I think that he was joking, that judging by statement number 5.

 

Using my left foot again was very awkward. The clutch was hard to get use to but after a couple hours of concentrated praticing it's like butter.

I reccommend getting use to using your left foot in synchro with your right foot. All those years of driving you're not really using your left leg. So a good way to train is when you're sitting there watching T.V., reading a book, and surfing the net, just practice lifting your left foot while gassing down your right foot. Move them in opposite directions and get use to applying your feet independently.

Clutch down/ foot off gas,
foot off clutch/ down on gas.

Do this very slowly until you're not thinking about it.

I agree you can't learn stick by reading about it but there are a few things you can do to make it easier. Get use to getting that left foot insync with your right foot until it's second nature.

Another thing is, don't think about it too hard...you'll start to panic. Just relax and if things go wrong start your car back up and go. Off the dealership the Z is mostly likely set at 3900 rpm on the shift light so if starts blinking at the corner of your eye get ready to shift up. Every other gear after that is butter.

good luck

 

the clutch is not a 100% travel thing.

you need only be concerned with being smooth for the .5" of travel that involves engaging the clutch. of course in that .5" you need to be PERFECTLY smooth.

 

My 1st mt car was my Z, not exactly the best clutch to learn on lol, but F*** it right? Have somebody at the dealership take you for a 'lesson', thats what they did for me. Just don't expect to drive it for 20min and be a hero, cause your gonna get to the point where your like 'Yes! I got it!' only to be dissapointed when you stall 10min later lol. Its a learning process, and for awhile your gonna realize its all about..

1.) ride the clutch alittle more @ first when starting from a stop

2.) if you feel its about to stall, push the clutch back in

3.) you don't need to put the clutch all the way to the floor when changing gears, just alittle depression and your good to go, keeps the shifting smoother I think.

4.) take it easy on the break-in process and get to know what your car likes to do (as far as RPMs and speed on gear changes/selection) ..and once the break-in is done, you should be well off enough to start to get into the Z alittle more.

5.) Be Careful. :-)

 

I bought a motorcycle without ever having ridden one. All i did was have the dealer drive it to my house where i had plenty of room to practice. I would reccomend trying to learn on a friends car or having someone else drive it home for you.

Good luck!

 

i think your crazy goin on to drive a z with 5 min exp.
find a manual car and practice on it till you get the hang of things and then go test drive the Z ,,, and even then u might stall...

 

My wife (both of us longtime MT drivers) says..."talk to your dad!" There's no way he should make the 6MT/5AT decision based on the drive home...

 

If you get as far as making the drive home, i think it;s too late for your pop to change his mind without loosing too much money trying to sell it back!

BUT, if all you are worrying about is getting it home, just start off in second gear and go all the way home in second (you can go up to 50 or so in second gear) And you can damn near come to a complete stop before pushing having to push the clutch in. If you crusie the speed limit, the lights should all be green for you...

 

where in jersey are you? what dealer? imo, this is the easiest way to learn:
1. clutch in
2. put it in 1st
3. slowly start releasing the clutch (no gas) untill you feel the car rolling forward, then push the clutch back down...and repeat it a few times so you can get an idea of where the clutch engages...then start practicing w/ the gas...start giving it a little gas when the car starts rolling, and keep giving it little by little as you let out the clutch, your naturally gonna want to let go of the clutch fast once the car start moving, but that's gonna lead to very bumpy, rough starts, you HAVE to remember to keep letting off the clutch slowly even as your giving it gas......don't forget to plan your route before you drive, if you get on any sort of incline your gonna panic and stall

 

 

that's ballsy...

just find the three nearest nissan dealerships to your house and go to each one on saturday and ask to test drive a MT 350z. tell them your dad is going to buy you one next week for your birthday and you're still deciding on which one to get. then go back on sunday and ask for another test drive...

that'll be six tries in a new 350z before you pick up your own car.

 

or what ya could do is pick the car up at a time at which the roads will be rather empty, and parking lots will be sorta empty....i know the nissan dealership near me is right by a big mall, so when i hopefully am picking up my 350z next year if i am not that great at driving standard i would try and pick it up early in the morning on like a monday, either have my dad drive it over to the mall parking lot for me or just drive it over there myself cause its such a short drive, then spend a while practicing starts and stops in the parking lot which would probably be rather empty....lol

 

wow, another MT newbie about to learn in a Z. There's 287 ponies behind that clutch that can make for a dangerous situation if not reined in properly.

Borrow a MT beater and spend 2-3 weeks practicing in all the conditions - stop and go traffic, hill stops and starts, starting on ice and snow on a hill, shifting into turns, ................. Your Dad and the new Z will thank you for it.

I've noticed a fair number of transmission problems with the '03's - is there a correlation?

 

Thanks for the tips guys

I will most likely get lessons before hand...and most likely I will be getting the Z in Spring when I can actually drive it...Until then I will find a class or something...all I need is like an hour...I'm sure I'll get the basics by the end of an hour.

Anyone know any good driving schools in central Jersey?

 

ok guys i just received my car today. since the dealer is close my salesman was nice enough to just drive it to my house. offered me another lesson (already had one in a maxima) but declined.

took it out a few times - i can start from a roll on flat pretty well - sometimes its a lil jumpy but im sure ill get it very soon.


as for hills, man i hate this part with a passion. whats a sure-fire technique to do this? i dont like using the parking break if that matters.

 

I suggest the parking brake since you're new to driving a manual transmission car, especially if you're on a hill that's steep. If you don't want to use the parking brake, then try heel and toeing. The heel of your right foot is on the gas, and the toe is on the brake. When you're ready to take off, let the clutch out slowly where you can feel it 'bite' - and then give it a little gas with your heel and slowly release your toe off the brake. This is going to take some practice, though. Good luck!

 

^ thanks a lot man. id practice but guess what? it just started snowing here. lol. were expecting like 8-12 inches - dont worry that car aint goin ANYWHERE.


as for starting on hills......the problem is upon releasing the break, i tend to hesitate on what to do which leads to the car rolling back. the starting on the hill scenario happened once already, i just threw on my hazards and told the guy in the back of me to go.

other then a little kick to my pride, it was uneventful. all i can say is damn, now i cant wait for the roads to be clear.

ps: this car is fuggin SICK.

 

Just use the parking brake. Once you have enough MT practice you will figure out how to slip the clutch and hold it in place. It's so much easier than trying to figure it out in the beginning.
I took my car to office buildings near me and practiced in their parking lots and for hills I used their loading ramps (backing in). Doing heel toe I'd usually spin the wheels a little and roll more. Need more practice still.
What durobred said is the way to learn. Go here for a the best tutorial I've ever seen: http://www.10w40.com/individual/100186.asp

Good luck. I had a friend drive it home and read that tutorial and off I went to a secluded spot. It's tough getting used to all the power though and having to think about shifting