[Top Gear]

I would like to learn to drive a manual, but I have no body that can teach me. So I was wondering how did you learn to drive manual and is their any good videos/tutorials online that can teach me?

I really wish my car was manual looks like a lot of fun to drive, but I was in a rush to get a car and didn't know how to drive a manual and to tell you the truth, I was going to get a 01 GT at the time too!! The thing that stopped me was that it was a manual! I'm happy with the v6 though, but would still like to learn for my next car.

[homebrewed]

Find an old Eagle Summit and a gravel road. Thats the easiest way to learn yourself.

[Luis_GT]

I learned by myself...

[Tony_90fox]

find a 5 speed ford ranger...that is what i learned in. Once you get good with one, then you can drive them all..some clutches will be different but the steps are the same.

[homebrewed]

Originally Posted by Tony_90fox find a 5 speed ford ranger...that is what i learned in. Once you get good with one, then you can drive them all..some clutches will be different but the steps are the same.

I got a 5spd ranger... I bet the steps in it are WAY different than what you learned... D:


EDIT: Nice avi... Who's the chic?

[87foxbodylx]

Originally Posted by Tony_90fox find a 5 speed ford ranger...that is what i learned in. Once you get good with one, then you can drive them all..some clutches will be different but the steps are the same.

I wouldn't recommend going from a truck to car. trucks are hydraulic (most) and if im not mistaken a lot of older (90's and down) are by cable. Really, the only thing to driving stick is balancing the clutch with the gas. otherwise its not to hard to find 1st through 6th

[Tony_90fox]

Originally Posted by 87foxbodylx Originally Posted by Tony_90fox find a 5 speed ford ranger...that is what i learned in. Once you get good with one, then you can drive them all..some clutches will be different but the steps are the same. I wouldn't recommend going from a truck to car. trucks are hydraulic (most) and if im not mistaken a lot of older (90's and down) are by cable. Really, the only thing to driving stick is balancing the clutch with the gas. otherwise its not to hard to find 1st through 6th

that is what i am saying, the clutch and gas is the only real difficult thing about driving a manual...you gotta know how much gas the vehicle needs and the engaging point of the clutch...after that, it is easy...

Oh, that is my ex girlfriend...she was a life guard at the park we used to work at....I have a few more pics of her, but that is the best one really.

[2000Si]

My mom gave me the basic overview, but I just went out and drove around learning.

[Top Gear]

so you guys just bought a manual and taught your self? My parents wouldn't let me get one because they said I would grind the gears up and it would cost a fortune to get fixed.

[87foxbodylx]

well the best advice i can give you, is as soon as you feel the clutch grab just keep slowly leaving out. I always leave from a stop in my 87 at about 1k sometimes less.. what kind of car do you plan on learning in?

[Tony_90fox]

that is part of it man...you have to learn sometime. Find a buddy or your parents and just have them take you to an open parking lot and figure it out...Now when you move on to hills and shit, it gets harder, but the basics are still used..

[thetrooper31]

i learned on a friends car...he told me the basics...but its all pretty trial and error..its all about practice

[Tony_90fox]

Originally Posted by 87foxbodylx well the best advice i can give you, is as soon as you feel the clutch grab just keep slowly leaving out. I always leave from a stop in my 87 at about 1k sometimes less.. what kind of car do you plan on learning in?

+1...i usually dont even start to give the car gas, until i feel it starting to creep....then i go to about 1K-ish and slowly let out the clutch...when shifting, just let off the gas, push in the clutch, change gear, once in the correct gear, start to let off the clutch and give a LITTLE gas at the same time....that keeps it from lurching on you.

[homebrewed]

Originally Posted by thetrooper31 i learned on a friends car...he told me the basics...but its all pretty trial and error..its all about practice

Pretty much. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Oh and as for you grinding the gears, thats poppycock. The clutch will go first...

[JASonic]

Originally Posted by thetrooper31 i learned on a friends car...he told me the basics...but its all pretty trial and error..its all about practice

Best way to go!!!!!!!!!!!1

That way your friend can replace his clutch

Just have confidence. There's llike a hundred year old lady down the street from me that never drove in her life until her husband died. She got her first license a just a while ago and learned to drive a stick shift.


If she can, YOU CAN! good luck.

[87foxbodylx]

Originally Posted by Top Gear so you guys just bought a manual and taught your self? My parents wouldn't let me get one because they said I would grind the gears up and it would cost a fortune to get fixed.

also, your parents are clueless. The only thing you may grind down is the synco in the shifter, even then, those are easily replaced.

[Top Gear]

Originally Posted by Tony_90fox that is part of it man...you have to learn sometime. Find a buddy or your parents and just have them take you to an open parking lot and figure it out...Now when you move on to hills and shit, it gets harder, but the basics are still used..

My friends and family don't drive manuals. I'm not getting a new car any time soon though, maybe a few years from now. I was just thinking about learning manual now though, too see what it's like (may do a auto to manual conversion).

So you guys think renting a manual car and teaching my self on that is the best way? I can't really mess any thing up?

[Tony_90fox]

i personally wouldnt mess with the conversion...Unless you had a full donor car...it would be cheaper to sell yours and just buy a manual car.

[homebrewed]

Sure! Go to Enteprise and grad a 5 spd.

Find like a Pontiac Sunfire or a Cavalier and go to town! Let them worry about fixing it.

Ooooh!!!! Better yet, go to a Chevy dealer and swindle you way into taking a C6 for a test drive.

[Luis_GT]

Originally Posted by Top Gear so you guys just bought a manual and taught your self? My parents wouldn't let me get one because they said I would grind the gears up and it would cost a fortune to get fixed.

Clueless much... the only time I've grind my gears is with really hard shifting.

I learned on my mustang... worse I did while learning was stall.