shiftin' dem gears

"HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles" (hondasfordsvolvo)
12/13/2014 at 02:38 • Filed to: None

So guys. I thinks it's fair to say most of us love driving stick, and at least think we're great at it, but what was the thing you struggled most with when you first learned?

For me it was that I kept putting it in third. Almost every other red light or stop sign, I'd put my car into third instead of first gear. Then I'd stall once or... five times, get pissed, then finally realized I was in third. I blamed it on the car "first and third are too close together" I'd say. But deep down I knew it was me. lol.

The other problem I had was remembering to put the clutch in when I went to brake, but that went away after about one day.

and heres some early gen 1 RX-7sbecause sometimes you get thins right the first time

DISCUSSION (24)

SVTyler > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
12/13/2014 at 02:50

My car had a super-heavy clutch when I bought it, so it was kind of weird to time because of the effort it took. I'd either end up riding the clutch a bit as I got back on the gas or grind the gears because I tried to shift before the clutch was fully engaged. Just as I got the hang of it I found out my slave cylinder was shot (which is why the clutch was so heavy), so I had to re-learn to drive, this time with the lightest clutch known to mankind. That and the super-short throws made sure I looked like an idiot damn near stalling at every stop for a few weeks haha.

Also I have a dogleg reverse which was damn near impossible to find quickly in the first few weeks thanks to a wonky shift layout (left, down a bit, left more, then up).

gergey - Wishes vette was Datsun > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
12/13/2014 at 03:55

Hill starts. Ugh.

Sam > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
12/13/2014 at 04:02

I still struggle with hill starts. My first manual car was a Miata, and if you let off the brake on even a shallow hill you would roll back really quick. The other thing I struggled with was not launching the car and not riding the clutch in parking lots.

crowmolly > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
12/13/2014 at 04:11

Sloppy shift linkage was my problem. 4 speed Muncie, and sometimes going from 2-3 was actually 2-1.

Stalling was not a problem with 450 lb-ft and a 4.11 rear. I used to start off in 4th gear just for funsies.

Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
12/13/2014 at 04:38

When I had driving lessons I was taught to release the clutch first and then give gas. That did not go well the first time I drive in a petrol car.

GeorgeRWombat > gergey - Wishes vette was Datsun
12/13/2014 at 04:47

I don't have a problem with hill starts, the people behind me do.

Hand brake on, car in Neutral.

Lights go green and it's Revs up, Clutch in, First, find bite point of clutch, off clutch SLOWLY, and then feed it revs.

It's a slow getaway, though

44444444444 > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
12/13/2014 at 07:09

Traffic light hill starts in the V70R. It weighs 3500 pounds and has really small pedals. It needs hill start assist.

Funktheduck > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
12/13/2014 at 08:55

Being smooth. I was super jerky for a while. I still have hiccups in my new car but that's more bc of rpm hang. The revs never drop how I want them to when accelerating briskly.

yamahog > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
12/13/2014 at 09:01

Since I was used to dirt bike layout and gearing, it was weird translating it to a car, and my dad's foxbody Mustang didn't like going into odd-numbered gears, especially first, and you'd really have to manhandle it. In every other manual car I've driven, people look at me like I'm an animal because I'm used to throwing the shifter so hard.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > yamahog
12/13/2014 at 09:20

I have a 16yr old cousin in law who has essentially the same problem. The only manual trans car he normally gets to drive is an old V8 4x4 Dodge Ram 1500, an 87 I think. So when he drives my civic, or my bro in laws Jetta he's totally thrown off by the lightness of the clutch and shifter, and how short the trows are.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder
12/13/2014 at 09:21

y the hell would the tell you to do that?

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > gergey - Wishes vette was Datsun
12/13/2014 at 09:23

just gotta heel and toe a bit. lol

but seriously thats how i do it.

imadeaburner > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
12/13/2014 at 09:31

I miss my first gen RX7 :(

But my first experience with a manual was when I was 12 years old, My mom decided it was time for me to learn, My biggest issue was the third gear instead of first....happened for some time til I got the hang of it, by the time I was 13 I was basically road ready haha

imadeaburner > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
12/13/2014 at 09:32

I engage two step and dump it. Really helps you get some speed on those hill starts

JGrabowMSt > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
12/13/2014 at 09:56

Well, I guess for me it was the clutch grab point. I drove 3 cars and each had extremely different clutch pedal characteristics.

One hydraulic clutch, two cable clutches. One was really light with long travel, the other was very heavy with short travel. It went farther than just learning manual, I had to keep the cars in mind because they all had different power bands and shift points.

I want to teach my girlfriend, but really need one comfortable car to do it, and just one. I dont think it was particularly right or fair to have to deal with three cars. For an automatic, I think its fine, provided its not like a 4 cyl to a monster V8. That kind of change would be very similar.

pip bip - choose Corrour > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
12/13/2014 at 10:01

my car's manual steering.

selector / manual trans was okay

Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
12/13/2014 at 11:03

I drove diesels during my lessons. Maybe it is to learn clutch control? I was taught this with three diffrent instructors. This was only a few weeks ago.

yamahog > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
12/13/2014 at 13:05

Yea, the difference in effort between using one finger and your whole dang arm and shoulder to shift really makes an impact on your driving style.

TDogg > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
12/13/2014 at 15:17

I struggled just getting from stop to start. Killed it a lot. Of course, this was 5 years ago and I haven't driven a stick since then, sadly.

*hands in oppo card*

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > yamahog
12/13/2014 at 22:00

Yeah when he drives out little imports it looks like he's doing his best Dominic Toretto impression lol.

ReallyColorful > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
12/15/2014 at 03:51

FB/SA22c are my favorite 7's! I used to always rev my car too much at stop lights, specially ones with an incline because I'd be thinking I was going to roll back too far and hit the guy behind me. Also I only did this twice in my old CRX but I had trouble finding 5th and twice I shifted it from 4th to 3rd while merging into the highway... Highly uncool.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder
08/13/2018 at 18:13

When this post was new I had never driven a diesel car. Now that I have I get it. With a diesel you don’t need to give it gas at all. Just gently let the clutch out and the engine will chug along happily. At least that’s how the manual TDIs I’ve driven have been

Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
08/13/2018 at 20:38

Funny that you came back to tell me. The cars I learned on at that time were a TDI Golf, Ibiza TDI and Toyota Yaris.

Now I have a better understanding of driving I understand your initial reaction.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder
08/13/2018 at 21:38

I was just going back through my old posts because there wasn’t anything new to read and I was like “hey my view on that changed. Neat”