What's The Best Way To Learn How to Drive Stick?

"Thunderface" (thunderface)
12/02/2014 at 18:43 • Filed to: manual, oppositelock

Sooner or later I want to have a manual transmission car. What are the Best ways to learn?

DISCUSSION (64)

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 18:45

First acquire car with manual transmission. And now I'll leave to make room for those with actual experience.

crowmolly > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 18:46

Learn? Find a friend who will let you play around.

Get good? Buy a cheap manual crapbox and drive around.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 18:47

just get a car with a manual, start driving.

Brian Silvestro > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 18:47

Just buy a car with a Manual, and make sure it's your only mode of transportation. You'll learn fast.

RazoE > Brian Silvestro
12/02/2014 at 18:47

worked for me. This is the best way

Thunderface > Brian Silvestro
12/02/2014 at 18:47

And wreck the clutch just as fast

Brian Silvestro > RazoE
12/02/2014 at 18:48

SAME

Brian Silvestro > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 18:48

Worked for me

Thunderface > Brian Silvestro
12/02/2014 at 18:50

What car did you use?

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 18:50

Not really.

Brian Silvestro > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 18:50

do you even

Kinja'd!!!

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 18:50

find a friend with a manual trans car, borrow theirs and let them teach you. Give them a few bucks towards new clutch.

Side note.. a buddy of mine owns a shop and gets invites to auto auctions so I'm going to go with him an a grand or two, pick up a used whateverthehell with a stick, learn, clean, basic maintenance, flip .... Then FoST, FiST, Abarth, Gen Coupe, etc.

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 18:53

As has been alluded to, the best way is basically just to do it.

I've found the most forgiving cars to drive a manual in are Hondas, and to a lesser degree Toyotas. DON'T try learning on a pickup truck. Most of them suck.

Funny quip I have about manual. When a friend of mine ordered his C5 from the dealer years ago he didn't know how to drive a stick. The dealer gave him a loaner Cavalier to beat on so he could know how to drive it by the time his Vette came in.

For Sweden > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 18:53

Find a driving school that teaches driving a manual transmission.

KillerRaccoon - Group J's Sébastien Loeb > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 18:54

I did it with a MazdaSpeed3. Took a month to be heel-toeing like a mofo and a little longer to get really good at starting.

BrownMiataDieselWagon > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 18:54

You can learn with my car. I love teaching people. It's going to need a new clutch soon anyway.

Ilike_cougars > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 18:55

You are welcome!

ttyymmnn > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 18:55

1. Get a car with a manual transmission

2. Go find a parking lot. Spend an hour leaning the friction point.

3. Go driving. Shift when it sounds like you should shift.

4. Have fun!

promoted by the color red > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 18:56

Buy an old 4x4 pickup and practice in 4-lo. One thing I'd like to add: do not treat clutch/throttle inputs as discrete - blend in the throttle as you reduce the clutch. Yes, there will be slight overlap.

whoarder is tellurium > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 18:57

Kinja'd!!!

crowmolly > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 18:58

Scratch my previous post. I was looking for this and just found it.

THIS is the best way.

http://www.hagerty.com/Corporate/Hobb…

jkm7680 > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 18:59

You're in Canada right? They should have a school which has manual cars.

Otherwise, find the friction point and practice starting and stopping.

promoted by the color red > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 19:00

Clutches are tough motherfuckers. You need to do continuously do something insanely stupid to damage one. If anything, the throw-out bearing will wear out long before the clutch.

Chuck 2(O=[][]=O)2 > Brian Silvestro
12/02/2014 at 19:00

How'd you drive it home?

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 19:02

Ask someone who's experienced with manuals to teach you if possible, preferably someone patient.

TheBaron2112 > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 19:03

Seriously...

Just buy one. Then drive it every day. You're forcing yourself to learn. I did it sort of that way. I bought a 944 and had never driven a manual (outside of 15 minutes in high school). The guy I bought it from was 30 minutes from where I lived. I got dropped off by a friend.

I then had to drive myself home after a quick lesson from the guy I bought it from in his subdivision.

I made it, and I loved the car. It taught me how to drive a manual.

But in my case, I had a theoretical knowledge of how a clutch worked, how gears were selected, and what all the bits did. I just never had any application of that knowledge until then.

Roadster Man > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 19:04

Get a friend with a manual car to show you. If you can't do that, then go on howstuffworks.com to learn how everything works, then watch many many youtube videos. Before I bought my first manual transmission car, my experience with a manual was limited to 2 hours in a parking lot and maybe a half dozen drives on the road. I bought my first manual transmission car, went through a little learning period, and my clutch is fine 20,000 miles later.

Don't listen to people saying "be ready to wreck your clutch!" The clutch is a wear item. You'll be putting a bit more wear on it while you learn- big deal. Just be diligent about learning how it all works and once you buy the car see if the seller can meet you in a parking lot... Then spend a few hours in that parking lot and you'll be fine getting from A to B. Heel-toeing on the other hand will take a while.

SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O) > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 19:04

Total emersion. When your only way to get to work or school is to drive a stick or walk, you'll learn quickly. If that's not an option, remember that you are not going to hop in and become a pro in 5 seconds. You'll stall, don't be embarrassed. Take deep breaths and focus. For a new learner, I always say that the gas is secondary. You can pretty much get a car moving very slowly by just letting out the clutch. It's also a great way to figure out where a clutch engages on a car. It's not great as far as preservation goes, but doing it a few times won't hurt. Then work the gas pedal into the routine.

The person who was trying to teach me told me that I had to meet in gas and the clutch in the middle, which made me mess up a few times. Instead, give the car a little bit of gas, keep the revs low, and then start to let out the clutch. Once the revs start to dip, SLOWLY give it a little more gas and less clutch until the clutch is entirely disengaged. I've taught 3 people how to drive stick, and that's the method I use. Don't try to meet them in the middle. Start with a little gas and slowly back off the clutch. Eventually, once you get more comfortable with it, you'll be able to balance the two more easily but this is a good way to start.

Shifting into any other gear once you get moving is incredibly easy in comparison to getting the car moving. Just push the clutch all the way in, foot off the gas, change gears, and do the same thing. A little gas, then off the clutch. You should be able to hear and feel when you should shift, but if you're just learning you can keep the revs relatively low. It's not like you need to be getting anywhere fast. This is another thing that really depends on the car and that you'll figure out as you go.

Stopping, when you're first learning, is clutch in, then put it in neutral and brake. Learn to downshift as you go, but it's not the most important thing to figure out right away. Matching revs can be a little tricky sometimes and you have to know the car pretty well to get it right, but if you slow down enough you can pretty much just drop it into a lower gear and let the clutch out. In this case the engine will slow your car down some and will make your brake pads last longer but, like I said, first things first. You have to be moving forward before you can stop.

I would also recommend practicing on a nice, straight street or a large parking lot. It minimizes the amount of things your brain has to worry about... Until you get to the end.

This is just the way I taught myself and the way I taught a few others. People drive differently, and learn differently, but this worked for me. Once you start driving, you actually figure out how to do things the 'right' way.

Brian Silvestro > Chuck 2(O=[][]=O)2
12/02/2014 at 19:05

My dad did

Cajun Ginger > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 19:07

On a rainy day in San Francisco.

Iheartmy365kHonda - Car enthusiasts do like FWD > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 19:08

One thing that worked for me was to hold the throttle in at around 2,000 rpm to start and slowly, and I mean slowly, let the clutch out until you feel it starting to engage. After you feel it starting to engage, fully let it out quicker than you were before. After that, let it out all the way and go from there. When you get a feel for the "clutch window" (area where the clutch wants to engage), practice from there. Eventually, start to lower your rpm gradually down to 1,500 and all the way down to idling while letting the clutch out quicker, too. Don't drop it and don't slip it! Also, don't go too low on gas pedal when letting the clutch out. When you start to get more familiar with the clutch, try to meet both accelerator pedal and clutch pedal in a "half-way" position (half on letting the clutch out while giving it throttle).

Recommended places to start: flat parking lot, no traffic suburban street, flat cul-de-sac, abandoned road.

RallyWrench > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 19:09

Find a car or truck with lots of torque, or an otherwise big, lazy engine. It'll make it easier for you to figure out how to release the clutch smoothly with minimal throttle input or slippage, and reduce your chances of stalling. Less to concentrate on that way, since your brain will be focused on training your left leg and right arm simultaneously already (assuming you're not in GB, NZ, Japan, Oz, etc) . Familiarize yourself with the shifter feel & gates before setting off as well, as this will help reduce the possibility of a mis-shift. Most learners who burn clutches compensate with throttle for lack of vehicle movement due to tentative, slow clutch release, so best to figure it out on a car that doesn't need much slipping to get off the line cleanly.

Kailand09 > Brian Silvestro
12/02/2014 at 19:18

This. Also helps to at least have a friend help out with your very first time in his car explaining.

SlickMcRick > Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!
12/02/2014 at 19:28

Must agree. GET A HONDA. Their shifter tends to be much "crisper" than most. I learned on an Accord. Unfortunately my first car was a Ford Escort and that shifter was terrible. Flopped all over the place.

BigBlock440 > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 19:30

I learned on a dirt bike

03mach1 - Now has a Fiesta ST > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 19:33

Well, I got my car, my dad took me out to the school parking lot and I drove. I wouldn't buy a beater to try a stick on. It seems like a waste of time and money. My clutch was fine afterwards. Just make sure the car you get has a good clutch already.

The first hour I drove, well I stalled. A lot. Then my dad took me home and it dawned on me, I was letting up on the clutch to fast. The next day I nailed it, didn't even stall the first time. So just take your time with it. You may get a little frustrated but it's so rewarding when you figure it out.

Tinfoil Hat in a thunderstorm, now with added diecast > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 19:38

Hope this make sense and doesn't confuse you,

The hardest part when learning is getting going nice and smooth, practice somewhere without traffic and obstacles. Sit in the car and get comfortable, adjust the seat to get the right distance from the firewall to enable the clutch pedal to be fully depressed. Your leg should be slightly bent when the clutch pedal is all the way to the floor.(always go to the floor with the clutch pedal) Before starting the car get used to the gear stick position and with the engine still off and park brake engaged move the stick through all the gears(not reverse so much yet) and practice this WITHOUT looking at the stick, once familiar with that you can start the engine but have the stick in neutral and hold the clutch pedal down. When attempting to get going it's important not to rev the engine too high, if the car is on a level surface you can get moving without throttle input if done carefully so take it easy. So with the park brake still engaged, clutch pedal in, move the stick into 1st gear and very slowly start lifting your foot off the clutch until you start to notice the engine sound change as the clutch starts to take up. Return the pedal to the floor as soon as you notice the sound change as the clutch will burn out from the friction caused buy slipping, don't slip or ride the clutch any more than needed. If the car has a taco take you'll see the needle start to drop as the clutch takes up. Now it's time to get moving, this time, left foot on clutch(to the floor), right foot on the brake pedal you can release the park brake, move shifter into 1st and slowly release the clutch. This time when you notice the engine sound change, move your right foot from the brake to hover over the accelerator pedal, you need to slightly increase the revs as you continue releasing the clutch but not to high with the revs just try and let the car get moving as smoothly as possible. Practice starts and stops before moving on to shifting gear. Also when stopping you MUST fully depress the clutch otherwise you will stall the engine. Good luck.

Osiris - I can haz Euro spec? > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 19:50

I learned by doing. Growing up, my dad had a 1988 Chevy S10 with a manual. I watched him do it enough that I just tried it out one day. I had a 1994 Ford Ranger with a manual and I had to get to work. Stalled it a couple times but eventually just got the hang of it.

YSI-what can brown do for you > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 19:51

You have to be really shitty to wreck the clutch.

area man > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 19:55

Doing is the only way to learn, my friend.

Clown Shoe Pilot > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 19:59

You have to work hard to wreck a clutch in 4 hours. If you're not trying to be a jackass, you'll figure out how to drive correctly LONG before you break the car.

JDMatt > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 20:00

Don't learn on a car where the clutch is already ruined. I know how to drive stick and I am valet parker. I can tell the difference between a mini cooper that's got a new clutch and a mini cooper that really needs a new clutch because it will have varying amounts of forgiveness. Also, if your 5'6", and the owner of the car is like 6'2", the clutch slipping point is going to be hard to find. I know I'm fucked when I have to move the seat forward 8 inches.

Thunderface > Cajun Ginger
12/02/2014 at 20:00

oh jeez

Thunderface > jkm7680
12/02/2014 at 20:03

Yes I'm in Canadiana

I've never seen a school for that, but imma check into it

jkm7680 > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 20:04

I mean at regular driving schools, they might have manual transmission vehicles.

Thunderface > crowmolly
12/02/2014 at 20:06

oh wow that looks fun

Too bad their events are few and far between

Thunderface > BrownMiataDieselWagon
12/02/2014 at 20:07

Lol where are you located

E92M3 > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 20:09

My sister threw me in her wrangler when I was 16 and had me practice in a big empty parking lot for 15 mins before we went on the road. I had it down in a hour. Avoid hills your first day if you can. Shouldn't take you long. You will stall the first week here and there but that's normal.

MylesD > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 20:10

How about you ask someone on here that lives nearby? I bet there's a nice Opponaut out there.

Thunderface > jkm7680
12/02/2014 at 20:10

oh. mine only has auto Corollas/Echos

Thunderface > MylesD
12/02/2014 at 20:11

Maybe I will

I know there are a few of us here in Ottawa

BrownMiataDieselWagon > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 20:11

Chicago, IL in the great U.S. of A!

MylesD > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 20:13

Darn, I'm in Philadelphia and I was feeling friendly.

Nibby > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 20:13

First, take off your pants and undergarments.

Then rub briskly while looking at arousing material.

CPT Speedbump > Thunderface
12/02/2014 at 20:14

The way I did it, and the way I tell everyone who's trying to learn (and people who have learned tend to agree with me overhearing me say this) - try it by yourself. That is what I tell people who have been trying but can't get it down with their dad or a friend in the car trying to teach them. Get someone to ride with you and teach you what you need to know, then try it without them in the car. Maybe even force yourself to make it to the store and back driving by yourself in a manual. You'll figure it out

Thunderface > BrownMiataDieselWagon
12/02/2014 at 20:15

Lol That's nowhere near me

Thunderface > MylesD
12/02/2014 at 20:17

Only a few (400) miles...

Thunderface > Nibby
12/02/2014 at 20:18

SO WOW

VERY HELP

MUCH TEACHINGS