Hey Guys I am new to the forum and will be an official Z owner next week. I'm picking up my 06 Touring w/navigation next Wednesday. The color is Interlagos Fire...Its gourgeous I can't wait to drive it...well thats my problem...Right now I am driving an 05 Murano SL but woke up one morning and decided that I am 25 and have no need for the Murano, I should be driving a Z! Well I have never driven Manual...I have gotten a lesson from a friend and had a little trouble with the clutch but overall I wasnt horrible...I've read online instructions and have gotten some advice from people I know that drive stick...I'm a little nervous because I have read on some forums that inexperienced drivers have trouble controlling a Z...Well I am not inexperienced driving automatic, just don't have much experience with a manual. The solution would have been to get an auto, but I would never ruin the experience of driving a sports car with an auto transmission.
Anyways What I am asking is for any advice for driving a manual transmission, specifically the 6 speed manual 350z transmission. I know that I have to limit myself and drive carefully and slow until I am comfortable with the car...any other help you can give me I appreciate...And I am not changing my mind The Z will be mine Wednesday! Can't Wait...I'll post pictures when I have it..

 

Know your engagement point of the clutch, it will sneak up on you. You will either stall it or squeal the tires.

Drive with your toes, feather the gas with your toe less likely to bunny hop and you can control the throttle better

Get your clutch leg worked out, if you've never driven a clutch or a car that has diffrent angles; your hip and upper quad will cramp. It's just your not use to it.

Get use to the handling and where your car is. The nose is blind past a certain point. Also know you the limits of the cars traction, you can easly over steer if you get to froggy with the gas.

dont get distracted by the bells and whistles. The car demands your attention, listen to it it will tell you what its intentions are: up comming stall, shifting, and when you are about to over steer.

Take it slow and get use to it. You go all out the first week you'll ba another statistic: 20 something buys new sports car because he likes it. cant handel it. crash it. never touch a sports car again. Got 4 friends that are that way, they wouldnt even ride in my SE-R Spec V.

Hope this helps some. There are definately more advanced driving tips but A) your not ready B) I'm not a road racer yet, only 1/4 mile in my past.

 

Thanks Alot! it does help...I am actually thinking about having my car towed home because the dealership is about 100 miles away and I'm not comfortable driving that kind of distance yet...I had an 03 SER before my Murano, and I loved it, it just wan't a SPEC V and I always regretted not getting that model...The regular SER was nice but the SPEC V had many distinctions that made it the better choice...The reason for not getting it was the same as with my Z I couldnt drive stick...but thats why I just said the hell with it and decided I have to learn sooner or later...Thank Again..

 

My Spec V was great I just wanted to move up in the world or buy a sports bike. I figured my life expectancy was greater in a car than a bike.

 

let your dad/whomever else you trust like that drive it home?

 

+1 100 miles is an expensive tow.

 

A little tip in case the MT you practiced on wasn't a 6spd: With a 6spd, the **** has to be pushed down a little while shifting into reverse...otherwise it would shift into 6th.

Also, with your level of comfort with an MT, it is a good thing that you are getting a Z. Its transmission is quite forgiving and you will be less prone to stalling it.

Above all, congrats!

 

practive on leveled grounds.... never practice on hills until you go the leveled grounds down cold.

 

Here is a tip.

If a member by the Name of "Bee Ess Pee" trys to give you any tips IGNORE THEM! you will drive worst and fukk up your car.

 

I'm amazed you can get a driving license in an auto then drive a manual, they are so different to drive.

 

Dont worry about the drive, its only hard going from a stop without jerking too much at first, the rest of the shifting is not as important as long as you barely feather the gas. Just drive it yourself to gain some experience and add 100miles to your break-in period.

 

Delphino,

I understand where you are coming from. There have been similiar posts. A recent one (https://my350z.com/forum/2003-2009-nissan-350z/177879-auto-or-stick.html) is something you should take a good look at.

As far as my personal experience with MT shifting issues (https://my350z.com/forum/2003-2009-nissan-350z/175647-still-noobish-with-my-manual-transmission.html)


I have some questions for you.
1. How strong is your desire to drive a MT?
2. Do you know the mechanics/basics of shifting in a MT?

If you got a strong desire and know the basics of shifting even if you don't have much experience in practice, then you should be alright going from the dealer lot. The longest I drove a MT constantly was for 15 minutes..the time to drive my car from the dealer to my work parking lot and this was exactly a month ago! Just shift slowly and slowly ease the clutch out. Keep the RPMs below 4k (meaning shift at 4K RPMs max) for the first 1400 miles. Spend at least an hour practicing in a safe flat area with the clutch. Then find elevated slopes to learn how to drive on an incline. INCLINES can be very intimidating! Anywho..hope this info helps. good luck...keep us posted on how it goes.

 

You know...this thread would make a good sticky. If people could just give advice/input on how to drive an MT...it would be great. I think so anyway.

 

Don't shift any higher the 3k, and the drive from the dealership shouldn't be bad considering it will probably be highway.

 

Hi Delpino,

I would recommend the following:

1) Get to the car lot early and pick your car up (daylight and no rush to get home...try to avoid rush hour times on the road)
2) Don't view the 100 miles as a landspeed record run :~)...once you leave the lot find the first LARGE parking lot on your right and stop off to catch your breath. Spend some time moving the car around the parking lot and get a comfortable feel for the proper mechanics required for smooth operation. People can explain this to you until they pass out...the only way to get comfortable is to actually do it.
3. A tip for inclines that was showed to me when I was learning to drive a MT.
When you bring the car to a stop on a hill (or anytime for that matter) your left foot is holding the clutch down and your right foot is holding the brake down. You can SLOWLY (<---I can not EMPHASIZE SLOWLY ENOUGH) let the clutch out until you feel the transmission start to engage (you will feel the car want to move forward)...at this point (the point when it is time to start moving forward again) you can simply move your right foot from the break gently onto the gas and the car will smoothly move forward (don't mash down on the gas). This keeps you from rolling backwards and eliminates the need to have perfect coordination between your clutch and gas feet.

Before you know it driving a MT will be old news...Enjoy!

 

deff. watch out for stopping on hills, i would go to a mall parking lot where there are hills on a sunday moring when there wont be cars and practice stopping and going on a hill, the way i got better was i learned how to feather the clutch ( where you can be on a hill and not moving but not have your foot on the brake), i think it helps you learn where the clutch will ingage, you have a foot on the clutch and gas and you try to balence it where your car isnt moving. i wouldnt do it all the time, just to try to learn where the clutch ingages.

 

Yes exactly, you don't want to do this too much, because that's how you fry a clutch out (by "riding" it).

Also you can try the e-brake trick. This is something I do when I teach people how to drive stick, and it's actually covered in some driving manuals, but once you are comfortable enough you won't use it. Here's how it works:

When stopped on a hill, depress the clutch and put the car in 1st. Now with your free right hand, pull up the e-brake (be sure to HOLD IN THE BUTTON so it doesn't lock on you, you want to be able to release it!). Now you can actually take your foot off the brake pedal and hold the car on the hill with the e-brake (be sure to pull the handle up hard enough to keep from rolling backward). This allows you to get your foot over to the gas pedal, and find the engagement point on the clutch without trying to do it so quickly. Now as you feed in the gas and release the clutch, you can slowly bring the e-brake handle down. You release the e-brake as you feel the car pulling forward a little, as you have provided enough clutch friction and engine power to overcome gravity; then continue to smoothly feed in your clutch and gas. You won't roll back, and you won't get so nervous and stall it because you tried to do it too fast.

good luck.

 

clutch in
put it in 1st gear
RPM -> 1500-2000
let clutch slowly out while giving it a little more gas as you roll

when **** hits the fan, put the clutch in FIRST THING.

 

https://my350z.com/forum/2003-2009-nissan-350z/178389-how-to-proper-heel-toe-in-a-350z-video.html
how to heel-toe

 

seriously, the guy is just learning to drive stick, heel-toe is the last thing he needs to worry about.