Just re-learned to drive manual.

"mazda616" (mazda616)
09/09/2017 at 19:45 • Filed to: save the manuals

In my friend’s Fiesta ST. It’s not as difficult as I remembered from the last time I did it a few years ago.

I only stalled it like three times. Thankfully, we have a lot of back country roads around here with little to no traffic.

Also hit 20k in the 6 today.

It was a good day.

DISCUSSION (18)

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > mazda616
09/09/2017 at 19:54

The FiST actually has a party trick: It’s impossible to stall it if you give it no throttle. If you let off the clutch like normal, it will blip the throttle and go. It’s quite annoying when reversing up hill though.

Nothing > mazda616
09/09/2017 at 20:14

Sweet!

What year is the 6? I’m creeping on 20k in my ‘15 Tacoma.i probably have a couple of months before I get there.

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > mazda616
09/09/2017 at 20:19

I really want to buy a manual car for the same reason. I wish they loaned out beater manuals for practice!

E90M3 > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
09/09/2017 at 20:28

Fly to Europe and rent a car, that’s how I practiced.

DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
09/09/2017 at 20:47

Back when I had my beater civic. I considered doing manual trans lessons on CL. But I gave enough to friends I never bothered.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > mazda616
09/09/2017 at 21:09

Modern manuals are almost an entirely different experience from old manual cars. They have things like dual-mass flywheels that make a bad shift much smoother, electronic throttle hang or matching (STs have hang, so upshifts are really smooth), etc. I didn’t like it at first, but I’ve become very accustomed to the incredible ease with which you can drive them. They make n00bs look really good, which is probably good because it makes driving a manual more accessible to people that have always driven automatics.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
09/09/2017 at 21:11

The FoST does this, too. When you get used to it, it’s kind of awesome in traffic.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Eric @ opposite-lock.com
09/09/2017 at 21:13

I almost nailed a bush in reverse earlier because of it lol. In traffic, it’s great, in reverse it’s a bit trigger happy.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
09/09/2017 at 21:36

Go to a rally school. They will teach you how to drive manual and then you get to spend the day sliding around in the dirt.

wafflesnfalafel > E90M3
09/09/2017 at 21:49

That actually is a pretty good idea - I wonder if any place closer, (Mexico? Canada?) regularly offer manual rentals.

E90M3 > wafflesnfalafel
09/09/2017 at 21:56

I mean, it wasn’t cheap. It was a great way to practice though. Plus you get to do things like drive on the autobahn and on the ring.

Carsbikesscooters > E90M3
09/09/2017 at 22:26

The E90 isn’t a stick?

E90M3 > Carsbikesscooters
09/09/2017 at 22:28

Both of my BMWs are stick. This was before I had a manual car, so 2013.

Orange Exige > TheTurbochargedSquirrel
09/09/2017 at 22:54

I dunno... would you encourage somebody who wants to learn to drive a manual to start at rally school?

Granted, I’ve never been, so maybe they start out super slow (not specifically slow speed) - but even if they are flexible enough to allow you to learn driving stick there, would you really want that to be the place to be worrying about figuring it out and getting it right instead of focusing on the fun part? That’s just my perspective of course. And yes, driving a manual can certainly be enjoyable normally, but when you’re just learning, it can be daunting - and even if you’re confident enough to pick it up just like that without worry, I’d rather focus on the part that makes rallying unique and the special skills that need to be developed for that.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Orange Exige
09/09/2017 at 23:15

I know several of the instructors who work at the Team O’Neil rally school and they teach people how to drive stick during the courses all the time. The one day courses and the first day of the multi day courses is entirely skid pad work. Every car they have up there is a manual so they are used to having to occasionally provide some manual transmission instruction at the start of exercises. It’s especially common for the winter safety schools they do in the winter.

Orange Exige > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
09/09/2017 at 23:22

I’m not sure it’s a unique party trick...?

I mean, the part about it automatically blipping the throttle - definitely pretty neat and I had never heard of - sure, but thinking about the whole “impossible to stall” part... my 02 Mini is similar in the fact that you can’t really stall in first (or second) gear, even if you’re not giving it throttle. Unless you hit the brakes and slow its momentum, it’ll crawl steadily at 5-10 mph (probably closer to 5), even on slight inclines. Similar with second gear - though iirc it’s a little less smooth being lower revs.

I’ve had two (manual) cars before my current and I honestly couldn’t remember if they featured the same thing - or maybe I just never drove them in situations where it would have been applicable (i.e. crawling traffic) - so I have no idea if this is a common thing that’s just native to manual transmissions or what.

SpeedSix > mazda616
09/10/2017 at 01:08

An ST would probably be a lot easier than an MG B, but I did get to experience an MG B for a bit.

mazda616 > Nothing
09/10/2017 at 14:08

My 6 is a 2016 and I love it!