manual driving advice/tips
08-31-2008, 01:43 AM
#21
your a mechanic and cant drive a stick? When I was turning wrenches that was kind of a pre-requisite for being able to work. I like the point, rev and dump method. That works if you want to buy tires all the time. I guess I just got lucky and learned to drive a stick at 14 in my dads truck.
Anyways a big open parking lot is key.
08-31-2008, 02:46 AM
#22
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don't worry about a thing. Just get that damn LS1 and drive it till you learn. Thats what I did. Bought the car and had my father drive it home then just kept practicing until I could drive it. The LS1 and T56 are tough so don't worry about a little grinding or abuse from learning.
08-31-2008, 03:18 AM
#23
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Hey man don't worry about it. I drove a standard truck a while several years before I got my m6 Trans Am. I pretty much forgot everything, but the T-56's are pretty forgiving. Just give it gas and SLOWLY let out the clutch until you feel it grab. After driving several standard vehicles the LS1 was much easier than I thought. Just take it on the streets when there's no traffic (what I did), and you should be ok.
08-31-2008, 06:32 AM
#24
ill tell you first hand that driving stick is actually really easy. im 18 also, i just learned how to drive stick.
i had driven it before on my dads truck a few times when i was like 12, so i had the basic idea. and i also used to have a dirt bike, and my dad would let me drive his harley a few years back, same idea but with your hands.
the only real "hard" part about stick is learning how to go from a stop, without shaking and killing it half the time. all the other gears just come along with it. anyone can push a clutch in and put it into a new gear, but rev matching and all that stuff comes later with practice.
all i did was drove it around my neighborhood for about an hour and i basically taught myself. i wasnt excellent, but at that point i could drive it on the road without killing it. you just have to learn the cars shift points and stuff and you'll be set man. PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE.
^^^yeah what he said up there, good luck on the hills. those are AWESOME.
i had driven it before on my dads truck a few times when i was like 12, so i had the basic idea. and i also used to have a dirt bike, and my dad would let me drive his harley a few years back, same idea but with your hands.
the only real "hard" part about stick is learning how to go from a stop, without shaking and killing it half the time. all the other gears just come along with it. anyone can push a clutch in and put it into a new gear, but rev matching and all that stuff comes later with practice.
all i did was drove it around my neighborhood for about an hour and i basically taught myself. i wasnt excellent, but at that point i could drive it on the road without killing it. you just have to learn the cars shift points and stuff and you'll be set man. PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE.
^^^yeah what he said up there, good luck on the hills. those are AWESOME.
08-31-2008, 08:18 AM
#25
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I learned about 22 yrs ago on a `79 024 Omni. I've driven Old Muscle cars with 4spds and blown 4 cylinders with 5spds, and I can tell you the LS1 T56 is a more forgiving combo. You can have ham hands and club feet and still drive one of these car fast and easily.
I've owned my LS1 DD since new and my technique was to always use as little throttle and as quick a clutch movement as possible to avoid excessive wear on the clutch disc. It has obviously worked for me cause i'm at 126K on the Original clutch with 300+ street runs and 30+ Track passes.
Like everything it takes Practice.
I've owned my LS1 DD since new and my technique was to always use as little throttle and as quick a clutch movement as possible to avoid excessive wear on the clutch disc. It has obviously worked for me cause i'm at 126K on the Original clutch with 300+ street runs and 30+ Track passes.
Like everything it takes Practice.
08-31-2008, 11:37 AM
#28
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I first learned to really drive a stick at UPS. I got so good at it I barked the tires with the UPS truck and they took it in and detuned it ( those bastards). I think the best thing is learning on a hill without people behind you because you really learn the engagment point. With UPS, they made us load the driveline with the parking brake on so there was 0 rollback. Very effective but can be alot of work. Load up the driveline slowly let down the parking brake and roll the foot on the accelerator as you roll it off the clutch. SIMPLE!
08-31-2008, 11:50 AM
#29
Know how I learned to drive a stick? I went to the ford house, told them I wanted to buy a mustang -- took it for a test drive and took it for an entire night....
That's how I learned to drive a stick -- Throw yourself in the fire on someone elses car
.
That's how I learned to drive a stick -- Throw yourself in the fire on someone elses car
.
08-31-2008, 12:26 PM
#30
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The way I teach my friends on mine is to see if they can hold the rpm's at 1.25k or so and try and release the clutch as slowly as they possibly can. Then they just do it until they get really smooth and consistant at it. This works for them and then they eventually tweek it a little and develop their own new styles and every one of them is perfect to this day. Now they bring it to the friction point right away and go from there. Hope this helps. Just get an open parking lot and try it out a lot!!
08-31-2008, 12:34 PM
#31
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yea that's what i've been hearing a lot, anywhere from 1.25k to 1.5k then just let the clutch out as slowly as possible, im hoping if i do that enough and practice at it and what not it'll just become second nature
08-31-2008, 06:28 PM
#34
yea well im 18 so my dad would be goin with me to take a look at it and he can drive a stick pretty well so he'd handle all that and as far as learning to drive the Z i'd either bring him along or my other buddy who is pretty much a stick pro
haha and i am big in automotive repair...but then again i've already installed headers and an adjustable master cylinder on my buddies '98 T/A and those werent easy...but i think a Z28 is worth it, and after all i do work a ford dealership with plenty of manual cars that im sure i can practice on
haha and i am big in automotive repair...but then again i've already installed headers and an adjustable master cylinder on my buddies '98 T/A and those werent easy...but i think a Z28 is worth it, and after all i do work a ford dealership with plenty of manual cars that im sure i can practice on
08-31-2008, 07:36 PM
#35
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everyone here is giving good advise, and let me tell ya, Ive owned 3 manuals and driven twice as many, and the ls1 t56 is the absolute easiest to drive. its very forgiving, and with a stock clutch it is really easy to drive with out any shake. about 1k-1.5.... id say thats just an estimate, you dont have to go with that, go with whats comfortable, and feather the gas, that makes it easier.
08-31-2008, 08:41 PM
#36
i agree with the experience, i just got my t/a last sun. and i was the same way nervous on killin it all the time, but u get use to it pretty easy the more you drive the better you get, m6 is def. more fun then an a4 though so no worrys just play it by ear
