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pizzawednesday
Junior Standardshifter
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2009 9:35 pm

hey everybody

Post by pizzawednesday »

Hey everyone. I found the forum a few days ago and I've been doing a lot of reading here so I thought I might as well make an account. Got my first stick shift a couple weeks ago. It's a 01 Volkswagen Passat GLX. Nothing too sporty but i'm happy just to have the manual. I grew up on a farm so i had the clutch basics from driving tractors and old farm trucks but i'm kinda teaching myself from there on and I'm still quite the rookie. Nothing I didn't expect, my upshifts in low gears are kinda rough still but I'm getting used to rev match downshifting. Looking forward to experimenting with double clutching sometime soon. Thanks for all the advice, reading other posts has been really helpful.
LHOswald
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Re: hey everybody

Post by LHOswald »

welcome to the forum, im the resident double clutcher

if your upshifts are rough just let the clutch out smoother and as your letting the clutch out add some gas. if that doesn't work then powershifting is the way to go.
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theholycow
Master Standardshifter
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Re: hey everybody

Post by theholycow »

Welcome. I'm the resident divine/perforated bovine.

For your slow upshifts, here's your choices:
- Smooth it with the clutch as suggested above
- Shift slower / wait longer for the RPM to fall
- Shift at lower RPM so there's not enough torque to feel the shock so badly
1980 Buick LeSabre 4.1L 5MT

Put your car in your sig!

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watkins wrote:Humans have rear-biased AWD. Cows have 4WD
pizzawednesday
Junior Standardshifter
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2009 9:35 pm

Re: hey everybody

Post by pizzawednesday »

Thanks for the advice. I think I need some of both things of advice. Sometimes the car kinda jerks me forward like I needed more gas and other times it just stutters a little like I should have just been easier with the clutch. Is it "bad" to smooth out the 1 to 2 and 2 to 3 shift? Is that how you all drive or can you just clutch right in and out like 4 to 5? Thanks again for the help.

Oh I guess I have one more question. When I come up to a corner and I know I have to stop I'll rev match into 4th and the ride fourth until I almost stall and sometimes shift into third and ride that till I almost stall and only use neutral for a sec. Seems to be working alright but what about corners where I just need to turn but not stop. I've been rev matching all the way down to 3rd or 2nd, one gear at a time, depending on how fast I can take the corner. Is that right because my feet kinda go all over the place between braking, blipping the throttle, and clutching. It feels cool but seems like it takes me a while to do; like if I was behind me I'd be thinking "why is this guy taking so long to slow down for this corner". Is that how you all drive? assuming you don't heel and toe which I don't think I'm going to attempt for a little while. Thanks,
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theholycow
Master Standardshifter
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Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2008 1:36 pm
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Re: hey everybody

Post by theholycow »

I think most people smooth the 1->2 and 2->3 shift with the clutch or wait for the RPM to drop (and then rev match if it dropped too far). I prefer to shift so low that I enter 2 or 3 almost at idle.

I don't bother downshifting just for the sake of always being in gear. I brake/coast in neutral while approaching a stop. For turns I usually just leave it in 5th, but if I need to slow too much I just downshift to whatever gear I'm going to need (maybe after braking/coasting in neutral).
1980 Buick LeSabre 4.1L 5MT

Put your car in your sig!

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watkins wrote:Humans have rear-biased AWD. Cows have 4WD
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jomotopia
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Re: hey everybody

Post by jomotopia »

welcome to the site. :)

it's fine to smooth out your upshifts with the clutch. that's what the clutch is for. as long as you're not feeding power through it while you're letting it out you're fine.

for the turns, you don't have to downshift sequentially. you can skip straight to the gear you need, right before you make the turn. brake to turn speed a little early, let off the brakes, downshift from 5th to 3rd or 5th to 2nd or whatever you need. although i found i didn't really like this because it required me to finish braking earlier than i liked in order to rev match the downshift, so i heel-toe.
2013 Subaru Impreza WRX in Orange
watkins
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Re: hey everybody

Post by watkins »

Welcome! I am the resident Viggen driver.

One of two, actually, which makes this a particularly awesome forum, since all good forums have a Viggen driver
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RITmusic2k
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Re: hey everybody

Post by RITmusic2k »

And on that note it's time to make my entrance :wink:

Welcome welcome! Congratulations on the car (I demand pictures IMMEDIATELY); it's always great to see somebody enthusiastically pursuing the skills and drills required to improve their technique... that it increases driving enjoyment is a delicious bit of icing on the cake. Also, I still demand pictures IMMEDIATELY.
ElectroGhandi
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Re: hey everybody

Post by ElectroGhandi »

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I'm the resident Uglydoll.
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94Corolla5Speed
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Re: hey everybody

Post by 94Corolla5Speed »

Welcome to SS! I'm the resident Volkswagen and Miata fan! Post up pics of that fine B5 Passat!
watkins
Master Standardshifter
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Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2007 12:42 am
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Re: hey everybody

Post by watkins »

ElectroGhandi wrote: I'm the resident Ugly motherf*cker.
Dont be so hard on yourself, you arent completely repulsive.

Well, maybe
94Corolla5Speed
Master Standardshifter
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Re: hey everybody

Post by 94Corolla5Speed »

watkins wrote:
ElectroGhandi wrote: I'm the resident Ugly motherf*cker.
Dont be so hard on yourself, you arent completely repulsive.

Well, maybe
You know what's funny? You two look a lot alike.
watkins
Master Standardshifter
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Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2007 12:42 am
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Re: hey everybody

Post by watkins »

Except Im more capable of beard-growth, which is a sign of manliness, and Im obviously far sexier.
94Corolla5Speed
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Re: hey everybody

Post by 94Corolla5Speed »

watkins wrote:Except Im more capable of man-growth, which is a sign of beardliness, and Im obviously sex furrier.
Last edited by 94Corolla5Speed on Mon Aug 31, 2009 9:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
ElectroGhandi
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Re: hey everybody

Post by ElectroGhandi »

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VS.

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