woo woooooo"
Founding Member
Sep 24, 2002
3,464
1
69
Syracuse, NY
Mar 30, 2006
#24
  • Mar 30, 2006
  • #24
95Vert said:
First off,Urban, that sig is driving me crazy every time I see it. I try not to look but it just pulls my eyes towards it. I'm getting dizzy trying to type this. lol

Oh, and about driving stick, it depends which one your talking about. The manual transmissions are easier than the other one. You don't need no how to's on google, just get in and go.

That damn sig. ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!
Click to expand...
its hypnotizing
 

94-302-vert

Active Member
Aug 16, 2004
1,947
2
36
NE CT
Mar 31, 2006
#25
  • Mar 31, 2006
  • #25
I went out and bought my first new truck and I ordered it with the v8 and stick... when the truck came in I got in and yelled at the dealer "Why does this thing have 3 pedals"... the look on his face was priceless...
 

Blackened302

Active Member
Jul 21, 2005
1,439
0
36
South TX
Mar 31, 2006
#26
  • Mar 31, 2006
  • #26
95riosnake said:
Whenever someone asks me what driving stick is like I just say "learning to drive stick is like learning to f***, it can be a bit awkward at first, but once you do it the first time, you wonder how you ever lived without it."

Click to expand...

hehe, very true.
 

nmcgrawj

Advanced Member
Sep 28, 2003
3,651
4
68
Indianapolis, IN
Mar 31, 2006
#27
  • Mar 31, 2006
  • #27
No no no no no....if u dont know what the hell u are doing and no one is there to help, do not jump in and go. Unless its a rental car or something. U'll be jerking that thing harder than ever. Then u'll get frustrated and not want to learn. I've taught 2 or 3 people how to drive sticks...in a matter of an hour or so, they were driving just fine.

My focus is this....FORGET about the gas pedal in the beginning. As the other guys have said, the hard part is getting it going from a stop. Driving while its moving is simple. So, go out and dont even touch the gas pedal. When u're stopped, come off the clutch SLOW SLOW SLOW, u'll feel it started to grab, then the car will roll, come off slowly still and the car will move forward faster until u come all the way off the clutch. Then put the clutch back in and push the brake and stop again. Then repeat. Do this time and time and time again until its second nature and u can tell where the clutch grabs at. Come off slow and pay attention to how high your foot is when the car begins to move, and make NOTE(do not act on it) but make note that when the car starts moving because of where your foot is at on the clutch, is where u'll start applying gas in the future. But u're not ready for that.

After u are comfortable getting it rolling going forward, start doing the same thing in reverse. NO gas, just clutch pedal.

Then go back to going forward. At this point u shouldnt be thinking about your left foot. You should naturally be coming off slow, anticipating where the car will start moving and u'll get the car moving with ease.

Then i like to have people still use only the clutch to get rolling, get the car rolling at a steady speed, then apply the gas to speed up, put the clutch in, shift to 2nd, apply gas, put the clutch in, and slow back down.

Then start giving it a little gas from a stop while u're letting the clutch out. Remember that point it started moving before. To start off, once the car starts moving because of the clutch, the rate your foot is coming off the cluch should be about the same as your other foot applying the gas.


The key is not to be giving it a ton of gas while the clutch is half way in....burnt clutch and u'll smell it. I like to look at the idle rpms and try to keep it within a few hundred rpm's while taking off. I notice that rookies will have the rpm's fairly high, which is kinda bad, but u're learning.

My main point is to go slow, dont be aggressive with it. The hardest thing is coordinating your feet on take offs. Then once u get level land take offs alright, go find someplace, maybe a driveway, and practice those take offs. lol to this day, a steep road will still make me nervous if there is a car behind me


Good luck!
 
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