practice. Your timing will get better. I shift smoothly about 60% of the time. I doubt i'll ever get above about 80% but that's life....and being human.

 

When i started learning on the z (z was my first stick shift), 1 to second was always smooth for me. I always had that jumping what you guys are describ ing from 2 to 3. Im getting pretty good on level ground.shifts are smooth most of the time but the hill starts are starting to annoy me. any tips on hill starts???

 

Hills are a *****. What I did when I first started out was use the handbrake. Engage it (make sure to hold in the button!!!!) and then give it a little gas a release the clutch. When you feel clutch start to engage, let off the handbrake. Once you do this a few times, you will start to get an understanding of how much gas, etc you need and then its all a matter of speed and practice! Now, reverse up a hill is a ***** haha.

 

You're granny shifting, not double-clutching like you should.

 

 

double clutch/heel-toe downshifting is a blast in the corners once you master it in the Z

 

The car needs gas in those gears to shift smoothly...Make sure you give it some gas as you let the clutch out into 2nd ...Gluck, it was a b!tch for majority of us...

 

man i know how you feel, i live on a hill....so when i first learned, my cousin brought me to another place with steeper hills, and was like ok, you practice here

i was like holy crap
hahaha

poor clutch the first few days =(

 

Put in a lightweight flywheel like I did and then have fun relearning the shifting it took forever to learn the first time, . Just keep practicing. I don't drive my Z as much any more because I have a much longer drive to work and don't want to put annoying stop and go miles on it and I feel like I butcher the poor clutch when I get back into it after not driving it for a while.

 

+1 when trying to take it to the redline and shift the other day, the RPM's jumped on me around 6k and hit the rev limiter. I felt like a fool when it bounced on the redline for a sec. >_>

 

i shift from first to second at 2k and all other gears at 2k most of the time. If im in heavy traffic and dont wanna slow people down ill go 2.5 other then that i drive her easy and never bump it one bit. No point in reving first gear to 4k every time pretty stupid if you ask me on the motor and the way gas is right now JMO though.

 

I know exactly what you mean. I owned a rsx type-s before. But when I got my z I had trouble coming out of 1st without the car either shaking or i let the clutch out to fast. I think im starting to get the hang of it now.

 

The only way to shift smooth from 1st to 2nd is

a) High RPM and then when you let the clutch out mash down on the gas
b) You gotta let the clutch out a little bit slower - it'll feel like you're riding it. That's the only way I can city drive normally.

 

I can't get it perfect every time either, but, hey its a sports car, not a greyhound bus, who needs to be perfect. Besides, if you have a hot girl with a big chest in the passenger seat, a rough 1st to second gear shift can be a plus

 

Try this little tip :

Let it out like you normally do than about an inch from completely letting off the clutch, hold for a half a second than release the rest.

It's hard to explain but I'll try to make a video.

Here'a another tip : "You gotta feel the car, be one with the car." - Ricky Bobby's Dad,

 

Is it me or does the 2nd gear feels like its harder to go in when you shift whenever its cold? (meaning the car hasn't warmed up yet). that's my only problem that I was wondering about.

 

Yeah same here, I kinda force it to go into second gear. I was wondering about that this morning.

 

Yes I think it is much harder to shift in the cold. My only logical explaination would be that the lubrication in the shifter may not be doing its job because the molecules are not as loose in the cold weather. But this only happens to me when its like 20 -30 degrees. May just be a mental thing too.


Who knows


Top gear did a test where it put a car in a freezer and the lubrication in the shifter froze. I think it was one of the first things to go, before electronics and such.

 

+1

I also have delt with the notchyness of 1-2. I only have the issue if I "take it easy". If I rev to 3k or higher it shifts just fine.

 

I recently bought a 2007 Z and I have the same exact problem. Any other car I drive I find it so easy. I just can't get it.