Walt Longmire Posted August 13, 2018 Share Posted August 13, 2018 Some people have no business in the drivers seat of a vehicle with a stick. Some wiener in a sports car in front of me at a traffic light winds it up like he is going to launch but fails. Then when shifting into 2nd he almost comes to a stop. More revving and lurching. Same going into 3rd. I nearly ran over him with each shift. Maybe he stole it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackjack Posted August 13, 2018 Share Posted August 13, 2018 I think that's why they call a stick-shift the millennial anti-theft device, Walt. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwalchmai Posted August 13, 2018 Share Posted August 13, 2018 Come on, we all had to learn. I remember teaching my son. After finally making it around the block he looked over at me and asked "What's that smell?" I taught my 17 YO roommate in the AF. He bought a brand new Renault LeCar and had to drive it from the stealership back to base - about five miles. At one point I heard him mumbling under his breath as he approached a red light "Hail Mary, full of Grace..." I learned on a 52 Ford Fairlane with three on the tree. Those were some clutches. 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RenoF250 Posted August 13, 2018 Share Posted August 13, 2018 4 minutes ago, gwalchmai said: Come on, we all had to learn. I remember teaching my son. After finally making it around the block he looked over at me and asked "What's that smell?" I taught my 17 YO roommate in the AF. He bought a brand new Renault LeCar and had to drive it from the stealership back to base - about five miles. At one point I heard him mumbling under his breath as he approached a red light "Hail Mary, full of Grace..." I learned on a 52 Ford Fairlane with three on the tree. Those were some clutches. I learned by watching. I had the mechanics of shifting down by the time I got in the seat. Learning to steer straight took a couple miles. Perhaps the car was crap, clutch grabbing, engine no power etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minervadoe Posted August 13, 2018 Share Posted August 13, 2018 I taught my seventeen year old how to drive a stick this summer. He's finally ready to solo. He just doesn't know it yet. We have another lesson this afternoon. During the last one, I barely had to say anything. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwalchmai Posted August 13, 2018 Share Posted August 13, 2018 Some people get it really quick, some take a while. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTMac Posted August 13, 2018 Share Posted August 13, 2018 I spent a long time in my younger years trying to find an opportunity to learn to drive stick shift. After hearing "I don't want you burning up my clutch" from numerous other people, my first experience driving stick was on a Fox body Mustang with a clutch pedal that had to be pushed down to the floor so hard the seat back had broken on the left side. The only instruction I received was "rev it to xxxx and then let off the clutch and push the gas at the same time". It did not go well. I later drove another friend's Ford Ranger, and her instructions were about the same, minus the tachometer. After ages of trying, I got one good start and drove for four hours until I hit a stoplight and couldn't get it to go again. I was the butt of all jokes that night. That same trip, we met back up with my friend who had the Mustang. He'd repaired the clutch and the seat... And installed footwell lighting. I took one look at his feet as he took off and I instantly understood how to operate the clutch and what had been wrong with my friends' coaching. I hopped in his car the next morning, took right off, and I've been driving stick since. I teach anyone who wants to learn, because I want their experience to be better than mine. No one burns up my clutch learning, because I instruct them correctly. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Longmire Posted August 13, 2018 Author Share Posted August 13, 2018 39 minutes ago, RenoF250 said: I learned by watching. I had the mechanics of shifting down by the time I got in the seat. Learning to steer straight took a couple miles. Perhaps the car was crap, clutch grabbing, engine no power etc. I learned by sitting behind the school bus driver. Remember when school buses were manuals? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Longmire Posted August 13, 2018 Author Share Posted August 13, 2018 37 minutes ago, gwalchmai said: Some people get it really quick, some take a while. And some never get it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aomagrat Posted August 13, 2018 Share Posted August 13, 2018 I haven't owned a vehicle with an automatic transmission since 1979. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maccabeus Posted August 13, 2018 Share Posted August 13, 2018 42 minutes ago, gwalchmai said: Come on, we all had to learn... I remember my first real drive outside a parking lot or just around the neighborhood side streets. Needing to decelerate from 50ish mph with the right timing for the entrance to my neighborhood, downshifting through the gears, turning on the turn signal, and executing the actual turn seemed so overwhelming in that moment. Sounds ridiculous now to say it out loud, but I remember feeling like there was just WAY too many different things to do at the same time requiring exhausting levels of concentration. Ah, the joys of learning new things! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silentpoet Posted August 13, 2018 Share Posted August 13, 2018 One of the kids I was transporting today noticed when I tried to hit the clutch in the state car. It’s an automatic. My vehicles all have the correct number of pedals. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Longmire Posted August 13, 2018 Author Share Posted August 13, 2018 For the beginner. Use your left foot to shove the clutch to the floor. Move shifter lever to what you assume is 1st gear. Mash the throttle to the floor. Slip your left foot to the side allowing the clutch pedal to quickly pop up. Hold that right foot to the floor. At some point you may want to repeat some of the above as you shift to higher gears. Unless you accidently used reverse in the third step. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs.Cicero Posted August 13, 2018 Share Posted August 13, 2018 We will not be discussing the number of times I have hit the brake in my automatic Nissan pickup truck, after driving the Ford (which is a stick). It seems whatever the last car I drive determines my reflexes... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Longmire Posted August 13, 2018 Author Share Posted August 13, 2018 Ever just hold the throttle wide, stab the clutch, and speed shift? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RenoF250 Posted August 13, 2018 Share Posted August 13, 2018 Just now, Walt Longmire said: Ever just hold the throttle wide, stab the clutch, and speed shift? No but I have timed it and shifted without the clutch. My uncle does it all the time. I did not want the gearbox to take the abuse of my learning. Sometimes I can do it well others not so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Longmire Posted August 13, 2018 Author Share Posted August 13, 2018 I had a friend with a Rambler wagon which had the 6 banger (flathead IIRC) and a 3 on the tree. He was complaining it was impossible to even chirp the tires with it. I informed him I could smoke the hides with it. He wanted a lesson, so off we went to find a nice tarry section of blacktop. I crammed it in reverse, backed up wide open. Stabbed the brakes to stop the tires from turning so I could rip it down into 1st, then flooring it. the car was still going backwards with the revs all the way up in 1st. I thought we were making a nice 'candy cane' and the smoke started rolling up. I let off immediately. The smoke was from the Ramblers tiny little clutch. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Longmire Posted August 13, 2018 Author Share Posted August 13, 2018 3 minutes ago, RenoF250 said: No but I have timed it and shifted without the clutch. My uncle does it all the time. I did not want the gearbox to take the abuse of my learning. Sometimes I can do it well others not so much. I have a KW with an 18 speed. The only time I use the clutch is starting from a dead stop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janice6 Posted August 13, 2018 Share Posted August 13, 2018 1 hour ago, Walt Longmire said: Ever just hold the throttle wide, stab the clutch, and speed shift? Ya gott'a be quick! It's called Power shifting. My friend bought a cheap light Plymouth the year before the Road Runner came out. He had the same power train, and chintzy body to save weight. Anyway, he took it back to the dealer to complain that it simply didn't perform as expected. The salesman put him in the right side seat and fired it up in the lot, then power shifted all around the block for him. When he came back he said he learned how to shift! He said it really would stand up and roar now! A Mechanic I knew at the Ford dealer took a Shelby Mustang out and coated the street in front of the dealership with rubber power shifting it. The city politely requested that they stop doing that!...…………………….. Or else! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glockman97420 Posted August 14, 2018 Share Posted August 14, 2018 I taught my daughter to drive in an automatic, then bought her a manual and taught her to drive that. It was rough at first and she wanted to trade for an automatic equipped car. Once it clicked, she loved that car. It was unfortunately totaled when she was rear ended at a stop sign. She was physically ok though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black&TAN Posted August 14, 2018 Share Posted August 14, 2018 I was told that I'd "feel it in the seat of my pants" when it was time to let the clutch out... These days folks new to stick have it easier - soft clutches, rev matching... manual trannies that damn near shift themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janice6 Posted August 14, 2018 Share Posted August 14, 2018 Quote I took my drivers test in a 1946 Chrysler with Fluid Drive. I knew that the test included use of the clutch and shifting proficiency. The Chrysler Fluid Drive had three on the column, and a clutch pedal. However when shifting between second and third (IIRC) you didn't have to use the clutch, you could if you wanted to but it wasn't necessary, you could just pull the shifter into the next gear. Since I have always been a "little off", I spent half the drivers test using the clutch when shifting and the rest of the time I just ignored it. I was mildly upset when the inspector didn't say a word, but gave me high marks on use of clutch. I also found out that I could get in the car and drop it into first, then hit the starter and take off in gear. For normal driving I used the clutch very little. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Longmire Posted August 14, 2018 Author Share Posted August 14, 2018 Whip those puppies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Black Posted August 14, 2018 Share Posted August 14, 2018 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DWARREN123 Posted August 14, 2018 Share Posted August 14, 2018 Learned on a stick. I was 18 before I drove a slush box. Drove many manual trans in the military. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now