Topic: First Person Driver: My First Manual

[2JDM]

I am a noob at manual. I can start smoothly and upshift smoothly, but downshifting is a bit rough (gotta work on rev-matching?).

[initial_D]

I am a noob at manual. I can start smoothly and upshift smoothly, but downshifting is a bit rough (gotta work on rev-matching?).

Try slow and smooth release clutch first.

1. off gas
2. depress clutch
3. down shift
4. release clutch - slow and smooth
5. before clutch fully disengage, right foot hold steady on gas
6. clutch fully disengage
7. gently increase pressure on gas

[initial_D]

I learned to drive on my own on a 1979 Datsun 200. Bought the car for under $1000, had the seller brought the car in the back of the house, didn't know what a friction point was, ain't no YouTube available in the 80s. Put in gear, hold gas steady at 2000, then release clutch. After 1 hour of practice, was able to drive on the road. Took one week to get smooth with the car.

Sold that car two months for $1200, made a bit of money on it. It was fully broken-in by then.

[sacrat]

Good story
Agree with you Andy that learning the friction point should be #1 thing to master.  You should be able to get most any car rolling on a flat surface without touching the gas.

Just how I taught my son to drive on our Manual PT Cruiser Turbo. Later I showed him how much torque steer you can generate when you dump the clutch at 3000rpm in a short wheelbase 220 horsepower front-driver 

Of course I explained that I was just showing him what NOT to do...
 

[dkaz]

Ive heard this story before....

  Sushi delivery boy.

[mixmanmash]

Really? Very simple to learn people. First, flat empty parking lot, at night, so you can't see your feet. Second, right leg either on the brake or against the seat. Third, let the clutch out slowly until the car begins to move. Fourth, once car is rolling, let clutch out all the way. Repeat.....a thousand times, THEN add accelerator, practice.....a thousand times, then shift to second.....Easy.

1000 times! Hell no!  If you can't get it after 10-15 minutes, please give up and stick with an auto.  First car my dad bought for us was a '76 Chevette with a 4 spd...I can't recall he ever had to show me how to drive it.  I just knew (from watching Formula 1, Gilles Villeneuve taught me everything I need(ed) to know about driving - you had to do it fast, and you had to do it sideways  ...RIP  ) from day one I think I came out of the womb making engine noises and shifting.  I once tried teaching a girl how to drive my Monza V8...took me all of ten minutes to put an end to that.  Taught my kid in less than ten minutes.  My wife (and this may be why I liked her so) learned how to drive my 5.0 easily...and she even beat up on a couple of guys on the street herself...and that was cool.  She did it so fast I don't remember even having to teach her. Smart girl, still drives a stick like God intended.  Seriously...article writer...stick with the AT transmissions.  If you need to learn in a parking lot and it takes more than an hour, it's not meant to be.

I am a noob at manual. I can start smoothly and upshift smoothly, but downshifting is a bit rough (gotta work on rev-matching?).

Wear and tear on the clutch etc. - if you're not racing, don't worry about rev matching and downshifting when you're coming to a stop. Use the brakes. They're cheaper than a clutch. (I can't rev match for shi# either, but I've never really had to either, as much as I like to think every road is part of Leguna Seca).  If what you mean is you want to pass someone on a highway, try this little trick, it always worked great in the Mustang.  With the cruise set, simply push in the clutch and grab the gear lower, 5th to 4th for example, but don't dilly dally, be quick: push, grab 4th...go!  Perfectly rev matched every time.  I can't try it on the Sonic since it has no CC, but at highway speeds you most often don't need to downshift, if it can pull 5th gear and be dong 130+ when passing someone, you probably don't need to either. Probably. YMMV.

I always downshifted in my Mazda, but rev matched.  340k kms on that clutch and going strong.

Your trick wouldn't work on most modern cars for down shifting.  The cruise control kill switch on the clutch is typically set such that before it disengages, the cruise is killed.  But at highway speeds it wouldn't matter as much.

[mixmanmash]

It killed it in '89 too, but when you depressed the clutch there was just enough throttle input left in the cruise that it would jump up about 500ish rpm or whatever it was and you'd get a perfect rev matched downshift everytime.  Try it..see what the Mazda does.  Might work, might not.

I have tried it.  Definitely didn't go up.

[Ron]

Interesting article, I 'think' it's best not to think about it much and just do it, but perhaps being a writer makes that more difficult than it should be? 

For myself, I recall initially learning in my father's truck around 14-15, but also recall he wasn't that patient or willing. I really learned how to drive the summer I turned 16 on my friend's older sister's Camaro. She was hot, like all well-built, early 20's females are to a testosterone laced teenager. Ah heady days...

Rev matching is really unnecessary for the most part. The only time I would do so would be dropping to 4th on the highway to pass, and then it's simply push in the clutch, blip the gas and let out the clutch. Voila, instant power! 

[tooscoops]

rev matching is just something that needs to be done sometimes... i'm generally low enough rpms that it isn't a jerky downshift without it... if i need to stop quicker than that, i'm using brakes, not the clutch.

anywho, manuals really are fun... my wife had to run out for a bit yesterday and due to the snow took my wrangler.. first thing she said when she got back is that she missed having a manual... good girl!

i learned how to drive one by my supervisor at work when i was 14. little tracker that had been traded in. couple stalls, but overall not too bad. my dad didn't know i could drive stick so he "taught" me in his 70 dart swinger... just put me behind the wheel and said, "let's go to the store"... all was good until we were leaving the store and there is a steep incline prior to getting on the highway... i was trying to look around a transport parked on the side of the road blocking my view, so i was trying to inch up the incline.... in a 340 four speed.... and the lady behind honked at me (guess i was taking too long) to which my dad yelled "b1tch!" and gave her the finger... loved it....

...of course it riled me so i just gunned it and lit up the back tires and fishtailed onto the highway having to gun it to stay ahead of traffic.... my dad was impressed with my control at that point and caught on that i already had a few "lessons"... fun.

oh, the other note... so many new stick shifts have "hill start assist".... while nice sometimes, i'm not a big fan... you totally lose that clutch feel... every morning it kicks in on my drive and i actually have to look at the rpms (usually just go by feel, stereo on too loud to really hear)... nice when you get used to it, but i stalled a couple times thinking the gear was engaged when it was just the HSA.

[HeliDriver]

I grew up riding dirt bikes, which IMO is probably the best way to learn. The clutch isn't just something you use to shift, but something you're always feathering to keep the engine in its powerband and to manage traction at the rear wheel. You get a feel for the engagement point pretty quick (just don't carry over the clutch-feathering habit to the car!)

Anyway, I remember when I first learned to drive a manual car when I was 17. Borrowed a friend's Mustang II and we just drove around. I think I stalled it the first time, but had it down after that. We just cruised around for an hour or so and called it good.