I remember I learned in a community college parking lot back when I was 15(1996)...my friend (which was 17) had a '93 suzuki swift(think geo metro but cooler and more hp) and he had me just let go of the clutch until the car was coasting smoothly 5 times in a row before I could give it any gas. He wanted me to get real aquinted with the clutch...after we were done he even told me I got the hang of it quicker then he did when he was learning.

Ahhh good time, good times.

 

And I took up the offer!

It was my first time meeting up with a forum member, and it went great. He taught me for about an hour one day (crazy snow out, but it went OK), and then I met up with him the day after and drove the car home, after buying it.

200 dollars was a great deal and I am happy I have a car to practice on!

Thanks s141995! And sweet s2k you have~!!!

 

i learned in a 1987 Mazda RX-7. i loved that car... id go for something cheap for a while while you learn so you can spare the s2k clutch/tranny. good luck!

 

How I learned was quite funny.

First off, just google 'how to drive manual' and you'll get some nice tips and tricks. That's what I did.

The first time I set foot in a manual car, was when I was actually interested in S2000's. I asked one of my buddies to teach me on his Honda SiR. It took about 20 minutes, and me stalling the car about 15 times in reverse, but going forward I blazed through all the gears with no problem. The second time I drove manual was when my brother and I went to the BMW dealers, he was interested in a 328i and we had a pretty cool salesman. I told him I'm interested in Honda S2000's and he said 'This Z4 will kick the shit out of a Honda.' I told him S2000's are more reliable and faster than these, in which he replied 'Cmon what is the S2000? Front wheel drive?' I said, 'No...it's rear. I guess this is what happens when you work at BMW.' He laughed and asked if I wanted a test drive. I agreed, and keep in mind this is only the second time I've ever driven manual..it was on a 3.0si BMW Z4 with a fully loaded sport package. I was feeling very masculin that day LOL. So we were off, and surprisingly I didn't stall the car at all. After all this, I feel pretty confident with myself.

TIPS: Don't be nervous. I was the first time I drove manual, and chances are you'll be too hard on the clutch or your legs will get shakey lol. Also, when you're slowing down as a beginner, don't downshift and try to rev match. I found it easier to just pop the shifter in neutral and apply the brakes. Good luck!

 

first time was 15 years ago in an renault 6.

my dad in the passenger seat yelling
"WTF are u doing, press the clutch first before putting it gear, your going the wrong way, lookout with that goat."

ok, you can leave the goat part out, but still that is the most freak out i seen my dad.

 

my girlfriend (now wife) taught me in a 1984 jetta, but she didn't really know the mechanics of it so i didn't get a full understanding of how to do it right, or why i was supposed to or not supposed to do certain things. it helps a lot to have an understanding of what's going on inside, and what parts of the drivetrain are connected to what at any given point. if you can picture the clutch plate meeting the flywheel as you let up the pedal, it helps you get the feel for things like uphill starts, and lessening wear on the clutch.

given that, just practice till you get it smooth.

glad you got some help, fastlane, and good luck with the s2k purchase

 

i taught the girlfriend how to drive it in a church parking lot. as we drove out there 15 mins from my house, i talked through the sequence of operations and what not, she got in stalled once and had it from there on out. now i can take her and the car to the bar at the same time lol

 

+1 to this! thats where i first got my tatste of stick shift. my dad always goes "you need to learn stick because if you can drive stick you can drive auto" so i got my first taste of manual tranny driving in the farms... where i almost ran over a carabao... i guess the equivalent here would be an ox. but maybe i mentioned it already in this thread before... hmmm cant seem to remember