And I sucked. I have to admit, I never really driven a 5spd before. I did a few times on a big truck, but I didn't do much other than park it.

Jamie(JAY25)let me drive his 5spd(stock clutch) for awhile. I stalled twice and grinded gears a few times. Sorry about that Jamie. And thinking I'm about to get myself a 5spd TTZ?

This suck, I thought I would do better.

 

Good Luck. I taught my 15 year-old cousin in about 30 minutes. He has a little trouble on slopes but otherwise he knows...

 

It aint too hard, just takes practice and a knowledge of how to use it really. Until today, I have never tried taking a 5speed and get going up a hill, but I had to move someones car at work, and I just got in and did it, no prob, 1st try. You just gotta KNOW what your doing, its more knowlege really I think then anything!

 

dont kill youself over it, it takes time to learn, some people are just luckier than others keep at it... when you learn you will never go back

 

the first couple of times are the hardest. I learned in an empty parking lot in about 5 minutes. It's easier to learn in a car with a tachometer where you can see the RPMs. Hills are a different story. First couple of weeks, I would go out of my way to avoid hills.

 

i always say.. best way to learn is to ride that clutch till you get comffy with it.. thats how i taught my female friend told her to ride that clutch and don't let off till the car was moving and you felt comfortable

 

you are one horny b@stard

 

it's true

It's not hard to learn, I learned when I didn't even have my license at like 15 or 16 on my friends Mustang. Then had minimal practice on other cars, then didn't drive stick for over a year, then got my vallet parking job and they made me learn 5 spd. It came back to me fast. I can drive it well if driving normally, if I try spirited shifting and quick shifts, I fock up sometimes and bog the car, realeasing the clutch just at the right point and giving it gas is kinda hard especially to make it all nice and smooth... This guy i work with is a pro though. Out of all the 5 speeds I've driven, I don't know why, but I actually liked a Honda Accord the most very nice. actually fun.
Like sprint said, ride the clutch, hehe, just get a hang of it.

 

i never even tounge kissed her

 

You know what Darren, you are an accet to society. You are a fresh encouragement to the kids of today that it IS cool to be a Sprintmax. To just say NO.

 

 

 

 

Not to be picky...buy you mispelled "asset" Also, if I'm going to learn to drive a 5spd, should I learn from a book or from someone who knows? Toss up? There's this hot girl at work that drives a stick Maybe she can teach me, if you know what I mean! Nothing sexier than a girl who drives a stick...nothing except a girl who likes to shoot guns....

 

nothing like a chick that drives a 5 speed, its best just to learn, i dont think a book could teach u

 

On the contrary. My friend had no idea how to drive stick and never did in his life before he got his '95 5spd. He taught himself through instructions and mastered it within the day.

 

i picked up driving a stick super easy, and no offense i think the maxima has the easiest of any car I've driven on a stock clutch - I actually drove both before i bought my automatic - and got the automatic b/c it had bose and leather and the 5spd felt like an automatic it was so easy haha - (dont worry 5spd boys, in the end it drove me crazy and I converted my car to 5spd).. now my friend with a prelude hahaha, I can drive his car easily - but it took him a month to learn how to drive it - he honestly made himself sick to his stomach over his own driving hahahha, he just couldnt get it. now he is great with it - I guess people learn different.. me, immediately. james, 31days. haha goodluck bro you'll pick it up in no time, ride that clutch (go ahead and make the bad habit early on)

 

I taught myself out a Logan Airport in an old S10 Pickup. Takes a little time so don't get frustrated. Even when I jump into a manual shift vehicle now, I'm not smooth with it.

 

Stick is EASY to learn but takes YEARS to master.

 

Very true!

 

 

since i refused to buy an automatic, I didn't know how to drive stick when i bought my car. It was a fun first day. But you'll regret not learning it.

 

my thoughts exactly! ...but she's gotta be hot.


Back on topic, I don't know how stiff the 4th Gen clutch is (should be same as mine) but cars with light clutches and smooth engagement are the best to learn on. The motion of letting out the clutch smoothly takes some practice, particularly with a stiff clutch that's not totally linear in its springiness.

Just takes some practice and some time for your leg muscles to adjust.

Example: I went from an old Accord with an ULTRA light clutch to my Max. It was kinda heavy at first (nowhere near as crazy heavy as some Preludes I've sat in tho), but my leg got used to it within a week. Then after I made the adjustment and driving the Max was no problemo, I had to drive the Accord again and the first time I stepped on it I was like, "Ohmygod!! The clutch is gone on this car!" Also took some getting used to again since the engagement points were pretty different.

Like I said, practice without any pressure. Feeling out the engagement point (how gradually the clutch starts grabbing) and getting used to where it is in the pedal travel are the most important things IMHO.

 

Thanks for the tips guys. Maybe Jamie will let me drive his car some more, he said he needs a new clutch anyway.


Does car rental places have manual tranny cars for rent? Most places I checked only have automatics. If I could find one that has it, I could rent one and play around with it until I get comfortable.

 

Rent a U-Haul truck, they are usualy 5spd .

 

If you know any one with a 96+ civic try and drive that, light clutch and a shifter than knows exactly where to go when ever u want to shift. Also if you mash the gass and pop the clutch you can get going with out stalling or having the ride the clutch. And if you ever get that uncontrolable jerking back and fourth after you let out the clutch when you shift in to 2nd or andother low gear step on the gass all the way it will make it go away. I knew how to drive stick before i got the max so i dont know if it does it. My first car/first stick 90 integra did it like a b!tch when I was learning.

 

there should be..
My brother had to rent a car many times for business trips and they always had sticks available.. My friends rented a Saturn stationwagon 5 spd and went for a roadtrip, but none of them ever drove stick before they made it out ok. What I was going to do, and might still do in the future.. is buy a beater car, like a late 80s Accord with high miles or something like that for like 400$-500$ to learn how to drive stick.. It's cheaper then renting a car for like 2 weeks, plus you can re-sell it again.. just put insurance on it and register it. stick in NYC is not really fun, I'm happy with the auto, but sometimes you get the urge to shift yourself

 

man driving a stick is hard for me...i used to work
at a carwash and would get to drive customers cars
and my co-workers would try to teach me how but i still
couldn't get it...i killed probably over ten cars before
my manager told me not to drive a stick ever again..but
i was able to pull out 2 sticks..an old celica and 4got
wat the other one was...i feel uncoordinated when sittin
in a car that has a stick

 

Found a 2 small slopes on the base for you to master here on the westbank, you must master take off from those little slopes and if you can take off without stalling on the slopes you are good, next thing go to sleep with the thought clutch 1st gear, clutch 2nd gear, clutch 3rd gear and so on.

I learned the hard way, I learned with a 5 ton truck full of Marines and dam nearly killed them because I had no clue what to do. And you guys complain about the harsh little clutch on a little car. Another thing we did going up hills was to race up the hill with our 5 speeds and while we are hauling azz we use to race and drop the handle down (it was very hard) to engage the front wheels and once on top of the hill ****** it up. It was fun if you didnt know how to do it good luck the truck will stall and your stuck on a steep hill with 3 curves and a big drop on the edge. But I know I mastered this already a long time ago. Like all these guys say is very fun. I dont worry about it anymore in traffic I can drive with my right hand and shift at the same time. But is on this friday for this lil project and we can go on the base for a couple of mins for round 2 POI period of instruction on how to drive a 5 speed.

 

i didn't really drive a stick much before i got my new car. i new how to but never really practiced much. it took me about 12 miles of Long Island Traffic to figure it out. now i'm very good i would say. i learn fast though. stick is the only way to go, and yes nothing turns me on more than a chick who can REALLY drive a stick.

 

that's sad

 

yes yes it is.

 

I know....i feel pitiful

 

Low torque cars like a Hondas really suck to learn how to drive a stick with. I learned on a 86 Accord and it took me good 6 hours over two weekends to learn. The problem is that Hondas rev up extremely quick and their clutch engagement is very high. It doesn't make for learning in my book. The easiest cars to learn to drive on? Big V8s with lots of torque. You really don't have to give them any gas to get going except on a hill. 1 week after learning how to drive my Accord, I drove my buddies 87 LX 5.0. I was 10X smoother driving that car. It was so easy even though the clutch was a bit heavy (I love heavy clutches though).


Dave

 

Well, it doesn't matter now that I'm keeping the car with its automagic tranny. If I want to learn, I could ask my dad to let me borrow one of his commercial trucks and learn. I drove the truck a few times before, but it's been so long since I drove it, so I guess I forgot how to. Oh well.

 

Now your keeping your car again? And I thought I could not make up my mind .

 

You and Russ inspired me.

 

I learned on a Miata...real easy car...also the Honda S2000 is a VERY easy car to shift...its the best part about the car.

Erik

 

We make a great team.

 

still torqueless bithces. i noticed it was much harder to learn to launch my friends integra because it's a little ***** car. the 2k2 is a torque monster and was much easier to launch. and my friend has an old stang and that was even easier.