Howdy, it's the stick newbie again! I think I got it down now - thanks to the info I got from these boards. Someone had mentioned that the clutch felt like "two stages" - turns out that was my problem (it literally kicked my leg up at the friction point = stall). Now that that's under control, I have a few questions I hope I can get some feedback on:

1. The smell - Even though I'm now much better with the clutch, I still get a burning plastic smell after driving, but only from the front driver side wheel well???? I've read about the coatings, labels, etc. burning off - was this ever confirmed?

2. On the occasional bad shift, I get a weird rattling sound (like a rock in a coffee can) that seems to be coming from the rear, possibly axle/diff. Should this cause concern? Sorry for the lame question, it's my first stick and I have no clue what is normal or not.

3. I've read people having trouble with the 1-2 or 2-3 shift, but I find 3-4 very hard to get, feels like there's no gate there. Anyone else, or is it me (likely the latter)?

Thanks for any input. I'm not trying to be negative; this car is truly great, but I guess I'm a little paranoid about the second largest "investment" I've ever made!