How'd you learn to drive a manual transmission?

[addyguy]

I signed up for 'standard' drivers ed training, so I learned on the instructors 1993 Mazda 323 5-speed hatch. Very easy tranny to learn with. My 'practice' vehicle was my dads's 1989 Tercel 4-speed.

Gave up standard part way through, actually got lisence on an automatic. 2 years later got tired of that, and just went and bought a 5-speed 1986 Civic, and drove it home.

Drove stick for 10 years after that, and then got the automatic Cavalier so wife and her brothers could get licenses. Not sure if/when will go back to standard, but really miss it sometimes.

 

[mpvue]

my Dad showed me on a '78 mustang II V6 he had at the time (my Dad would buy anything just to drive to work).
I only drove that car once or twice, never really mastered driving a stick until my 1st car, a '65 malibu inline 6/powerglide. the 6 was pulled right away for a 283, which promptly wasted the powerglide, so I got a muncie M21 at a swap meet and converted it (I figured out how to work on a clutch before being able to properly drive one!)

 

[SteveSRT8]

I was banned from my Grandpas tractors for driving them on 3 wheels on the dirt roads around his farm when I was 9.

I also shifted my Moms TR-4 from the passenger seat for years starting from the day she got the car in 1964. I was 8 then.

I used to start the TR-4 with a bobby pin and drive to the local convenience store and buy treats till the store owner ratted me out to my Dad!

Stick shift is in my blood line somewhere...

 

[MysticGold04]

My first vehicle was a 91 Mazda B2000 with a manual...learned on that! Paid $2500 for it, traded a friend for an 95 Chevy Cavalier RS with an auto (what a piece that was, even though he put alot of work into it) I ended up trading that for a 92 Saturn SC2 with a manual. Had that for a few years and loved it. Had to trade for a 4-door when we had our first kid...
Then a Tacoma with a 5-speed, Tacoma with an auto, and now back to the Focus 5-speed. I think I prefer 5-speeds

 

[juanw]

I bought an 1993 Acura Legend 5spd from a friend in 2000 while a senior in college for $8000. I did not know how to drive stick. I learned in the college town's "downtown area" streets at night where no one matriculated. It probably had the best clutch I have ever used. It was all in the timing for me.

I loved those 90s Acuras.

 

[GMFan]

I was taught by my Dad.

I learned in a day or two on a 5spd Saturn I bought in cash. I couldn't even drive the car home because I didn't know MT yet. This was good incentive for me to learn quickly. There were some embarrassing stall-outs at first...but thankfully people on the road were understanding and patient when they saw me bucking through the intersections and saved me further embarrassment.

My dad did the same for all three of us kids...we bought cheap used 5spd vehicles and then he taught each one of us how to drive them. We all have since bought another MT vehicle. I'm convinced if parents taught there kids the sales of MT vehicles would be much higher. I know very few who grow up driving MT who switch over to AT personally.

 

[TFB1]

Originally Posted By: GMFan
I know very few who grow up driving MT who switch over to AT personally.


Both of my daughters switched to manuals approx a year after learning on a automatic... Older daughter wanted a stick so bought a '86 Stang(four years old at the time)and had me sell the '79 I'd given her... A year and half later I got the '79 back when the owner wanted a Granada I had, so I had it repainted and gave it to the younger daughter... After she drove it awhile, I got a screamin' deal on a '87 Stang with 5-speed so gave it to her and she kept it till her then new husband bought a new '01 Saturn cause he couldn't drive a stick(AFAIK still can't)...

 

[Jarlaxle]

I work with someone whose youngest daughter will not learn. She just flatly refuses to even attempt it. Every time he insists, she says, "Then I guess I just won't drive until I'm 18." She flatly refuses to learn to drive a standard shift, and flatly refuses to drive anything bigger than a compact car. She is the only one in the family: he has a diesel Ram 2500 6-speed, his wife has a 5-speed Focus, his son learned (and drives a 5-speed Ranger), his daughter learned (and drives a 5-speed Corolla), but she flatly refuses.

 

[Spazdog]

you'd be surprised at how many Guardsmen in the '80s could not drive a manual.

We had older equipment. We were still using M151 1/4ton Jeeps and M35 duece and a halves. (Dueces and a Half?)

To be fair, a few of the them required deft clutch and throttle work. Double clutch and rev match or grind it 'til it fits.

Seems like all the 1/4 tons with Ford on the data plate shifted pretty well while the ones with AMC on the data plate seemed to need more of the above mentioned clutch and throttle work to shift without grinding. I've gotten the AMC data plated 1/4 tons over 55mph without wandering all over the lane in a death weave. Something none of the Ford built 1/4 tons could do.(ironic because they should all be built to the same specifications and should be identical)

But I still think some of the older guys were faking it so they would get to ride the air conditioned bus or drive a CUCV (Blazer or C20)

 

[rpn453]

I learned on the Mazda3 I bought new. I figured I'd like it eventually because I wanted as much control as possible, and manuals were considerably faster, cheaper, and more fuel efficient than autos at the time. It took quite a while before I felt more comfortable with a standard than an auto, as I had been driving automatics for almost ten years and I was living in a very small city, doing mostly highway driving.

It was terribly embarrassing to not be competent at it when I was dating a girl while in university who drove a Miata, and whose mother drove a Talon TSi, and whose father drove a Stealth R/T Turbo, all with manuals. I could get them from point A to point B, but it wasn't pretty.

 

[Lyman]

I learned in a rail buggy out in the desert when I was 12. By 18 years old I had my CDL and was driving semis. Now at 49 Im still a truck driver. Have more then a few million miles under my belt.

 

[calvin1]

I bought a used '89 VW Fox with a 4-speed. I taught myself on the test drive.

 

[L_Sludger]

Originally Posted By: TallPaul
This comes up as I attempt teaching my son to drive a stick. He is doing reasonably well, given the instructor is not the best. We had some rough launches, some bucking, and other unpretty things (hope my engine survives), but once I discovered he was keeping his heel on the floor and trying to work the pedal with his toes, things improved greately. I got him now raising his whole foot and knee to work the clutch. It actually seems to be a hip action.

Now I don't recall much about my learning a stick, partly because it was 35 years ago. But I do recall working at the gas station as a pump jockey and when it was slow I would get in the tow truck, put it in creeper low, turn the key and roll out as the engine cranked over, thereby bypassing the most difficult operation with a clutch, the launch. On that basis I decided that every time my son launches I am going to have him work it between first and second gear to get familiar with the clutch action. I think enough of that will make the launch a bit easier.

At any rate, it is a lot to think about and you need to develop the muscle memory so that you don't think about it. A lot of coordination to still be developed, but he is on the way. He only just got a learners permit mid February and passed his drivers exam last Monday, so it's not like even driving is a "second nature" skill for him yet.

Now your story of how you learned to drive a stick and hopefully some of the funny (not funny at the time of course) things that happened while you were learning.
when i was an unhappy teenager cars were my escape, so before i could legally drive I had a car, and converted it auto-manual because i thought manual was better, and then proceeded to learn manual on it. lol. the car could accelerate from a stop in 3rd gear!
anyway, that was ten years ago and im on my second MT car after going through 5 AT cars since then.

 

[TallPaul]

Well, my son just got his own truck to learn on:

2001 S-10 LS 2.2L 5 speed, 78500 miles. We pulled these wheels off last night and put the stock aluminum wheels and tires on--much nicer looking. These American Racing wheels are way to fancy. Now to sell them, and they have great rubber on them too. Did discover right front brake not working because I asked him to step on pedal so I could torque down the lugs, and it spun freely. Left front is fine though. Plan to get a Baldwin filter and refill it with Maxlife. Came with orange can of death on it and one to spare. Sure Grip. Probably not that bad, maybe should use the free one????

 

[morris]

i started on model "A" ford. the engine has so much power at idle, and a 50 lb flywheel. it doesnt matter how you let the clutch out, in low gear.

 

[rpn453]

Originally Posted By: TallPaul
Well, my son just got his own truck to learn on:
...
2001 S-10 LS 2.2L 5 speed, 78500 miles. We pulled these wheels off last night and put the stock aluminum wheels and tires on--much nicer looking. These American Racing wheels are way to fancy. Now to sell them, and they have great rubber on them too. Did discover right front brake not working because I asked him to step on pedal so I could torque down the lugs, and it spun freely. Left front is fine though. Plan to get a Baldwin filter and refill it with Maxlife. Came with orange can of death on it and one to spare. Sure Grip. Probably not that bad, maybe should use the free one????


I would.

Looks good from here. If you can't even get the value of the tires for the tire + wheel combo, I'd probably even be willing to use them until the tires are done. They don't look too far off the GM style of that time, and aren't excessively large. Maybe they're flashier in person though. I'm also not a fan of really obviously aftermarket wheels.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: TallPaul
Well, my son just got his own truck to learn on:

2001 S-10 LS 2.2L 5 speed, 78500 miles. We pulled these wheels off last night and put the stock aluminum wheels and tires on--much nicer looking. These American Racing wheels are way to fancy. Now to sell them, and they have great rubber on them too. Did discover right front brake not working because I asked him to step on pedal so I could torque down the lugs, and it spun freely. Left front is fine though. Plan to get a Baldwin filter and refill it with Maxlife. Came with orange can of death on it and one to spare. Sure Grip. Probably not that bad, maybe should use the free one????


Ouch...I am hard-pressed to think of a more frustrating vehicle to learn on than a 2.2 S10! They are unbelievably easy to stall...moreso than even my Shelby Charger with a super-light (7.5lb, stock is 18lb) Scheiffer flywheel.

 

[TallPaul]

Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Ouch...I am hard-pressed to think of a more frustrating vehicle to learn on than a 2.2 S10! They are unbelievably easy to stall...moreso than even my Shelby Charger with a super-light (7.5lb, stock is 18lb) Scheiffer flywheel.

I don't think it will be any worse than my Ranger, perhaps a little better as the Chevy seems to have a little more feel in the clutch, a tad stiffer than the Ranger. The Ranger pedal is so light it took me a little while to get used to it. Should have kept the old F150 for him to learn on. Not that the F150 had a stiff clutch, but much more so than the Ranger. I liked the feel of that one.

 

[Tdbo]

My story is pretty basic. Had a new 1982 Monte Carlo which lasted a week until the alternator went and deep sixed the battery. Owner of the dealership brought me his 1982 Cavalier 4 speed demo. It took me about eight blocks to get the hang of it. Later, I owned an 1982 Nissan Stanza and a 1993 and a 1995 Ranger that all were sticks. Never had an issue with any of them. The only thing I could never master (and still can't) is the infamous "three on a tree."

 

[andyd]

This is for you, Kestas. Self taught on a dismantled 53 Ford. I bought it for 5$ and had to put in the radiator and generator. I was 9. A few cars later I had a 51 Ford and I was off and running. Robert Mitchum in Thunder Road was my inspiration. I took my road test in 65 VW bus. After parallel parking on a hill, I had to pull out. No big deal. I got my class 1 , pre CDL days and drove all sorts of beat out rigs. Quadra- Plex Macks. Tri-plex and Duplexs. I drove an old Brockway with a huge flathead 6 and a 5 and 2 set up. Didnt matter whether you doubled clutched or not, it would only shift at 1200 rpm with out grinding. Anyway, I hadnt owned a standard for 25 yrs, until I bought a 5 spd Ranger. I am a little herky jerky still, but the muscle memory is there and I am rapidly getting good at it again. again. Yesterday , I left footed the brake pedal in my AT 528e.