Page 1 of 2

learning to drive a manual

Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 8:16 pm
by daufoi
Maybe a dumb question, but does anyone know if there schools or lessons anywhere to learn how to drive a manual? They would have to provide the car as well. Everyone that I know that knows how to drive a manual isn't willing to teach me and I would like to save a little money when I buy a new car. Thanks.

Re: learning to drive a manual

Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 8:55 pm
by theholycow
Save more money. Study here, then learn how while driving it home from buying it. :)

Re: learning to drive a manual

Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 11:40 pm
by ColJessip
Welcome to SS, I am the resident Porkchop.
Bemvindo a SS, eu sou o residente Porkchop.

what are you looking at

Re: learning to drive a manual

Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 12:33 am
by LHOswald
if you really want to drive stick, learn to double clutch. that makes you uber-cool like me and ritmusic

Re: learning to drive a manual

Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 9:15 am
by jomotopia
welcome to the site. :)

where are you located. we've had people ask this before and it seems to be hard to find a place to teach you manual in North America. IIRC someone did find a school and said it was practically useless.

it does help to have some experience in a stick before buying the car, but many people have learned on brand new cars they just bought. i would however recommend getting someone who knows how to drive stick to take it from the dealer to an empty parking lot for you to start getting the basics down before hitting the populated roads.

Re: learning to drive a manual

Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 1:52 pm
by RITmusic2k
Welcome to the site!

I'm one of the resident double-declutchers; having said that, it's always gonna be about basics first; you'd be surprised how much you can learn just from this site alone, by checking the FAQs (in my sig below) and asking the questions you still have.

Of course none of it means anything 'till you can put it into practice, so you will need to get access to a stickshift someplace... best of luck in your quest for knowledge and a car to which you may apply it!

Re: learning to drive a manual

Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 4:45 pm
by watkins
Welcome. I drive a Viggen

Re: learning to drive a manual

Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 5:54 pm
by LHOswald
watkins wrote:Welcome. I drive a Viggen
yeah, and he smells like shoe polish

Re: learning to drive a manual

Posted: Sat Jul 25, 2009 10:06 pm
by comingbackdown
LHOswald wrote:if you really want to drive stick, learn to double clutch. that makes you uber-cool like me and ritmusic
and me.

I would gain a basic understanding before you hop in a car.
If I hadn't done that, it wouldn't have been half as fun or easy. It helps to learn about how the drivetrain works, in some cases. That's how I finally understood some of what I was doing wrong on clutch release.

Re: learning to drive a manual

Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 2:23 pm
by LHOswald
indeed. when my dad was teaching me on his dakota, it was hard to know what i was supposed to do because i knew i was supposed to press the clutch in, put it in first, slowly let the clutch out as i give it gas and i would perform a launch. but i didn't know how the clutch worked, or how the gearbox worked, or why i had to give it gas as i let out the clutch and all that stupid crap.

as dumb as it sounds, i learned alot about how clutches work and manual gearboxes, from the internet.

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/transmission.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manual_transmission
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/clutch.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clutch

those are all the links i used to learn about everything and once i knew exactly how everything worked, it made more sense to me about how i was supposed to use it to my advantage.

good driving

Re: learning to drive a manual

Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 2:37 pm
by theholycow
It doesn't sound dumb at all. The interactive animations on those howstuffworks links are really great, I recommend everyone see/use them at least once...even if, like me, you knew most of this stuff before you started. :D

Re: learning to drive a manual

Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 3:20 pm
by ElectroGhandi
There is a school in my area but I've never been to it haha.

Also, welcome because I am the resident fundraiser.

Re: learning to drive a manual

Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 9:45 pm
by wannabe
LHOswald wrote:
watkins wrote:Welcome. I drive a Viggen
yeah, and he smells like shoe polish
where'd you get taht from? his gf would prolly say he smells good. i say he doesn't smell bad...

Re: learning to drive a manual

Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 10:49 pm
by LHOswald
it was just something random i said to him and from now on he smells like shoepolish to me. :D

Re: learning to drive a manual

Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2014 8:53 am
by tankinbeans
Welcome! Another double-clutcher here, and I will only repeat what others have said so read what you can, find a car to practice and enjoy. If you're worried about destroying a car, don't. They can take a good deal of abuse.

I learn a lot from his mooness and the others.