Its starting to become second nature.

[Nermin///M3]

Sup guys,

I have been driving manual now for over a month now. We recently got some snow in Chicago and i did not wanted to drive my M3, i don't have the winter tires on the car. I opted for my dads Van instead. Its got automatic transmission. Now i have not been driving the van so when i got in the car, i put my left foot on the break thinking its a clutch and my right foot on the gas.

I was like well it feels add and then realized well these cars don't come with 3rd pedal. I am used to just get in the car and press clutch when starting so i don't even think about it. After driving the Van around i really miss my car. So on Saturday we finally got some Sunny day and snow melted off.

Guys i am a convert, i will never buy automatic car for myself as long as i can shift the gears myself.

BTW. I was in Bahamas last week, weather was beautiful down there. When i landed in Chicago We got hit with snow, what a depressing return.

Nermin

[AHTOXA]

It sounds like you are making very good progress! Now, I want to caution you, that while you are learning, there will be periods of time when you will feel like your shifting skills are regressing rather than progressing and it will seem like you've been doing worse. From the discussions that we've had here over the years and my own experience, I figure it's very normal.

One can drive a manual with fuctionality to reliably get to places within minutes or hours after getting behind a manual for the first time. Within the first few months the most progress is made and the learning curve is the steepest, where a lot of progress will be made over a fairly short amount of time. The key, however is consistency. While everyone stalls once in a while, what I'm talking about is being able to shift accurately no matter the traffic condition, your mood or physical state. For most, this takes thousands of miles. Depending on how many miles one drives a year, it may take a year to get to the consistency level where you don't have "off" days anymore.

[Rope-Pusher]

^ Tony - hate to say this, "But that's where you'd be wrong!"

I haven't had "One of those off days" since I fingered-out what causes them. (In that respect, it's like having children).

[bk7794]

It sounds like you are making very good progress! Now, I want to caution you, that while you are learning, there will be periods of time when you will feel like your shifting skills are regressing rather than progressing and it will seem like you've been doing worse. From the discussions that we've had here over the years and my own experience, I figure it's very normal.

One can drive a manual with fuctionality to reliably get to places within minutes or hours after getting behind a manual for the first time. Within the first few months the most progress is made and the learning curve is the steepest, where a lot of progress will be made over a fairly short amount of time. The key, however is consistency. While everyone stalls once in a while, what I'm talking about is being able to shift accurately no matter the traffic condition, your mood or physical state. For most, this takes thousands of miles. Depending on how many miles one drives a year, it may take a year to get to the consistency level where you don't have "off" days anymore.

People have off days though...right?

I feel like in the rain my car performs worse. Like my clutch seems to have a higher grabbing power (lack of better words).

[AHTOXA]

I don't remember having any off days in quite a while either, but in order to get to that point, it takes some time to "finger out" what causes them. Generally that doesn't happen withing a month or two.

[Shadow]

I have a friend who purchased a G35 coupe brand new in 2003. It is the only car he owns, so he drives it every day. Even now, he is always complaining about having "bad days" when driving his car. He tells me that something as simple as wearing different shoes completely messes up the way his clutch feels and the way he shifts his car.

Is he nuts or do other people feel the same way? He asked me, and I told him that I can wear sneakers, dress shoes, work boots or whatever and it doesn't make a difference at all in the way the car feels to me or the way I shift.

[AHTOXA]

I had that when I was learning. I believe it affected me most severely for the first 5k miles or so.

Now I could probably wear wooden elf shoes and be alright.

[Rope-Pusher]

^Tony, Tony, Tony,......the rest of call them "Being hung-over". Lay off the Pepe and the "Off Days" go away.

[AHTOXA]

Ole!

[bk7794]

I have a friend who purchased a G35 coupe brand new in 2003. It is the only car he owns, so he drives it every day. Even now, he is always complaining about having "bad days" when driving his car. He tells me that something as simple as wearing different shoes completely messes up the way his clutch feels and the way he shifts his car.

Is he nuts or do other people feel the same way? He asked me, and I told him that I can wear sneakers, dress shoes, work boots or whatever and it doesn't make a difference at all in the way the car feels to me or the way I shift.

Yeah I have two different shoes...they both are the same model shoes but just different colors. I can drive consistently in one, but the other I feel like I can't. After a while I begin to get used to it.

I had that when I was learning. I believe it affected me most severely for the first 5k miles or so.

Now I could probably wear wooden elf shoes and be alright.

I have been driving my car for almost 18k miles I still get that.

[Rope-Pusher]

I have been driving my car for almost 18k miles I still get that.

For DOG's sake, pull over to the side of the road and take a break already!

[AHTOXA]

Is there a relation with those that suffer from switching shoes and only having driven limited number of manual cars? Maybe this is the case with Shadow's friend as well.

There were occasions where I've owned multiple manual cars at the same time and I'd switch out driving them daily or weekly. Perhaps owning a variety of diffent-feeling clutches and cars overall contributes to learning to adjust to a different clutch feedback, be it a different clutch or just wearing a different pair of shoes.

[Shadow]

Yeah I have two different shoes...they both are the same model shoes but just different colors. I can drive consistently in one, but the other I feel like I can't. After a while I begin to get used to it.

Seriously? Or are you kidding us?

[Nermin///M3]

I think consistency is the key word here. I by no means am an expert, i still consider myself a beginner. However i think that i have made a lot of progress in the last month, i don't stall my car as much and, i getting a good feel for what a good gear shift should be, i am not nervous taking of on inclines etc. The first gear consistency is what i am focusing just to have that smooth start and find the balance where the car is happy.

For me its the cold that effects my driving. If my feet are cold in the morning its hard to feel the clutch sometimes.

[bk7794]

Yeah I have two different shoes...they both are the same model shoes but just different colors. I can drive consistently in one, but the other I feel like I can't. After a while I begin to get used to it.

Seriously? Or are you kidding us?

I am serious. I mean one pair is really worn out compared to the other one. It may also be that way because I wear the black ones (the problematic pair) really early in the morning due to the dress code at my school..So that could also be it..

I just find it hard to get consistency sometimes...I don't stall it usually.