[zinc02GT]

So last night I tried to teach Kelly how to drive stick. We've been in multiple situations together where it would have been a lifesaver if she knew how. I bottomed out in some sand at the beach once. I was parked on the side of the road and bottomed out. All I need was some extra weight outside of the car and I could of gotten out but she would have had to drive it...

Well anyway, we went to a nice big rodeo... I mean parking lot, and we spent about 2 hours out there...

She still didn't get it. She would basically dump the clutch as soon as she felt the engagement point. I kept telling her to give it more gas. She would then basically launch it, but ride the clutch like no tomorrow...

I swear like, she has zero concept of it. I tried explaining it, but she's making it more difficult than it is.


By the way, this wasn't on my car THANK GOD. My buddy who has a Civic let me borrow his car for that pupose. He was with us. He doesn't like the car anyway so it all worked out I guess....


Is there any easier way to teach somone how to ride a stick, I mean drive... a stick.

[93hatch]

I taught my gf, easiest way I found is to have her sit there with the rpm's at 2k, and have them let the clutch out as slow as humanly possible. Slow to us and slow to them is different for some reason, so tell her as slow as she possibly can. My gf is good at it now, it was easier teaching her on my corrado than her suzuki just cuz the corrado was harder to stall

[zinc02GT]

Well, that is basically what she was doing. Everytime she started that I told her "You're burning the clutch up." She litterally was moving half an inch every second. I was shocked that Shawn (owner of said Civic) wasn't pissed. He thought that the mechanical bullride was fun though

[93hatch]

once she got the concept of not stalling it she did better every time dude, over revving it is better than stalling (until they learn to do it right )

[zinc02GT]

Yeah true...

She managed to start a few times though and a few were pretty good, but she could never get it one after another.

[93hatch]

Hard as fuck not to get pissed huh! the first day I just had to go drop her off after she didnt get it, i was fucking pissed cuz she kept stalling my car. But she'll pick up on it. Fucking retarted this country has so many automatic cars

[zinc02GT]

Originally Posted by 93hatch Hard as fuck not to get pissed huh! the first day I just had to go drop her off after she didnt get it, i was fucking pissed cuz she kept stalling my car. But she'll pick up on it. Fucking retarted this country has so many automatic cars

Fuck yeah it pissed me off. I ended up taking my buddy's car form her

I drove it around a little bit to calm myself down as well as her down.



I'm just glad that my buddy let us use his car and not mine.

[93hatch]

shit yes the difference with her panicing and flooring a civic and flooring a mustang is alot

[2006GTARPD3]

Yea the civics faster......

[~C~]

best way is to put her out on the road. she will learn real fast when ppl are honking and all over her nuts.

[2006GTARPD3]

of girlfriend

[dude496]

Best way i've found to teach others is to have them keep one foot on the brake, and then SLOWLY disengage the clutch until the car starts to shake...then tell them to SLOWLY push on the gas pedal...if they can actually feel how the clutch works, i think they will easily grasp the concept.

[03_StangGuy]

Civics arent the best to learn on with the hydraulic clutch, theres not much room for error with the short pedal. Get her in somethin with a longer pedal so she can fell it better and has more time. VWs are real easy to drive.

[03_StangGuy]

Originally Posted by dude496 Best way i've found to teach others is to have them keep one foot on the brake, and then SLOWLY disengage the clutch until the car starts to shake...then tell them to SLOWLY push on the gas pedal...if they can actually feel how the clutch works, i think they will easily grasp the concept.

Ive done it like that but didnt worry bout that gas. let them get a feel for where the clutch engages a few times and let off. Then have em rev it to bout 2 grand and drive off. once you get it moving thoguh only experience will help.

[RunbabyRun09]

it also doesn't help learning with your bf. I for one was scared of hurting the car, and the bf being mad.

[Reloaded]

The way I do it is to have them not touch the gas at all. Have her let the clutch out slowly till it starts to grab. You may have to show her. As soon as it grabs make her hold the clutch steady there for a second. Then put the clutch back in. Do this over and over untill she starts to get where the clutch grabs at. Then you can even have her get the car moving with no gas. Ya know, letting the clutch out slow enough that you don't need to give it any gas. This is how I was taught. Take the gas pedal out of the equation at first since it's not needed and the hardest part of driving stick is the take-off

[WLJohnson05]

Originally Posted by ~C~ best way is to put her out on the road. she will learn real fast when ppl are honking and all over her nuts.

thats how my girl learned how to do it too when she got a damn car that she didnt know how to drive...she had a basic concept, but she would make me drive the car most of the time bc she didnt know how, so i just stopped driving for her and made her do it. i tell you what...we have sat through a few lights where she has stalled haha. she's got it down now for the most part. she tends to over rev it though

Originally Posted by 03_StangGuy Civics arent the best to learn on with the hydraulic clutch, theres not much room for error with the short pedal. Get her in somethin with a longer pedal so she can fell it better and has more time. VWs are real easy to drive.

yea i learned when i was about 8 or 9 on an old f150 farm truck we have that was very forgiving

[pyschopath76]

only one way to learn......and that is with more and more experience. i taught my ex how to drive a stick. it took a "few" times but eventually she got it. the point is no matter what dont let the "anger" take over cuz they notice that. she will eventually get it just have to give her time bro. some people cant grasp it like others do. patience grasshopper!!

[zigbigadoru]

teach them how to drive stick without using the gas or brake. it will be easier on a higher horsepower car i believe because it will be more forgiving but just make her learn how to release the clutch in 1st and the rest really doesnt matter. getting out of first is the only real challenge when you begin driving stick.

[TheUNZippee!]

You can't teach someone in two hours. It takes time.

Start off by explaining the concept of how the clutch connects the engine and transmission. keep at the explanation until she has a basic understanding of that.

Then get her in the car, and get her to practice letting the clutch out, telling her to pay attention to when the clutch starts to grab, or engage.

Go from there. Explain to her that the drag on the engine as the clutch starts to engage is trying to stall the engine.

So she needs to memorize the spot in the pedal travel where the clutch begins to engage, and remember that to keep from stalling it, she has to apply a small gentle amount of throttle right at that point.


And practice practice practice.