Help Learning to drive Manual (OH/NKY)

[itsonlygeorge]

I am looking for someone to teach me how to drive manual in the Cincinnati/NKY area. I am planning on purchasing a manual E30 (if I find one in decent shape) and I need to be able to test/drive manual. I've driven a manual a few times and know the theory and I can do it on a motorcycle just fine. The only person I know who has a manual car has a sports clutch that is sensitive and not a good car to learn on. Any help would be appreciated. I've called a few driving schools and they don't teach manual transmission, and there is no place to rent a manual car to use for practice. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am happy to buy dinner/beer or work something out.

Thanks!

[e30Villain]

I'd say just buy the car and learn to drive it yourself. It took me a day to be able to actually get from point A to point B, and took me a week or two to actually feel comfortable driving it. Its awkward at first but trust me, its better to teach yourself.

[jalopi]

IMO if you can balance a 250-900lb machine, get it going from a stop AND not drop it you sure as shit can do it sitting down in a car. It's the same thing, just gotta work the clutch pedal right. Trust me, if you're good on bikes you'll be fine :)

[Vivek]

Hold the throttle at 1500RPM and smoothly get off the clutch. If you're not used to shifting, practice clutching and shifting through the gears with the car off first. Holding it at 1500 won't hurt your clutch unless you do it every day, and you'll learn how to start off without revving it past 1000 quickly.

[itsonlygeorge]

I know the theory, and I've driven around the block a few times, but I still would like to learn proper from someone on a normal car. It's a lot harder to look at cars when you can't test drive yourself.

I know I can figure it out, and yes I am ok on a motorcycle, but I am by no means an expert. It's a different movement and feel on a motorcycle.

There's an 87 325e out in WV that I am going to look at, and that's a 3/5 hr drive from here and thats a long trip for a noob.

I am really hoping that someone in the area has a few hours and some patience to show me how to do it right.

[nickmcc92]

Hold gas until 1500 rpm and let off the clutch slowwwwllyy until it catches. Just repeat getting into 1st in an open parking lot. After you're in 1st its easy.

[ky0u]

I know the theory, and I've driven around the block a few times, but I still would like to learn proper from someone on a normal car. It's a lot harder to look at cars when you can't test drive yourself.

I know I can figure it out, and yes I am ok on a motorcycle, but I am by no means an expert. It's a different movement and feel on a motorcycle.

There's an 87 325e out in WV that I am going to look at, and that's a 3/5 hr drive from here and thats a long trip for a noob.

I am really hoping that someone in the area has a few hours and some patience to show me how to do it right.

IMO, theory is as far as someone else can teach you. Sure someone can tell you things like "let out the clutch slowly" or "shift now" etc but after that, it's all unique based on your own personal driving style, and the set up of the car you're in. I've driven manual 90% of the time i've been driving and I can shift pretty decently, but even then, it takes some getting used to moving from car to car.

Get the theory down to muscle memory and you'll be fine. Car stutters while letting clutch out? You've let it out to fast, Push it in slightly til it stabilizes then continue the release slower. Car seems to be bogging down after shifting? You probably shifted too early/in too high of a gear. Stuff like that. From there it's just adjusting to the different situations.

And yes it is different from a bike. Theory is the same, but experience is very different. Throttle is more responsive on a bike and the clutch has less travel which means less friction zone which requires quicker release.

Honestly, just don't think too much about it. Just kinda do whatever is comfortable for you and you'll figure it out

[itsonlygeorge]

Yes the point is I don't have a good car to practice with. I can't really show up to someones house, hop in their car that they are trying to sell and stall out in their driveway for half an hour.

[ky0u]

Yes the point is I don't have a good car to practice with. I can't really show up to someones house, hop in their car that they are trying to sell and stall out in their driveway for half an hour.

No friends with a manual car around?

[itsonlygeorge]

One has a 2002 Saab with bad synchros, the other has a Scion FRS thats touchy and has a sport clutch. I took that out the other day and stalled out.

[ky0u]

Stalling will happen. Don't let it discourage you. With a sport clutch, you have to rev higher. Stalling means you didnt give enough gas or you let out the clutch too quickly. If your friend doesn't mind you practicing in his car, I'd say that's your only option right now.

Maybe someone else can chime in if I'm wrong here but bad synchros are still shiftable, but you have to do the rev matching more precisely because there's nothing helping you. My friend's 2nd gear went out a while back and I was able to get in if I double clutched ...blahblah something something granny shifting I live my life a quarter mile up my butt

Either way, if you learn stick on either of those cars, you're gonna have a hell of an easier time driving a normal manual trans in good condition

[coldweatherblue]

man up and learn on the scion.

it's a new car. New cars are easy to drive. you can do this.

I don't think it has anything to do with the sport clutch. The key is to not freak out when the car starts moving forward. Find out where it catches, keep the clutch engaged but play with the point of engagement. find it, learn it by muscle memory (need ~10-15 times daily x 3 days if you're slow) give it gas as you release, BAM! you do it right like 5 times and congrats you have learned how to drive stick.

[itsonlygeorge]

It's not entirely my call... he may not let me stall it out an burn the clutch too much longer... that car is his baby.

[E30_Pare]

i'm pretty good at teach people how to drive manual. Some people just have a hard time picking it up.

[itsonlygeorge]

I've only gone out once last week, and once like 3 years ago. I can shift fine on a dirtbike or motorcycle, I picked that up in an afternoon.