^ But dont ride the clutch... Thats the number one killer! After you shift, find your berrings and make sure its the right gear then get off the clutch ASAP. Dont jerk the car though... Just try it out lol. There is enough information in this thread, to start an instructing class.

 

I'm in a similar boat . . . my tib was auto . . . but I just learned to drive the S in test drives. I drove my friends cars that are stick from time to time, so I had the jist of it down, and could do it w/out stalling. I just took it for 20-30 minute test drives at a time, to get the hang of things, and moving out of first never seemed to be that difficult at all.

 

I learned how to drive stick in my s, and the clutch is fine. I did have a few hours practice(about 2) before I went to pick it up =) And all the people talking about having the car biting you in the ass...if you are just learning how to drive stick and you are trying to shift in the middle of an intense turn, what are you doing trying to push the car past it's limits while still learning...

 

^ This is a good point, there is no need to push the car if you are still learning the basics of shifting. I have had my car for 7 months now, and still working on NOT forcing it into gear when shifting at high RPMs. Just take some time and wait for the time for limit pushing. When you know you are ready to push it, youre not. The second time you think your ready, take a little more practice. The third, what the hell. Go for it. One thing to remember with anything in life, the very second you thing youve mastered somthing, I promis 9/10 times it will bite you in the ass if you get too big headed.

 

i learned on my first hatch but my friend got an s2000 for his first car he practiced on his drive way on first gear since it was a semi deep slope. He got pretty good till the rain caught him and F*** his shiet up spun like 4 times hit the mediean and then ended on the other side of traffic. Yikes scary!

 

thanks guys this thread really really helps... now to find someone with a stick shift

 

Please read this article. http://auto.howstuffworks.com/clutch.htm I have a theory that if you know whats going on you can do exactly what you set off to do.