So how did everyone learn?? I want to learn but have not found a way to start learning. Im thinking of driving a stick benz at my uncle';s garage.....

 

Im thinking of practicing on a benz that is.... can't afford one

 

I learned through basically stealing my brothers car when he wasn't home. He attempted to teach me, but we were always at each others throats so it was impossible to learn. I took what I learned from him (ha!), and what I knew about driving manual, stole his keys and went out for a ride. I learned really fast that way. Then I just kept driving friends cars and perfecting and learning, until I got my own manual trans car. Now I will never have an auto again (as my only car at least).

If you can't do that, I suggest buying an old beater with manual tranny and teaching yourself, and/or taking a instructive course.

 

Well.. there are many ways to learn a stick.. I had the chance to learn from Uncle sam.. They put me in a "Duce & a Half" which for those of you that don't know is a 2 1/2 ton truck.. I must have stalled the engine 25 times before I got the thing to move an inch.. Once it was moving, it wasn't too bad.. until I had to stop.. They wanted me to run it thru the gears to slow down.. Only problem was the gears were not syncronized so you have to double clutch to get it to downshift.. What fun..

The best way to learn is to get a friend who has an older model and go out to a parking lot where there are no cars and let him show you.. I did this with my friends wife while I had my 1974 260Z back in the 1970's.. You really can't damage the car driving it this way..

Or you can always take a few lwssons from an Auto driving school.. My friends son did that and he mastered the stick in 4 lessons..

Whatever you do, learn BEFORE you get a new car.. Having the knowledge will make sure you don't make any mistakes or smash your new car..

Steve (k2we) Dobbs Ferry, NY 7511 miles since Sept 17th....

 

I learned how to drive a stick on my great grandmother's 68 Nova--it was a three speed with no power steering. (My dad also learned on this car--lol) Needless to say, after mastering something like that, it's a piece of cake getting into any newer car and just taking off.

Best way is just like Steve said--empty parking lot with lots of room. Basically it's just learning how to feel the clutch. Once you get that down, it's really easy.

 

A parking lot or a longish no through road is great to learn on. Once you understand the concept of changing gears, you realy only need to learn to take off in first as this is the most difficult thing to learn. 2nd / 3rd etc ar a breeze compared to first.

Try this:
On a flat stretch of road, place the lever in first keeping the clutch in. Do not at any stage use the gas pedal. Very slowly lift the clutch pedal and near the top of its travel, it will engage and slowly move the car foward. Once the car is moving forward, then add gas slowly. Now that you're moving, clutch change to 2nd / disengage clutch / add gas and so on. It's literally that easy if you don't get aggressive with the gas.

PS: Turn off the stereo, so you can hear the clutch take up in 1st as you release it.

Good luck

 

If you don't want to crash your Z...learn well...its not just learning...that is the easy part. But to actually be able to drive a stick without thinking takes a bit of practice.

You might think I am joking. But trust me you grind your gears you start focusing on shifting and you forget about the road and then BAM!!!!

 

I learned on my dad's 78 Jeep CJ5. 3 speed and no power steering. It also had a snow plow, so I spent my 1st 2 winters plowing driveways and parking lots and bought mystelf my on 87 Celica (5 speed manual) with the money. I have been driving a stick ever since and I wouldn't have it any other way. I also gave as many people lessons on driving stick as possible. Of course not with the Z, but with the old Celica, which had well over 200,000 when I got rid of it.
The best tip I have for driving stick is "don't panic"!! And find a beat up car to learn on. Don't abuse the Mercedes.

 

My Z is the first stick shift car, and I haven't done too terribly bad. I do tend to panic though when I get into traffic, therefore killing. So Ihave just been driving out on my road (out in the country with no traffic) and just trying to get the feel of the clutch a little bit better.

 

I started on my cousin's '97 Accord LX and that was a bit of a harsh start but at least it was something. He had swapped in an H22 engine imported from Japan and put in a racing clutch so it was far from smooth.

My first instinct when started to learn was trying to find the often alluded to "shift point." I don't even know how many times I would let the clutch fly out and depress the acceleration in hopes of catching this point and the car would start moving. Well, that never worked.

Second lesson from my cousin was to give it some gas and then release the clutch. Again, first novice instinct is to lay down on the pedal and watch the rpm's sky rocket and then releasing the clutch in a jerk. The car either died or it jerked around. Usually this was followed by a bad burning smell from the engine with super heated headers since the gases had no where to go.

Third lesson, the one that actually takes you to the point of moving the car. Shift into gear, keep on the brake, and slowly let out the clutch until you could feel the engine shake a little, or the car. Then slowly press the clutch back in a little. Next give it a little gas, about 1,000 rpm's or so and slowly let out the clutch as you apply the gas.

Once my left foot/leg got used to the height of this "point" then I was able to: clutch, shift gear, move clutch out a little, apply gas, move clutch out slowly.

So you learn that you control the car via the clutch, as opposed the auto where you were doing it with the gas.

It took a few turns around the block but I've got it down now.

Also during my learning I was panicing mostly in deciding when to down shift gears. Or mostly, if the car in front is slowing to an almost stop, what should I do? I usually at this point now watch until the car hits around the 20's mph and then downshift to second. I'll let it coast but then if they're still moving slowly I put the clutch in and and give it just enough gas. Modulate the speed with the clutch.

It's not good for the clutch, but when you have stop and go or just plain uber slow traffic I haven't learned anything better.

Hope this helps.

 

I learned on my brother's Nissan Pulsar that he once had (and HATED! LoL) while I was in high school

There was a LOT of jerking and stalling going on LoL. I almost ran a stop sign once because I was more concerned about clutching and down-shifting than braking. But I finally got the hang of it.

My last vehicle (2000 Frontier) was an auto, but that was not by choice. So whenever I went home during breaks, I always got in my dad's 80's Nissan pickup so that I wouldnt get rusty with driving a standard shift.

I made a vow that my next car was definately going to be a stick shift. I couldnt let myself down

 

My dad taught me but...I rode a motorcyle first.
It's incomprehensible that one would buy a new 350z manual trans and not know how to drive it on only have just learnedwith a couple of hours on a "beater"No wonder there are threads where people are on their 3rd transmission...
I think you need to drive a standard for at least 3,000 miles b4 it becomes"automatic"

 

Thanks for all the help guys! I think I am more confident now....I will probably practice at my uncle's parking lot.

 

very true
i just learn how to drive a stick on this car too and the skill is already begin to morph into me~

 

my Z is my first stick...my tip is taking it out late at nite to practice...and doing some exercises on steep hills has helped me...being able to control the car up and down the hill with just the clutch n gas...etc