i learning to drive stick, (i'm 17) damn i suck rite now. I practiced on my friends 240sx 5 speed. I wanna learn quick so i can get a manual car of my own. When i learn to drive stick properly i get to test drive my friend's dad's S60R, and my uncles G35 Sedan 6-speed. Damn i wanna learn quick. Now i no there are a lot of good drivers on this forum, guys hitting 14.2-14.6 on stock 6 speeds ne pointers for a beginner?

 

I bought a $50 1970 AMC Javelin (199 straight 6, 3 spd on the floor) to learn how to drive a stick.

Practice on hills to get the feel for "modulating" the clutch. It's all about practice, practice,practice...

 

most people have a hard time explaining it. at least when I was learning no one could really explain what to do very well and it just pissed me off, I usually got all frustrated....so I took the car out when my parents were gone (I was 15) and went to a parking lot near my house and practiced by myself...I found that not having someone next to me made it a lot easier and less stressful to learn.

 

Find a big parking lot (without any cars), maybe even one with a small rise in it..

 

practice......practice.....practice..........in a hilly area. Stay calm....


It's easy to learn, the concept isn't complicated it's just being comfortable about the process and relaxing....

 

you can start by feeling out the clutch, never take your foot off the clutch to fast. In the beginning the clutch is the most important part. If you feel like the car is going to stall, step on the clutch. Its second nature once you learn. If you want too, you can actually from a stand still, let off the clutch really slowly and you can feel the car start to move, and then you know that is where the spot is to apply the gas and have an equal exchange.

 

thanks... i have tried it i just need to no how to find the friction point the fastest cause the way i am doing it now is soo slow the light would turn green and i would go when it turns yellow (exaggeration, only tried in parking lot)

 

You should get a job valet parking.

 

thats exactly why i hate valets! its always kids who either want to drive nice cars or don't know how to drive stick! I went to a nice restaurant with my parents once and the valet peeled out in my cl, i was like what the F is that all about. and the guy was like don't worry i'll talk to him when he gets back. I should have talked to him on the side of the building

 

It just takes time. I'm only 1700 miles into my G35 (first stick car I've ever owned) and it just takes some practice.

But damn is it fun...

 

The best advice is to stay away from your friend's car! If you urn up his clutch, he might not be your friend anymore--and certainly, his parents aren't gonna like you...

Find a newer car--a relative is always better, and practice as much as you can. Don't they have Driver's Ed (in school) for this kinda stuff???

 

the way I was told to think of it when I was learning to drive a stick was to think of it like a balance scale. As you add more pressure to the clutch, let off teh gas and vice versa

 

I learned on my own. I just let off the clutch slow untill the car started to move, & then hit the gas. After a few days I learned the release point, & could do it good every time. Hills took another few days to get. Took me a 1/2 hour my first time to get up the hill. As people have said practice is the key. You will stall, you will burn the clutch, you will have fun, I'd do it on someones old beater if you can.

 

I learned in '98 when I was in the market for a new car. I went to the Acura dealer and told them I wanted an Integra GSR or Type R....all they had was a GSR. So they took me out and I learned there...brand new car, very nice clutch. I was gonna buy that car after I went back a few more times to test drive and to get the feel for stick, but the day I went in to buy, somebody already bought that car! Lucky I didn't buy it, the clutch must have a been worn a bit. Oh yeah, I probably logged at least 50 miles on that car! Lucky they found me another black one with less miles!

 

i already burnt my firends 240's clutch and he was like ah well shit happens, he was putting a racing clutch in neways.

 

I NEVER, EVER valet my car. I'll drive half a mile and park, fuck the assholes who view it as an excuse to thrash a fast ride.

 

I learned to drive stick whwn I was learning to drive a car as that is all my parents had. We didn't (and still don't) own a automatic car. I even took my road test in a stick.