stick shift

I was just wondering what the best way to learn how to drive a stick
shift is.
Are there classes for this?

In article . com>,
says...
> I was just wondering what the best way to learn how to drive a stick
> shift is.
> Are there classes for this?
>
>
Not really. You can learn like the rest of us did, pay for a clutch.
The cheapest way to do this (and cheap is relative), is to by a 'station
car' with a standard transmission and destroy that one. Then you can
weight the cost of the clutch vs. the cost of the car. The funny thing
is, after 24 hours of destroying the clutch, you know how to drive s
stick. I don't know if this is the smell or the cost, but a single
destroyed clutch is all you need to learn how to drive stick.
BTW, it's worth it, driving will never be the same with an automatic
again.

On Aug 23, 5:23 pm, SwampYankee > wrote:
> In article . com>,
> says...> I was just wondering what the best way to learn how to drive a stick
> > shift is.
> > Are there classes for this?
>
> Not really. You can learn like the rest of us did, pay for a clutch.
> The cheapest way to do this (and cheap is relative), is to by a 'station
> car' with a standard transmission and destroy that one. Then you can
> weight the cost of the clutch vs. the cost of the car. The funny thing
> is, after 24 hours of destroying the clutch, you know how to drive s
> stick. I don't know if this is the smell or the cost, but a single
> destroyed clutch is all you need to learn how to drive stick.
> BTW, it's worth it, driving will never be the same with an automatic
> again.

If someone destroys a clutch learning to drive a stick, I don't want
that dumb ass on the road. 30 minutes in a parking lot should be more
than enough to learn to start from a stop and after that it is just a
bit of practice.

Harry K

On Aug 23, 7:53 pm, Harry K > wrote:
> On Aug 23, 5:23 pm, SwampYankee > wrote:
>
> > In article . com>,
> > says...> I was just wondering what the best way to learn how to drive a stick
> > > shift is.
> > > Are there classes for this?
>
> > Not really. You can learn like the rest of us did, pay for a clutch.
> > The cheapest way to do this (and cheap is relative), is to by a 'station
> > car' with a standard transmission and destroy that one. Then you can
> > weight the cost of the clutch vs. the cost of the car. The funny thing
> > is, after 24 hours of destroying the clutch, you know how to drive s
> > stick. I don't know if this is the smell or the cost, but a single
> > destroyed clutch is all you need to learn how to drive stick.
> > BTW, it's worth it, driving will never be the same with an automatic
> > again.
>
> If someone destroys a clutch learning to drive a stick, I don't want
> that dumb ass on the road. 30 minutes in a parking lot should be more
> than enough to learn to start from a stop and after that it is just a
> bit of practice.
>
> Harry K

If you can drive an automatic car, a drving school instructor should
get you going well with a clutch car in one lesson.

Go back after a months experience (with your own car) and he'll teach
your downshifting.

Where do you live? We might have some volunteers.

On Aug 24, 2:39 am, Studemania > wrote:
> On Aug 23, 7:53 pm, Harry K > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Aug 23, 5:23 pm, SwampYankee > wrote:
>
> > > In article . com>,
> > > says...> I was just wondering what the best way to learn how to drive a stick
> > > > shift is.
> > > > Are there classes for this?
>
> > > Not really. You can learn like the rest of us did, pay for a clutch.
> > > The cheapest way to do this (and cheap is relative), is to by a 'station
> > > car' with a standard transmission and destroy that one. Then you can
> > > weight the cost of the clutch vs. the cost of the car. The funny thing
> > > is, after 24 hours of destroying the clutch, you know how to drive s
> > > stick. I don't know if this is the smell or the cost, but a single
> > > destroyed clutch is all you need to learn how to drive stick.
> > > BTW, it's worth it, driving will never be the same with an automatic
> > > again.
>
> > If someone destroys a clutch learning to drive a stick, I don't want
> > that dumb ass on the road. 30 minutes in a parking lot should be more
> > than enough to learn to start from a stop and after that it is just a
> > bit of practice.
>
> > Harry K
>
> If you can drive an automatic car, a drving school instructor should
> get you going well with a clutch car in one lesson.
>
> Go back after a months experience (with your own car) and he'll teach
> your downshifting.
>
> Where do you live? We might have some volunteers.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I've taught 6 people that I can recall off the top of my head how to
drive stick. I'm sure the # is around 10 if I thought about it. The
fastest picked it up darn near immediately, and the slowest took less
than an hour. Anyone who can drive a stick well, has a little
patience and is willing to let you put a hint of wear on their clutch
can teach you on any given afternoon. Buy the post lesson cocktail,
lunch, or a rack of beer as a thank you and as compensation for the
extra wear on the instructors clutch.
If you can, learn in a pickup truck. They're easier for beginners,
and near impossible to stall. My truck (98 ranger 3.0L V6) is the
perfect learning vehicle. Friends learn free, acquaintances learn for
a drink and a sammich.

> wrote in message
ups.com...
> I was just wondering what the best way to learn how to drive a stick
> shift is.
> Are there classes for this?

Best way? Get in the vehicle and drive.

That's how I learned. Got a job driving a big ol' Mercedes straight box
truck. They hired me assuming that I knew A) how to drive a standard and B)
how to drive a big truck. I knew neither. Fortunately, they were very
patient with me and I learned fairly quickly - on the road. Talk about
hairy at times those first weeks, though - phew! (It was actually tougher
to get used to the size of the truck than it was learning the standard.) I
ended up driving that Mercedes for 5 years.

John B.