I have a confession, Oppo

"Viggen" (viggen37)
06/05/2014 at 15:35 • Filed to: None

It's after the Avant jump

I've never driven a manual.

EDIT: Per a couple suggestions, if any opponaut wants to help with this issue, I'm in central Massachusetts.

DISCUSSION (34)

Audi-os, Amigos! > Viggen
06/05/2014 at 15:36

Me either. "Don't know how" is a bit of a misnomer. "Never have" would be more appropriate.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Viggen
06/05/2014 at 15:36

wamp wamp.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Viggen
06/05/2014 at 15:37

Post your location, I'm sure a local oppo will be their momentarily.

MonkeePuzzle > Viggen
06/05/2014 at 15:37

you know HOW, you just need to put the knowledge into practice.

Where are you located, perhaps a friendly opponaut would meet you in a parking lot for a chance to try

BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather > Viggen
06/05/2014 at 15:39

If you don't mind me asking, how old are you? A lot of people under the age of 25 don't because its not part of Driver's Ed and parents now tend to go the easier route of teaching in autos.

Viggen > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather
06/05/2014 at 15:42

I'm 21. I wanted to learn but no one in my family has owned one since 2002. None of my friends own one I'd want to start on either.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Viggen
06/05/2014 at 15:43

I've done so on 3 or 4 occasions, I totally need to get better / own a car with a manual.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Audi-os, Amigos!
06/05/2014 at 15:43

Same thing.

Garrett Davis > Viggen
06/05/2014 at 15:45

For shame! I totally understand, though. No one drives manuals anymore. Luckily I loved the idea when I started driving, and my Mom insisted that my first car be a manual.

You should go out and spend like $1-2k on a beater with a stick. Maybe something cool like a Fox body 'Stang or you can get a pretty nice Cherokee for that money as well. Learn to drive it while not giving a shit if you hurt it, and at the end of it you may have a project car, or you can just sell it.

Do eeeet!

briannutter1 > Viggen
06/05/2014 at 15:45

Where do you live....maybe one of us can yet save you.

RallyWrench > Viggen
06/05/2014 at 15:45

Find one and do so now, or be forever gone, young heathen! I keed, I keed. Seriously though, do it. It will change your life, and broaden your automotive horizons.

Audi-os, Amigos! > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
06/05/2014 at 15:46

Practically speaking, yeah it definitely is. My buddy has a red jeep with a stick I'll be learning on this month.

I've been "practicing" as best I can by driving my A4 in tiptronic mode, and playing Forza in the first-person cockpit view and manually clutching and shifting the gears.

Look, it's a pale substitute, I get that. But I'm preparing as best I can with what I have available to me, which is no manual cars.

Hermann > Viggen
06/05/2014 at 15:48

You're 21 and you've never driven a Manual.

I drove my first auto when I was 22. So...

I'm sure a fellow oppo will provide you with one.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Audi-os, Amigos!
06/05/2014 at 15:48

It's not shifting gears you have to worry about. Starting from a stop is what you need to practice and that can only be done with a clutch.

Jayhawk Jake > Viggen
06/05/2014 at 15:49

It's okay, I hadn't until 2 years ago either and I own one now

Audi-os, Amigos! > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
06/05/2014 at 15:50

You're absolutely right. How difficult is that to get the hang of, if I'm someone who otherwise has an excellent understanding of torque, powertrains, and the like? Is it just strictly muscle memory and practice? Any tips?

Viggen > Audi-os, Amigos!
06/05/2014 at 15:50

Many is the time I've tried manual with clutch in Forza 4. Never again in that game.

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > Viggen
06/05/2014 at 15:51

I've driven manual a handful of times, but have yet to own a manual (obviously not counting my dirt bike). My next car will be manual, and I have a feeling a few salesmen may cringe a couple times during my test drives. lol

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > Viggen
06/05/2014 at 15:51

Don't worry, I'm 27 and haven't either. Converted my auto to autostick so that's as close as I've gotten. Will learn soon as my next vehicle will be manual.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Audi-os, Amigos!
06/05/2014 at 15:52

Strictly muscle memory and it really depends on the car. The engagement point on the clutch varies from car to car, and also how much gas you need to give the car changes. Once you get it, you get it.

Audi-os, Amigos! > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
06/05/2014 at 15:54

Gotcha. So the two variables car-to-car are (in my layman terms) the degree to which you let the clutch out before it "catches," and how much gas to give it at the same time to toe the line between stalling and leaping forward?

Viggen > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
06/05/2014 at 15:55

My biggest concern is actually down shifting. The scenario specifically is if I'm on the highway in fifth or sixth gear and traffic suddenly occurs. That or the possibility I'll be too focused on rpm.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Audi-os, Amigos!
06/05/2014 at 15:57

Yup and how smooth you transition between clutch and throttle.

Audi-os, Amigos! > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
06/05/2014 at 15:57

Cool. Hey, thanks for not being an asshole and explaining things to me! Good shit, man.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Viggen
06/05/2014 at 16:00

Down shifting isn't an issue unless your racing around and heel-toeing. For the most part, it'll just come to you when to down shift. And if your coming to a stop, just flick it into neutral.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Audi-os, Amigos!
06/05/2014 at 16:04

Best way to learn is to get a cheap manual car and DD it.

mazda616 > Viggen
06/05/2014 at 16:28

I'm 24 and I have only drive a manual once. :-( It was a 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse with a super stiff clutch. I didn't do very well. I'd love to learn, but the only person I know that drives a manual vehicle is my best friend's brother, and his vehicle is a 1997 S-10 with a failing clutch. Maybe I can learn on that when he is ready to replace the clutch, lol

area man > Audi-os, Amigos!
06/05/2014 at 16:31

It helps to know the workings of a clutch and how it connects to the transmission, but mastering the correct timing of letting it out and giving it some gas is basically all muscle memory. The catch point varies from car to car, and finding it and hitting it regularly and smoothly is the trickiest part.

area man > Viggen
06/05/2014 at 16:42

Basically what Archduke said, although don't flick it into neutral at 60 mph please. Unless you're really flying at like 80 or 90 mph, downshifting from fifth to fourth won't cause any rpm issues regardless of your actual speed. The first time you do it, it will click.

BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather > Viggen
06/05/2014 at 17:00

That stands to reason. To be honest, if you really want to, then buy a cheap old manual car and teach yourself.

wiffleballtony > Viggen
06/05/2014 at 21:38

I hadn't for quite a long time. My problem was twofold. My parents only ever had automatics since the 1980s. And all of my friends don't drive or had autoa as well. Its a tough situation.

Viggen > wiffleballtony
06/05/2014 at 22:02

Same here. Last manual in the family was my mom's E90 or E100 Corolla. The options I have with my friends are an '05 STI or a Wrangler sitting on 35s.

Audi-os, Amigos! > area man
06/06/2014 at 09:26

Engine braking FTW.

quarterlifecrisis > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
06/06/2014 at 16:56

Actually...don't. I'm guilty of doing it all the time myself, but you really shouldn't. In the event that you actually need to accelerate out of the way of something, or to avoid something, better to have it in gear. I know the argument can be made that the car is already halfway downshifted in neutral, but, it's just a bad habit to get in.