how long did it takes you to perfect manual trans?
- Thread starter BeN_SpeC2
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To perfect the gear changes under hard acceleration- as in no jerks and smooth acceleration despite gear changes - took quite a while for me. I could never quite get the 2nd to 3rd change ( clutch in- change - clutch out) smoothly when I tried to do it fast. Always ended up letting out the clutch too fast or slipping it. Eventually learned how to do it for different roads (uphills, downhills, on flat roads). But it took a while.
VIPFREAK
(Banned)
- 8,961
In real life? Oh I guess a whole afternoon? That was horrible though because I got frustrated trying to learn with my dad so I just went out and learned on my own. eventually I got it down but I'm still not sure about the downshifts. I love the 4 speed on my dad's mustang though. The clutch is a "real" clutch unlike these newer cars.
- 2,336
- Los Angeles, CA
- WRBWRXMAX
- Max Archer
I had it down pretty well in an afternoon. But we'll see how long it takes me this time. I discovered the other day that I can't drive a stick anymore at all. So I have to relearn everything.
- 995
I hear ya'! It was so weird going from a FWD Hyundai to the Subaru RS. I almost feel like I'm launching, but going much lower it starts to bog. Turbo lag doesn't exactly help either.
Perfect? I doubt anyone here has it perfect (including me). Perfection in my eyes means shifting well at the track and around the street. At the track, you shift quick (not ruin your transmission quick, but fast none the less) you know where to shift, where you powerband ends, and if it's a big enough course, you better know how to heel toe double clutch. On the street, nice smooth starts, nice and light shifting movements, double clutching. There's more I bet, but not that I can think of at 2:33am.
- 572
I went from driving a 13 second 91 Talon TSi FWD auto when I turned 16. When I turned 18 I bought my 91 TSi AWD 5-speed. It was a world of difference in driving. I had to learn REAL quick or else I would be left in the dust. After probally about a month I had it down and won some bracket races.
Scaff
Moderator
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- ScaffUK
You can learn the basics of manuals in a few hours.
To master it can take a life-time, most profesional drivers will confess to constantly refining and developing these skills.
Particularly when you progress to heel and toe changes; the basics can be transfered from car to car, but to master it - thats totaly different.
To master it can take a life-time, most profesional drivers will confess to constantly refining and developing these skills.
Particularly when you progress to heel and toe changes; the basics can be transfered from car to car, but to master it - thats totaly different.
- 24,344
- Midlantic Area
- GTP_Duke
^^^^^^
What he said. Two things that will help a beginning manual driver:
What he said. Two things that will help a beginning manual driver:
- First thing, get a feel for being able to quickly let the clutch out just to the point where it starts to bite. Just sit and practice that a bit, without making actual launches. Once the clutch bites, then let it out more slowly the rest of the the way. This will help launches in general, especially on hills.
- Realize that you have time to make good clean shifts. The car will not stop rolling the moment you put the clutch in, so take your time and be smooth. Before you put the clutch in, ease off the accelerator a little so you don't pitch forward when the clutch goes in. Move the lever crisply to the new gear, but don't jam it. Be smooth getting back on the gas and releasing the clutch. The car has momentum and will carry itself through the shift just fine.
- 4,680
Hopefully when I got to driving school they'll teach me the basics of manual shifting. But since I only have a learner's permit now I am stuck with my parents cars to drive, both of which are auto (well, my mom's car has a tiptronic gearbox, but that's not real manual). But when I start to learn manual, I'm pretty sure it will not take me long to get the basics.
yeah i jus drove manual for about 20 minutes on a rental car and it was frustrating as hell...my dad wasnt helping too much since he was laughing his ass off everytime i killed the engine...
anyway but i got my lisense and i'm planning to buy a manual 240sx so hopefully ill get it down in a week or so..
anyway but i got my lisense and i'm planning to buy a manual 240sx so hopefully ill get it down in a week or so..
Heh - I run a 2.5 Liberty/Legacy. I'm notoriously stingy on take-off revs, so I'm stall-prone anyway, so the first few months were very interesting. I can pretty well catch it now, but every now and then the fires go out - and why do Subaru starters have to be so frikkin' distinctive...
Sage
Staff Emeritus
- 12,533
- United States
- GTP_Sage
Chalk it up for another Subaru driver. 
(It's not the car that's going to be "mine" [that'll be the Ranger], but it's the car I've had the most practice on, by far). The gas pedal on the Subie's so damn sensitive... one of my biggest problems is accelerating from a stoplight – I usually punch the gas too hard while keeping the clutch in too far, so I move very slowly while the engine revs are soaring. I also, for some reason, don't fully let off the gas right when I put in the clutch when shifting, so the revs will usually spike right before I actually shift, since the engine is free-revving. I don't have any of these troubles with the Ranger though, since all of its controls are pretty numb.
(It's not the car that's going to be "mine" [that'll be the Ranger], but it's the car I've had the most practice on, by far). The gas pedal on the Subie's so damn sensitive... one of my biggest problems is accelerating from a stoplight – I usually punch the gas too hard while keeping the clutch in too far, so I move very slowly while the engine revs are soaring. I also, for some reason, don't fully let off the gas right when I put in the clutch when shifting, so the revs will usually spike right before I actually shift, since the engine is free-revving. I don't have any of these troubles with the Ranger though, since all of its controls are pretty numb.
Scaff
Moderator
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- He/Him
- ScaffUK
This may sound a bit mad, but it will help.
Wear shoes with the thinest soles you have, if not go and buy some.
One of the single biggest things to kill you on manuals is lack of pedal feel.
Big fat running shoes are no good at all, why do you think racing boots have wafer-thin soles.
I've got a pair of red momos for those special trips, one of the best £50 I ever spent.
Wear shoes with the thinest soles you have, if not go and buy some.
One of the single biggest things to kill you on manuals is lack of pedal feel.
Big fat running shoes are no good at all, why do you think racing boots have wafer-thin soles.
I've got a pair of red momos for those special trips, one of the best £50 I ever spent.
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ShobThaBob
Premium
- 2,651
- rosooftw
When I was learning how, it took me a while to get a hang of it, but after I did, I didnt have any problems at all being smooth, but then again, I wasnt driving too hard either. Oh, and I was driving barefoot. I cant stand to drive with shoes on.
Scaff
Moderator
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- ScaffUK
Originally posted by Fenrir51
If you need special shoes to drive a stick i pity you. (unless you do rally racing, autox, and no i dont like nascar)
Read the posts again, I said that the shoes you wear will effect the amount of pedal feel you get.
Try to heel and toe with a pair of fat soled trainers on and see what I mean.
You don't need special shoes to drive manual, but when I want to hit my favorite b-road and get serious then I want to get as close to the car as I can.
Here in the UK almost everyone (over 90%) of people learn to drive a manual and any driving instructor will tell people who are starting out to wear a pair of shoes with a thin flexable sole.
Talk to any serious driver, racer or motoring journo and they will all be able to tell you what their favorite driving shoes are and why.
It all about the feel you get from the car, it can tell you a hell of a lot. Once you experience this its hard to drive any other way.
Almost every trip I make is about trying to improve my driving, thats not just about speed, but also car control, gear changes, balance, etc. If a good pair of shoes help that, then why the hell not.
With the right shoes on I can tell you what speed my engine and car are at, what the brakes are upto and exactly when the clutch will engage. All without taking my eyes off the road.
People spend a fortune tuning and moding a car, but forget that they have to 'interface' with it to drive it fast and with control. Anything that cuts down on the level of communication you have with the car is a problem in my book.
Guess it just boils down to how seriously you take it; you could say I take it too seriously (my wife does), but thats my problem and one I can more than live with.
Edited to ask what your like or dislike of NASCAR has to do with this subject?
- 398
Personally, it took me about 15 minutes to figure out how to get going and keep going with a manual car. But at that point, stalling was common, especially when starting off uphill. I would say that Neon Duke pointed out the most important thing about learning right here:
Personally, I found it really easy to drive when I found that spot on my car's clutch. But now that I've been driving for 2 years on this car, I still go fairly jerkily, especially in that shift from 1st to 2nd. But I think that this comes mainly from the fact that my truck is really light, so all the little unevennesses are emphasized. I've loaded up the truck with a few hundred pounds a few times, and it seems to drive a lot smoother. But as far as perfecting man. trans. goes; that would take a LONG time...
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- kolio123
Oh, what a beauty of a thread. Glad I used the search feature to find this bad boy.
It took me approximately 15 minute to effectively know and understand how it worked. On the other hand, it took me about a month to be able to drive it consistently without jerking it when upshifting (AKA, dumping the clutch because I let it out too fast or too hard) and taking off without revving too high.
After about 4 months of driving manual, I was able to consistently upshift without using the clutch. It took me a lot longer to consistently be able to downshift without using the clutch. maybe about another 8 months with that.
I have been driving manual for about 3 years now and feel very comfortable in just about any situation I am in. Except when a car is right on my ass and I am stopped on a hill. That is scary for EVERBODY. I don't care who you are!
I still learn new things from day to day driving my manual. No way I have perfected it yet.
It took me approximately 15 minute to effectively know and understand how it worked. On the other hand, it took me about a month to be able to drive it consistently without jerking it when upshifting (AKA, dumping the clutch because I let it out too fast or too hard) and taking off without revving too high.
After about 4 months of driving manual, I was able to consistently upshift without using the clutch. It took me a lot longer to consistently be able to downshift without using the clutch. maybe about another 8 months with that.
I have been driving manual for about 3 years now and feel very comfortable in just about any situation I am in. Except when a car is right on my ass and I am stopped on a hill. That is scary for EVERBODY. I don't care who you are!
I still learn new things from day to day driving my manual. No way I have perfected it yet.
Find the bite, know the bite, love the bite, and finally kiss the bite. Hands down, best tip out there! 👍
- 2,833
- Colorado
- GTP_Cyborg
That's my situation. My dad tried to teach me, but he's the most impatient person in the world, so I got sick of being in the car with him and gave up. I'm good with everything but the initial launch, I just can't get the clutch/throttle movements smoothed out. I haven't had any solid time in a manual car since my dad's "training" though. My project car is manual, so once my engine's built I'm going to buy the car to put it in, finishing my 'schooling' on my own before I swap the engine.
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