[ZX2 Foxbody]

Hey, so I just picked up a 2000 gt 5 spd and it's my first manual transmission car. Do you guys have any pointers for a noon? Like using the no gas method or finding out where the friction point is?

[brokenweasel]

Dude! Welcome to manual transmissions! They are lots of fun most of the time, they even make my truck with less than 100hp fun to drive lol. I think you know exactly what you're doing if you just practice slowly letting the clutch out until the car starts to move forward (no gas). Understanding what a clutch is actually doing helped me a ton, read wikipedia about "Double-Clutching" and the "Heel-Toe" technique for some fun stuff, although not terribly useful on the street and probably not good to try until you get the hang of it.

[cedsks]

I would do above as broken suggested, also u can rev up to about 1k and slowly let off clutch... Soon you will know and do it with even thinking.... Also the hardest thing is hills, I would recommend you find some random neibourhood and practice on a street on an incline, use hand brake to help..... also if u get spinning, dont freak out just brake and clutch to the floor....

With our mustangs, I have plenty of power, I normaly start in 2nd, to 4th, to fifth......

Just remember, if something is freaking u out, clutch to the floor, all power is stoped......


BTW if you have traction control, turn it off, u might bog and kill it, not helping to learn

Find an empty parking lot and practice..... Goodluck and welcome to our site

[04Machsy]

Always remember to not ride the clutch! If you're not using it keep your foot off

[asiansensation78]

TC off, left foot down, select first, right foot down, check the limiter, release left foot

j/k, even though you probably will do that some time soon lol, I remember going through a set of tires in less than 2 weeks when I first got my Mustang. These cars are pretty forgiving to learn stick on, though they do require a bit of brute force at times with the shifter. An aftermarket short shifter will make your shifts a little easier and more precise.

Even in stock form, there's enough low end torque to not stall it easily. You can use the no gas method to see where the clutch begins to grab, though it's all about practice. You'll be comfortable with it in a month. Good luck!

[Kohrs93]

Originally Posted by cedsks With our mustangs, I have plenty of power, I normaly start in 2nd, to 4th, to fifth......

I wouldn't start in second. From what i've been told it's a little rouger on the clutch. If I feel like saving some gas i start in first, get to second at about 1.5k, then 4th at about 2k.





Tips on learning: there's not much else to say that hasnt been said. one thing i can say though is until you learn how clutches work and can comfortably drive one, don't try anything stupid. I had a friend who got a jetta and his second day driving it (it was his first ever manual transmission) he thought he would try to scurry through an intersection while making a left turn on a green light. He stalled it and got t boned. Totaled his car. Luckily his parents are loaded and bought him a new one about a month later. But really, take your time learning to drive a manual. Don't try to take stupid risks or do anything stupid (burn outs, etc...) until you know how to drive it. Also, wlecome to the mustang family. My 2000 gt 5 speed is my first mustang as well. I got it 100% stock last november. I paid $6,800 for it and i was only 17 at the time so it was a pretty big accomplishment for me. Enjoy your new ride man.

[slikirish]

It will become second nature and I think you're going about it the right way. You bought a manual so you HAVE to drive a manual. My first manual was a Ford Focus that I bought. First time driving a stick was in the test drive, although I understood how everything worked before purchasing.

Just know, you WILL stall it, you WILL feel like an idiot, and you WILL embarrass yourself at some point. Everyone that drives a manual has had all of those things happen. Don't let it get you down.

[WickedSnake00]

Originally Posted by slikirish Just know, you WILL stall it, you WILL feel like an idiot, and you WILL embarrass yourself at some point. Everyone that drives a manual has had all of those things happen. Don't let it get you down.

Best advice.

I do advise finding some hills to practice on. I found a deserted street with some massive 4% grades on them, and just sat there and practiced hill launches for half an hour. That's one of the best practices.

Another to start is just go back and forth in your driveway. Just straight, practicing and getting used to where the clutch grabs in 1st and reverse.

That's the hard part. Shifting is pretty easy. Pretty soon it becomes second nature. After awhile you'll figure out where the best RPM's to shift are, and hopefully keep it from bucking. Best done on the backroads.

Personally I say get used to taking advantage of downshifting to slow down, that's one of the big bonuses to manuals.

Not sure if you'll need to do double clutching. I never did, but I've got a stage 2 clutch and it's hell trying to do. Save that for the big rigs.

[Boostr]

To make it easier for you, and if you have the dough switch it to an automatic. I kid I joke. Yeah its fun once you get the hang of it. The only thing that kind of sucks is if you get stuck in traffic, and you have the King Cobra clutch. Def invest in a short shifter. Pro 5.0 or what ever you prefer.

[NakedPony2000]

Also one thing that has yet to be said that I think is very important; don't flip out when you can't get the car in reverse some day cause it will happen. Just simply push clutch in put it in first turn off car get out and blow it up lol. Nah just put it in first take it out of first and re-try sometimes it might take some extra elbow grease to push that sucker in their.

[brokenweasel]

I can't believe I forgot this- when I first got my manual I drove my brother around in it (who is a better driver than I) and he gave me some really good tips.

His advice: wear the thinnest shoes you've got, and keep your left foot heel OFF THE FLOOR when using the clutch so your foot and the pedal are "floating" if you will. Both these techniques really helped me feel when the clutch was engaging and disengaging, rather than just trying to let it out slowly, I could feather it.

[Eagle2000GT]

All the above tips are good ones. You'll learn the point where the clutch engages. You have to learn it if you want to back up. When backing up you normally do not let the clutch out all the way. One of the things that wear out clutches pretty fast is resting your foot on the pedal when not shifting. Reverse is not syncronized. That is why you sometimes have to put it into a forward gear before going to reverse. Find a hill and practice on it when there is no one around. I gaurantee that you will roll backwards a lot farther than you thought you would. If you haven't practiced this then you will roll backwards into the guy behind you. Especially if they are like a lot of drivers around here who stop right on your bumper giving you no extra room.

[nileppezdel77!]

I hate when people do that. Then they honk at you like gravity is your fault. Make good use of the hand brake. If you really get into it and your seats are starting to suck anyway, aftermarket seats tend to place you in a more comfortable seating position for shifting. The stock positioning is killer in heavy traffic.

[ZX2 Foxbody]

Thanks for the help guys, only stalled it twice today but felt comfortable to drive and traffic and mastered it.
Indeed your tips did help! Thanks

[kyle2002stang!]

ahhh, i remember learning to drive a standard trans car. it was a 1960's chevy dually with no power anything and a shifter that was sloppy as hell.