You guys are probably going to make fun of me haha

I just got my Z about 2 weeks ago, and learning to drive it is ruthless.
I'm seventeen, and this is my first manual transmission car, so naturally I am not so great. I first started learning on my mom's '89 300zx and I drove that pretty well.
However, with my Z I still stall at red lights on flat ground, screech the tires when starting off on a hill, and still even jerk a bit when shifting up.

I just want to be able to drive my Z and not worrying about the guy behind me accidentally hitting me when I stall because he gets SO FREAKIN' CLOSE.

All in time I suppose..

 

lol its alright man. im gettin it down on my Z too. shes very forgiving. =)

 

Practice makes perfect man. Drive up ur driveway and try movin on 2nd gear.

 

I'm not a man! haha

But thanks!!

 

Get on an empty residential street or parking lot and try getting the car going with just the clutch, no gas. That's the best way to get a good feel for the clutch engagement point. Once you've got that you'll be alright.

 

practice, and if you cant get it tell your mom to trade it in for an auto.

 

when all else fails, just ride the clutch a little longer so you dont stall

and man is the tranny forgiving...when i read ppl saying that i didnt really understand until the first few days i was learning where the car wouldnt decide if it wanted to stall or give me a chance to give her more gas....i was amazed

it may have messed up my clutch, but it really helped learning stick while being able to drive it around since i didnt really have time to just practice all day or whatever...but the whole shifting smoothly thing....its still taking me a while

gl in your experience...and dont trade it in for an auto -_-

 

No worries. If you don't get it even after a while, don't be frustrated. Keep going. I've found the Z to be the toughest car to drive compared to my other cars. It is not as forgiving as say a Honda, or a 91 Toyota Supra. But once you can drive the Z well, those other cars are a piece of cake.

 

This car is pretty easy to learn on. I learned on a wrx it was PITA compared to the Z. It was sooo much easier to stall.

When I first got my Z though the first day I was screeching the tires, because I was used to giving it more gas.

 

40ozfreedom thats a great cd....

 

x2

 

Every car is different so you gotta practice, practice, practice. I had my first manual transmission car about 9 years ago, when i was 19. Every car I've had since then (99 Civic Si, 00 Celi GTS, 92 MR2-T, 00 Sentra, another 00 Celi) has been a manual. This makes me no expert, though. I just picked up my Z yesterday and I'm still getting used to it. Although I haven't stalled it, my shifts are still not as smooth as when I drove my celica. So again, you just need time behind the wheel...

 

+1

 

if ur really scared bout hitting someone us the ebrake until u feel the car grab while letting go of the clutch and giving a lil gas. than when u feel the tug let go. this will help till u get better. i wouldnt suggest doing this a lot.

 

Go drive until your tank is empty

 

Great post. In a couple of thousand miles you will be shifting like a pro. Practice makes perfect.

 

X3.
In a flat lot, play with the clutch w/o using the gas. Its how I got good. You can get the car moving in 1st 2nd and 3rd (dont recommend it).
I learned on my dads 89 Z, then got in my Z and for 5 min at the dealership couldn't find reverse... haha, I remember I Stalled a whole bunch when I first started. Now I can manage to stall and recover the car.
You will get it.

 

Reading your post, I think all of your problems could be caused by letting the clutch up too fast. Find that engagement point by practicing in a parking lot without using the gas like others have suggested. Once you have a good feel for that, when you start or shift, bring the clutch up to that engagement point, then smoothly/gradually up the rest of the way as you start to give it gas.

In MSF class, the instructor called it spending more time in 'the friction zone'.

 

And don't feel bad about stalling, either. I've been driving stick for almost 10 years now, owned my Z since March, and I stalled on Saturday at a light. It happens. Just fire the car back up and take off. People will wait. Good luck!