What Kind of Car Did You Learn Stick Shift On?

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So, my boss taught me how to drive stick in her '04 Wrangler. The transmission on that car is pretty difficult to shift-- you have to wrestle it into gear. I have a few hours of seat time under my belt, and I seem to be okay at it. Not great, but good enough to drive it around town and in parking lots without stalling it out.

Strangely, my co-worker has been telling me all along that it is "impossible" to learn on a Wrangler. He said it'd be too difficult, blah blah. Not sure what he meant by that? I mean, the shifter is pretty lousy and the clutch is on the stiffer side, but it didn't seem too bad.

So out of curiosity, what kind of car did you guys learn stick shift on? How long did it take you to master the basics? Any embarassing stories?
 
I learned stick on a new 1977 Dodge Colt. It made it very easy to learn. I had ridden a motorcycle before that so I knew the theory and learned quickly.
 
1991 Mazda 323 hatch (driving instructors car)

1989 Toyota Tercel hatch 4-speed (family car)

Mazda was very easy to drive - didn't take very long to master the basics.
 
I learned on my old Ranger. So did two other people. The first day I was able to drive it in traffic, and after about a week I had it down and never stalled it again. Hills are the hard part to master, but once you do they are easy.

I don't think Wranglers are that bad to drive really. It's a different feel from a manual transmission in a car, but not "impossible."
 
I learned on a 1983 Renault Alliance 4 cylinder, remember those? This was my first car and it lasted all through high school. For reverse you had to pull up on the stick and go into first.

Sadly, the clutch went on out it during my senior year after a few years of very hard driving. It had around 175,000 on it when I was done with it.
 
I learned on my dad's '81 Fiat 125 (FSO 1500).

The first time I tried, I was about 12. I didn't do too well (since I was just learning how to drive in general, not just the stick part)... drove the car into a potato field... dad had to find a couple of farmers to help pull it out of there, and needless to say, my training came to a halt.

I think I started learning again when I was 16.... Fiat, then '85 Audi 80, and also mom's '88 Ford Fiesta. By the time I started the mandatory driving class (you can't take the driver's test without it), I knew how to drive stick.

Also, the road test you take to pass your driving exam in Poland is on a stick car. Otherwise, if you do it on a slushbox, your license will only allow you to operate vehicles with auto trannies.
 
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Learned a little bit while test-driving a 1982 Datsun, but did the majority of learning on my first car, a 1978 Chevy Monza. What a horrible car to learn on. Little did I know at the time, the clutch was about 85% gone, and the shifters in those cars (I think it's the same one used in the late 70's thru '81 Camaro with the 'trigger' for reverse). Balky, heavy, stiff and stubborn.
 
For those of you that don't know what a Renault Alliance was, here is a picture of exactly what mine looked like during high school. This is a google photo:
6h5hcy.jpg
 
My dad taught me how to drive stick shift on a 94 Acura Integra. I learned on a relatively quiet neighborhood because he insisted that you had to drive on the street rather than a empty parking lot to learn. And add hills which makes the first time experience fun.

I had a few times I stalled out at a 4 way stop sign intersection. People started honking and putting their hands out the window, I could not restart the car back up quickly. I honestly did not know you had to press the clutch all the way down to start the car. It was funny because when my dad gets back in the driver seat to start the car it works.

I'm a slow learner so after about 3 hours of driving (not all in one day), I got the hang of it. I can still remember the burned clutch smell.
 
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1965 Ford Cortina 1500 GT.Cool car,factory gauge package,factory header and two throat Weber carb.
Positive ground Lucas electrics were the weakest link.
 
1968 Opel Kadett. This car had an aftermarket clutch spring that must of come out of a school bus...Very difficult to clutch and shift. My VERY first car....learned to change oil on, plugs and points, learned to make out in (girl friend, now wife).
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Avoid and/or practice uphill stops!!!!!!!!!!!
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I learned on an older S10 pickup.

Strangely enough though, a friend of mine has a newer Wrangler - easiest manual trans I've ever driven. Makes my Corolla with an old worn out trans and clutch seem like a Mack truck.
 
A 1963 Volkswagon beetle. Then a chevy Step van..Then an international oilfield winch truck(dad made me learn to load flatbed trailers with the winch) then I turned 12!
 
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