cwazyboi

i searched the forums and didn't want to bring up dead and old threads, but i read in many posts that some people learned stick in the S and some people don't recommend it. i also read that the S has a harder to learn 1st gear even if you have learned on a different car.

now my question is that wouldn't it be easier to just learn everything on how to drive stick on the S, instead of learning on a different car but then still come back to learn some more. especially if the 1st gear is the hardest to learn, why not learn on the car that you will eventually have to learn.

if the clutch goes bad how much is it to replace on the S?


im not trying to start another argument like in other threads.


thanks in advance.

Doug1627

I learned how to drive in a 1988 ford F150. IMO I see no reason to not learn in an S, much easier to drive than the pickup truck was.

Clutch replacemnt all depends on what products you use and who installs it. I would estimate about a grand to get it replaced.

CKit

Clutch is kind of expensive to replace. But unless you're really silly, it shouldn't burn through the clutch.

IMHO, it's not hard to translate manual driving across cars. So it really doesn't matter what car you learn stick on.

I think my general recommendation is "not to have an S2000 as your first manual transmission car."

Have people done it successfully? Of course.

But that doesn't have much to do with the manual transmission as the sensitivity of the car to poor driving.

With this vehicle, if you drive like a noob... it could bite you in the ass. If you hesitate while the car is losing traction or if you "jerk" or upset the balance with crude shifting it could be you + guardrail =

If I was buying my kid a manual car, I'd start with something FWD (like an RSX-S) for a few years until reactions were second nature.

And also, IMHO, a lot of people think they're "awesome" drivers. Unless you can prove it on an Auto-X or track,

mav

I taught my wife how to drive stick in my S2000.

Learning in the S2000 can be fairly easy but I recommend learning the basics of driving stick in another car first. Why? If you're a newbie, the S2000 can bite you in the ass really hard, really fast. Find a car rental place that rents out stick cars, some exotic car rentals offer MINI Coopers in manual for a decent rate. Rent one out for the weekend and learn the basics, like getting out of 1st gear, shift points, etc.

Most important lesson - learn the clutch engagement point. Start the car up, don't put your right foot on the gas; leave it off the gas. SLOWLY (and I mean SLOWLY) lift your left foot off the clutch until you feel the car start moving. Repeat 10 to 20 times until you know where the engagement point is.

Next add the gas pedal to the mix. While SLOWLY lifting your left foot off the clutch, SLOWLY give the car a bit of gas. Repeat 25 times until comfortable.

This is the hardest part, the rest is cake.

rocrfella

Clutch was meant to be wore as you drive. Most people worry about wearing out the clutch that they don't realize the clutch was meant to be wore out and it takes a long time to wear out. For normal driving, and constant slipage from backing out of parking space it would last you atleast 100k miles, but if you abuse it by doing burnouts and aggressive launches and doing it worry it, it would have a short life. I would'nt worry too much about it. The S2000 doesn't have a harder to learn 1st than other cars. It's just the clutch that you need to get used to. I would recommend that you practice stickshift on the S2000. I had to adjust my driving style when I switched to the S2000 a couple of weeks ago.

deathsled

I had no problem hopping in the S when I got it and taking off right away. Haven't stalled it once in 30k miles. I think as long as you understand the fundamentals of driving manual you're good to go. It's not like this thing has a pressure plate for 500+ ft/lbs and a 6 puck disc.

Killship

I learned on an RX7 when I was 10, five years later I can shift the S flawlessly... Its better to learn first off, ON A HILL! This you will pat yourself on the back for later. Learn on another car first, then move to the S2000. In first gear you have a huge chance of barking the tires the first time (learned on a testdrive a year before I got the car).
Things to remember:
1). Treat the shifter (for lack of better words and the easiest to understand) like your... umm... Genitles... be very cautious of where you put it, dont force it, just let it slide...
2). There is a pattern with which way to push/pull.
This is a layout of the cars gearbox. With 2 to 3, the stick tends to retreat to the middle of the layout.

.......1.........3.........5
(Pull)|(Slide)|(Push)|-----
.......2.........4.........6......R

3). Make sure when you are downin from any gears to the right (i.e 5&6) that you are 100% sure they are in the right slot...
4). When you are downshifting, you can skip gears. You do not skip gears upshifting on the otherhand, unless you have a vette or somthing with an electronic sensor telling you to so your engine doesnt screw the clutch.

Killship

Hope that answered ur question.

GPWhiteS2kFTW

I learned how to drive on stick on my 2007 S2k. It was my second car, first stick. Then again, it was a power downgrade from my '68 Camaro w/ 383 stroker. The handling was SOOO worth it.

S2-3456789-K

i learned stick on my s2k. really, if you understand the mechanics behind it, you can learn it pretty easily. but it does take some time to smooth everything out. starting in 1st gear is easy i think; i like the clutch in the s2k.

mav's lesson with the clutch engagement point is spot on; you should try that and get a feel for the engagement point. when

a few things that i found helpful when starting out...
1. avoid uphill slopes (when you're learning, you can get nervous on slopes when you start rolling back)
2. no need to shift too hard, but do make up shifts quick so your RPM doesn't drop too far while your clutch is pressed; the car will jerk if you don't shift fast and you don't rev match.
3. start in first gear by finding the engagement point with the clutch, and then "catching" it with more gas. you'll wear the clutch less this way, instead of revving it up and then slowly letting up on the clutch (aka slipping)
4. don't push it to the limit (especially when cornering) before you're comfortable with shifting

really, given some time in the car, it's not that hard to drive.