Just finished with the first lesson on how to drive a MT. He just got his temps a couple weeks ago, and has been learning on our auto Accord.

Thought it was time for him to try a REAL car!!

We took my Max to an empty parking lot and was teaching him how to start in first without using the accelerator. He did pretty well, for his first time. We did numerous starts and stops, as well as shifting to 2nd gear but he killed it a few times and got to 'bucking' a few times too.

While not the best for the tranny/engine, I'm figuring it wouldn't harm it too much. Am I correct? Anyone have any experience with this?? Any other ideas for teaching someone how to drive a stick?

 

with the down low torque and hp of hte max.. its kind hard for him to learn..

my brother was suppose to get my step mothers 89 Max as his first car and we told him no because it was too much power.. and now your son is driving a 2k2 6spd

 

The VQ has LOTS of low-end so if anything, learning how to drive stick on it might be easier. I had to learn how to drive stick on a 90 Camry 4-cyl 5spd. You just couldn't do a zero-throttle clutch out launch on that thing. Didn't have the low-end. So it was sorta difficult, but I got the hang of it pretty quickly

Download these "educational videos" for your son to watch. I'm sure he'll enjoy them

http://playground.sun.com/greg/

 

SteVTEC: Thanks for the link. I downloaded it a while ago...saw it in another thread...yup, it's good info.

 

SteVTEC: BTW, I think I'll wait a while to show him that video...someday, with enough experience, I'm sure he will be skilled enough to drive like that...Hell..maybe someday I'LL be able to drive like that!!

 

 

I'm assuming you've completed your break in on your max. If that's the case I'm sure your tranny and clutch would be fine. I'd bet that most people on the board are harder on their trany's then your son.

Your max would make a great manual car to help him learn on. Now for a first car I'd get a nice solid 4 banger. Perhaps a Civic, Sentra or something of the sort. I keep hearing about people buying their kids suv's. That's gotta be the worse car for a kid to have/learn to drive on. They just don't have enough experience to know how to corner them. The same goes for sporty cars. If it goes fast easy or hard it will go fast.

Have fun and good luck, I'm sure he'll pick it up in a matter of time.

Wizeguy

 

Maybe some reads would help

http://happytogether.com/318ti/notebook/shifting/

http://www.standardshift.com/faq.html

 

All broken in...3000 miles. Just want him to learn to drive a stick..the car that he'll be driving 99% of the time is my ten year old Accord..4 cyl., auto with 152,000 miles. He'll need to keep a 3.2 GPA and no tickets in order to retain his driving privleges.

I hate SUV's!! I'd never have one, let alone get one for my son!!

 

Thanks, ATt!!

 

http://www.nerocam.com/ManTrans.asp
http://www.whtc.com/shared/auto/tuto...earnstick.html
http://cssdrivertraining.com/manualprimer.htm
here are some more links.....

 

Glad I could help

 

Thanks, Terry...

Gotten any snow in Skokie, yet? Had a bit here in WI., but not enough to stick (thank god!!)

 

n/p as for the snow, still no snow, but it is very cold, high 30s, so thats bad......

 

I wasn't aware you could start in first without using the accelerator.

 

damn, i wish i got to learn stick in a M5, but i learned in a civic. meh

 

the clutch on the m5 probably cost more than the civic

 

i wish i learned on a maxima, year didnt matter. i learned on a suburban and a town car. but now i can drive anything short of an 18 wheeler. and my max has a similar if not worse turning radius to the suburban.

 

Yeah, that turning radius is a bit**, ain't it? Might be a great car to get really good at parallel parking, though??!!

 

yeah, ive been trying to parallel park with it, its a biatch but im doing it. normally where i live i never paralleled, but now where i live i do it a few times a week.

 

I learned to drive in a 1.9L 4 cyl Ford Escort. After we got a new clutch in it you could actually start off without using the accelerator. My dad just told me I was driving and I would learn on the way. I think I picked it up pretty easily, only stalled out a few times that first day, but I sure wish I had more instruction. Those M5 videos are really great. Sounds like your son is already getting the basics down, after that it's all about practice.

 

i learned to drive stick on a porsche boxter type S when i used to valet
the porsche is actually good to learn on cuz the clutch lets go rather high and therefore beginners wont stall as easily...learning when and how much to let go of the clutch and when to hit it down again is all u need to know really
too bad my max is an auto tho

 

i learned to drive stick on a porsche boxter type S when i used to valet
the porsche is actually good to learn on cuz the clutch lets go rather high and therefore beginners wont stall as easily...learning when and how much to let go of the clutch and when to hit it down again is all u need to know really, for beginners atleast
too bad my max is an auto tho

 

There's no one to teach me to drive stick My dad hasn't done it in 15+ years. I will end up going to a private driving school to learn it I guess. Well, I don't care how I learn because my 97-99 Maxima will not be an auto!

 

just do what my uncle did to my cousin and your son will learn to drive stick for sure:

go out of the country leaving him home alone with only a beat down 1990 manual tranny sentra with bald tires. Only way for my poor cousin to get to school 25 miles away was to learn and go, or get beat down by the old man when he got back.

chinese families.. gotta love em!

 

no one taught me...i just learned on my own with the max.
stalled twice on the way home, and it was clear sailing from there.

 

- I have a friend who works for the Skip Barber Racing School. The method he uses for students who haven't driven stick before is as follows:

1. Pull clutch pedal out until it starts to grab...
2. Hold the pedal at that point until the car has rolled a full ten feet...
3. After the car has rolled the full ten feet, add gas and pull the rest of the clutch pedal up.


- Basically, its important for them to get the hang of letting the clutch out in a controlled manner. The "ten feet" thing is all mental. The student will inevitably pull the clutch up earlier, but this lets the car gain some momentum and prevents stalling. My friend says that this is the most effective method that he has found. Give it a try and good luck.

 

I learned on a 84 accord. My dad took me to a mall sunday night, when they close early. No traffic to spook you when learning. The most important thing I thought was learning to start on a hill, so you dont roll back into the car behind you. Once you get the hang of that, its easy.

 

Only if you're good. We can do this in my son's Civic (very low torque engine, compared to my Max.)

You can shift without the clutch, too, if you're good.

 

I appreciate all your input. I printed a bunch of the links that were suggested, and my son was really into reading them.

We'll go out to that parking lot again this weekend for the 'second' lesson. If he's learned well enough, it's on to the streets!!

I'll welcome any more advice/tips/links/experiences etc......