"Sinanigans" (Sinanigans)
02/24/2014 at 11:32 • Filed to: None
7
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"Sinanigans" (Sinanigans)
02/24/2014 at 11:32 • Filed to: None | 7
| 30 |
I taught my friend/coworker's son how to drive a stick. He wrecked his car about a month ago (an auto New Beetle) and is looking for a new car and wants a stick. Problem is no one in his house knows how to drive one- and I really didn't wanna teach him on my car ('13 BRZ). The original plan was to accompany him to pick up a 5spd Lancer (non Evo), but it was tough to coordinate our schedules.
So I decided to bite the bullet and teach him in my car. I methodically had him go through the motions with the engine off (this method has worked really well for me in the past when I taught other people to drive stick). Then we turned the car on and I proceeded to teach him how to take off. He did great!!!! He was a little nervous but he honestly did a great job! And, I feel great for contributing to the cause!!!
hethoughtofcars
> Sinanigans
02/24/2014 at 11:34 |
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Bravo sir! If I knew how to upload animated gifs you'd definitely get that one from Citizen Kane with Orson Welles clapping.
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Sinanigans
> hethoughtofcars
02/24/2014 at 11:36 |
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hat goes off to you good sir!
Lekker
> hethoughtofcars
02/24/2014 at 11:36 |
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Frank Grimes
> Sinanigans
02/24/2014 at 11:40 |
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NOICE!
When I was anticipating getting my first car which was a manual. I used to practice driving in my head in some kind of quasi yoga/zen meditation thing. I was obbsessed. But I quickly learned how to drive a stick. I would imagine myself shifting and letting the clutch out and crap. I took it very seriously and was/am weird like that.
RazoE
> Sinanigans
02/24/2014 at 11:44 |
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Congrats! You are fighting the good fight.
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Sinanigans
> RazoE
02/24/2014 at 11:46 |
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One new driver at a time! :)
efme
> Sinanigans
02/24/2014 at 11:46 |
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I have a very hard time trying to explain why you need to shift... just being a gear head, the gears, like on a bike, totally make sense to me. But trying to comphrehend gears, rpm, mpg, power band is a bit much to take in for my fiance.
usually when I start off teaching someone how to take off, I have them practice w/ the engagement point. pressing the pedal and releasing slowly until they can feel the plate catch. Then I attempt to explain that you need to hold the clutch in a static position so the discs spin up smoothly. The jerkiness is often due to the fact that they think that once it engages, it means to just release the pedal
desertdog5051
> hethoughtofcars
02/24/2014 at 11:47 |
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Copy image and paste the image into your reply. Try it.
Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
> Sinanigans
02/24/2014 at 12:08 |
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And here I am stranded in a family of auto-drivers and none of my friends will let me learn manual on their cars. Ugh.
Übel
> Frank Grimes
02/24/2014 at 12:11 |
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When I was learning to heel toe I'd practice the motions whenever I was sitting. Wound up only taking a couple of days before I was doing it every time I drove :p
Jayhawk Jake
> efme
02/24/2014 at 12:17 |
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Don't explain it, demonstrate it.
Drive the car longer in a gear than you should. Point out how loud the engine is, which means it's working hard and burning more fuel, then show what happens when you shift up.
Then to demonstrate why you shift down, try accelerating in a high gear. Again, point out how slow the car is, how much it's straining, how difficult it is to accelerate. Then shift down, and show how much better the car performs.
Hitting specific RPM, talking about power bands, useless. Just demonstrate it.
The second paragraph is how I teach people (well, I've only taught one). It's how I finally figured it out. Once you understand what the engagement point feels like, everything else is easy.
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Jayhawk Jake
> Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
02/24/2014 at 12:17 |
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If you're near me, I'll teach you.
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Frank Grimes
> Übel
02/24/2014 at 12:22 |
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need to do this because by some rare chance this skill might be useful.
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Sinanigans
> efme
02/24/2014 at 12:25 |
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This times eleventy billion! There were times when the car was starting to roll and he'd jump off the clutch and the car would stall. But he got that down pretty quickly. The other thing (and I notice this with a lot of new stick drivers), he was pretty hard in the shifting. I told him to caress and guide the shifter into each gate and the car will do the rest for you.
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hethoughtofcars
> Sinanigans
02/24/2014 at 12:54 |
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What's your opinion on the BRZ so far? Did you look at the FR-S?
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hethoughtofcars
> desertdog5051
02/24/2014 at 12:57 |
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hethoughtofcars
> desertdog5051
02/24/2014 at 12:57 |
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Well, that wasn't hard. Gracias!
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desertdog5051
> hethoughtofcars
02/24/2014 at 13:16 |
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Bravo
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Sinanigans
> hethoughtofcars
02/24/2014 at 13:18 |
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I love it. I didn't look at the FR-S because I like look of the BRZ more. Plus, my car before that was an Impreza so I was able to get a pretty good price on the BRZ. But honestly you just can't go wrong with either. Its a true sports car but it does get pretty sweet gas mileage (~30mpg combined). All in all, I highly recommend it!
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hethoughtofcars
> Sinanigans
02/24/2014 at 13:26 |
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I want one desperately. Unfortunately I have a 6 year old who refuses to stop growing! We tried fitting him in the back seat at the auto show, but (since he has legs) it was already a tight fit. If somehow I manage to obtain one, or they actually release that sedan version, this is the first accessory it is getting:
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Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
> Jayhawk Jake
02/24/2014 at 13:44 |
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Middle 'o Kansas?
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Übel
> Frank Grimes
02/24/2014 at 13:59 |
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I use it constantly. Once you get the hang of it, it makes downshifting much smoother, reduces transmission wear, and makes you feel like a badass. The only possible downside is, if you have a loud exhaust, everyone thinks you're an asshat.
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Jayhawk Jake
> Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
02/24/2014 at 14:01 |
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Yep
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Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
> Jayhawk Jake
02/24/2014 at 14:04 |
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I really should have guessed from the "Jayhawk" part of your name. I am idiot. Anywhere in the South Wichita/Derby area?
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Jayhawk Jake
> Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
02/24/2014 at 14:12 |
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Well, the Jayhawk doesn't have to be Kansas. I'm in Wichita.
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Sinanigans
> hethoughtofcars
02/24/2014 at 14:13 |
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I say get one :D
DeuxCentCinqTurboSeize
> Sinanigans
02/24/2014 at 15:12 |
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Great work, you've probably just made him a gearhead for life!
Luken10
> Sinanigans
02/24/2014 at 17:25 |
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Most people I have taught try to man handle the shift knob. Even people trying out my Logitech G27 steering wheel will try and move it like some sort of antiquated medieval lever that takes all the strength you can muster to move. I can understand being sloppy with the clutch, but it seems like a large amount of people have just as hard a time being smooth with the shifter.
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Frank Grimes
> Übel
02/24/2014 at 18:29 |
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Where do I start to learn? Also how do I not destroy my transmission?
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Übel
> Frank Grimes
02/24/2014 at 21:38 |
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http://www.edmunds.com/how-to/heel-an…
Enjoy!