How difficult is it to learn to drive stick? - Page 6 - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

lawman007 · 07-15-2012, 02:09 AM

I'll never buy another automatic unless it is the right deal. Manuals are the way to go.

Start out in 1st, clutch in(depressed). Give it gas rev to 2-3k rpm slowly let out clutch(foot off clutch).

Once in 1st gear, rev to 4k-5k, push clutch in, shift to 2nd, keep up rpms and let out clutch faster in 2nd.

You'll get the hang of it. Downshifting, you can slow to 3k(mph will slow down too, 35-25mph) and push in clutch, shift down to 1st, let out clutch, I'd use brake too. One other thing about downshifting, you can downshift to 1st gear, but if you downshifted to 2nd, you should brake to stop from there.

Remember as you brake, push clutch in.

Don't rev too high when you shift, some here go as high 5-6k which is fine but the engine should tell you when to shift. Keep your windows down to hear the engine better, once you have an idea of what 2k, 3k, 4k, etc, sounds like the better feel you'll get.

It's not hard, just takes a little practice. There is another advantage of the manual over automatic. You can bump start the manual, if the starter went out or alternator doesn't charge the batery. And yes I've done it in the Camaro. I just wanted to see for myself if it was possible, and it is. I think it is more satisfying owning the manual. I think you'll like. If you have bad knees then you may not like the manual.

mmartian · 07-15-2012, 02:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lawman007

I'll never buy another automatic unless it is the right deal. Manuals are the way to go.

Start out in 1st, clutch in(depressed). Give it gas rev to 2-3k rpm slowly let out clutch(foot off clutch).

Once in 1st gear, rev to 4k-5k, push clutch in, shift to 2nd, keep up rpms and let out clutch faster in 2nd.

You'll get the hang of it. Downshifting, you can slow to 3k(mph will slow down too, 35-25mph) and push in clutch, shift down to 1st, let out clutch, I'd use brake too. One other thing about downshifting, you can downshift to 1st gear, but if you downshifted to 2nd, you should brake to stop from there.

Remember as you brake, push clutch in.

Don't rev too high when you shift, some here go as high 5-6k which is fine but the engine should tell you when to shift. Keep your windows down to hear the engine better, once you have an idea of what 2k, 3k, 4k, etc, sounds like the better feel you'll get.

It's not hard, just takes a little practice. There is another advantage of the manual over automatic. You can bump start the manual, if the starter went out or alternator doesn't charge the batery. And yes I've done it in the Camaro. I just wanted to see for myself if it was possible, and it is. I think it is more satisfying owning the manual. I think you'll like. If you have bad knees then you may not like the manual.

well with the right exhaust the engine will tell you to shift no earlier than 4k

jd10013 · 07-15-2012, 05:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ladybugsmom

When I got my first manual transmission (I was 17 years old) the salesman taught me how to drive it in about half an hour. Took some practice to get GOOD at it, but I was able to drive it home, no problem. Then I went to parking lots and roads with hills and no traffic to practice on later. You'll be fine!

schools on a weekend are a great place to go too.

anyway, to the OP, just practice. the hardest part is hills, as the car will roll backwards as soon as you start to release the clutch. if you need to, just use your emergency brake. there's a reason it's always between the seats in a stick

.
modern transmissions are so well synchronized that shifting isn't really hard, it's mostly just a matter of learning when to do it. and for that, just watch you tachometer. when your at about 3000 rpm's drop it into a lower gear. if you drop below 1500 put it into a higher gear.

fielderLS3 · 07-15-2012, 05:53 AM

How long it takes to learn varies from person to person. Also, it's one of those things that is easy to learn, difficult to master. Getting on the road won't take long. I spent about 5-10 minutes in a parking lot the first time I learned before hitting the road with no problem. Getting really good at it (perfectly smooth between every gear, rev-matched downshifts, etc...) will take more experience.

My advice would be, if you don't already know, study up on the basic mechanics of how a clutch/transmission/engine work, and work together. I found that knowing mechanically what is going on makes it much quicker to learn, as you'll already kinda know what to do and why before even doing it.

Also, I'd suggest finding a different car to learn on first. Not out of fear of damaging the ZL1, but because that is probably one of the more difficult cars to learn on. The clutch on a high powered car like that is liable to be a bit "touchier" than most cars (at least the SS Camaros I drove were), on top of a rather tall 1st gear V8 Camaros have compared to most cars.

See if you have a friend, relative, etc...who has something more likely to have a lighter, more linear clutch, and a shorter first gear. Or, see if the dealer where you're looking at the ZL1 has a Cobalt or something similar on the used lot with a stick, explain the situation, and they'd probably give you a little time with it if it means a potential ZL1 sale.

SpectroBR · 07-15-2012, 06:12 AM

I second the rental idea. The best option would be a small diesel, but I doubt you could find one.

heRS · 07-15-2012, 09:37 AM

Hey, ease up on the girls. My first car, dad made me get a stickshift so I would have to learn, or I wasn't going anywhere. Huge incentive, that. Not difficult to learn to drive a stick, just takes a while for your muscle memory to take over and then you don't have to think about it. Ease the clutch out, give it a little gas and away you go. Do it again before the tachometer needle gets to that little red line.
Don't "ride the clutch", or go along with it half engaged, that will make a nasty smell and burn your clutch up.

AZCamaroFan · 07-15-2012, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nyrfan

Have never learned, never even had the opportunity to drive one.

There is a great opportunity locally to pick one up, but am nervous about it, especially since it's a ZL1.

Going to go look at it tomorrow but wanted to know if learning on a new car is a good thing, especially a car with so much power.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Sent from my 2LT/RS using Tapatalk

Not difficult to learn. Only question is how good one become's at it.

dcarlos55 · 07-15-2012, 09:47 AM

when I bought my Camaro I hadn't driven a vehicle with a manual trans in over 30 years. I asked the dealer if I could mess around with it in their back lot for a few minutes.

It took about 2 minutes to get a feel for where the clutch engaged and I was off and running. Like others have alreasdy said, once you get starting from a stop down, the rest is easy. After a couple days you won't even think about it.

If your concerned about shiftiing, try just shifting through the gears with the engine off a couple times. This will give you a feel for the shifter. Then just do starts with the engine idling and no gas until you get a feel for where the clutch engages. One more tip. Once the cluth is engaged, resist the urge to floor the gas pedal as much as possible. Unless of course you plan to replace the back tires regularly.

Candy_Camaro · 07-15-2012, 09:51 AM

Bring the ZL1 to me and I can teach you. lol.

It's not hard. Like others said, it's usually hills that scare people. You may rev the engine and stall a few times but after that, you will figure out what makes you comfortable.

Wizard1183 · 07-15-2012, 09:56 AM

Dump the clutch and hammer down! Dont forget to turn nannies off when doing it!

It's not hard. Once you get first gear its like an auto then, except you have to change the gears. Racing it is where the skill comes in.

SteelCamaro · 07-15-2012, 10:00 AM

My 2SS 45th was the first stick I have ever driven and I picked it up fairly quickly, so you should be fine. There are a few little techniques and tricks I need to perfect and repetitively practice still to get them into my muscle memory, but I have really come a long way. I couldn't even move the car without bucking/stalling when I first started, but now it is seamless and I haven't bucked or stalled it in a long time.

ActNup NY · 07-15-2012, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AKAviking14

I would honestly learn on a beater car if you have access to one.

Me too exactly !!! God forbid in midst of your learning to drive stick you burn out the clutch or something.:( Good luck !

squat · 07-15-2012, 12:25 PM

Stick is super easy to learn. I've only ever driven stick a few times (each time was a teaching experience). By the end of the hour I had it down pretty good. The hardest was the ford ranger because the shifter had such a long throw. Hills would still scare me though...

67RS2010SS · 07-15-2012, 03:00 PM

Here you go buy the ZL-1 fly me down there, I'll drive it off the lot for you. Go to a parking lot and I'll teach you in 15 minutes. Never had a stick till I bought my 67, It was sitting in my garage so there was only one way to learn get in and drive it. Now I've got more manuel transmission cars than autos. Problem is remembering the quirks about each one. Good luck!!

07-15-2012, 02:09 AM	#71
lawman007 Panama-Gulf War Vet Drives: '11 SW 1LT/RS 6M Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: From Carmichael, CA to Matthews, NC 01/2021 Posts: 769	I'll never buy another automatic unless it is the right deal. Manuals are the way to go. Start out in 1st, clutch in(depressed). Give it gas rev to 2-3k rpm slowly let out clutch(foot off clutch). Once in 1st gear, rev to 4k-5k, push clutch in, shift to 2nd, keep up rpms and let out clutch faster in 2nd. You'll get the hang of it. Downshifting, you can slow to 3k(mph will slow down too, 35-25mph) and push in clutch, shift down to 1st, let out clutch, I'd use brake too. One other thing about downshifting, you can downshift to 1st gear, but if you downshifted to 2nd, you should brake to stop from there. Remember as you brake, push clutch in. Don't rev too high when you shift, some here go as high 5-6k which is fine but the engine should tell you when to shift. Keep your windows down to hear the engine better, once you have an idea of what 2k, 3k, 4k, etc, sounds like the better feel you'll get. It's not hard, just takes a little practice. There is another advantage of the manual over automatic. You can bump start the manual, if the starter went out or alternator doesn't charge the batery. And yes I've done it in the Camaro. I just wanted to see for myself if it was possible, and it is. I think it is more satisfying owning the manual. I think you'll like. If you have bad knees then you may not like the manual. __________________

07-15-2012, 05:53 AM	#74
fielderLS3 Drives: 2016 Mazda6, 2011 Mustang 5.0 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Portage, Wisconsin Posts: 4,049	How long it takes to learn varies from person to person. Also, it's one of those things that is easy to learn, difficult to master. Getting on the road won't take long. I spent about 5-10 minutes in a parking lot the first time I learned before hitting the road with no problem. Getting really good at it (perfectly smooth between every gear, rev-matched downshifts, etc...) will take more experience. My advice would be, if you don't already know, study up on the basic mechanics of how a clutch/transmission/engine work, and work together. I found that knowing mechanically what is going on makes it much quicker to learn, as you'll already kinda know what to do and why before even doing it. Also, I'd suggest finding a different car to learn on first. Not out of fear of damaging the ZL1, but because that is probably one of the more difficult cars to learn on. The clutch on a high powered car like that is liable to be a bit "touchier" than most cars (at least the SS Camaros I drove were), on top of a rather tall 1st gear V8 Camaros have compared to most cars. See if you have a friend, relative, etc...who has something more likely to have a lighter, more linear clutch, and a shorter first gear. Or, see if the dealer where you're looking at the ZL1 has a Cobalt or something similar on the used lot with a stick, explain the situation, and they'd probably give you a little time with it if it means a potential ZL1 sale. __________________ 2022 1SS 1LE (Arrived 4/29/22) "The car is the closest thing we will ever create to something that is alive." . 2022 1SS 1LE (Coming Soon)

07-15-2012, 09:37 AM	#76
heRS Raised by Wolves Drives: IBM 2010 2LT RS M6 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Spokane, WA Posts: 5,980 View My Garage	Hey, ease up on the girls. My first car, dad made me get a stickshift so I would have to learn, or I wasn't going anywhere. Huge incentive, that. Not difficult to learn to drive a stick, just takes a while for your muscle memory to take over and then you don't have to think about it. Ease the clutch out, give it a little gas and away you go. Do it again before the tachometer needle gets to that little red line. Don't "ride the clutch", or go along with it half engaged, that will make a nasty smell and burn your clutch up. __________________ Tori click the sig pic to view my build thread

07-15-2012, 09:47 AM	#78
dcarlos55 Drives: 2017 HBM A10 ZL1 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Jacksonville FL Posts: 1,205	when I bought my Camaro I hadn't driven a vehicle with a manual trans in over 30 years. I asked the dealer if I could mess around with it in their back lot for a few minutes. It took about 2 minutes to get a feel for where the clutch engaged and I was off and running. Like others have alreasdy said, once you get starting from a stop down, the rest is easy. After a couple days you won't even think about it. If your concerned about shiftiing, try just shifting through the gears with the engine off a couple times. This will give you a feel for the shifter. Then just do starts with the engine idling and no gas until you get a feel for where the clutch engages. One more tip. Once the cluth is engaged, resist the urge to floor the gas pedal as much as possible. Unless of course you plan to replace the back tires regularly. __________________ My build thread http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=224342 Go is good. Stop is better.

07-15-2012, 09:56 AM	#80
Wizard1183 Drives: ABM SS2/RS M6 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Lafayette,LA Posts: 2,236	Dump the clutch and hammer down! Dont forget to turn nannies off when doing it! It's not hard. Once you get first gear its like an auto then, except you have to change the gears. Racing it is where the skill comes in. __________________ Life is short, drive it like you stole it!

07-15-2012, 06:12 AM	#75
SpectroBR Drives: Renault Duster 1.5 dCi 4WD Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Brazil / Current assignment: Mauritania Posts: 37	I second the rental idea. The best option would be a small diesel, but I doubt you could find one.

07-15-2012, 09:51 AM	#79
Candy_Camaro Amanda Drives: 2014 ZL1 Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Lake Stevens, WA Posts: 783 View My Garage	Bring the ZL1 to me and I can teach you. lol. It's not hard. Like others said, it's usually hills that scare people. You may rev the engine and stall a few times but after that, you will figure out what makes you comfortable.

07-15-2012, 10:00 AM	#81
SteelCamaro Drives: 2012 2SS LS3 Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: The Garage Posts: 561	My 2SS 45th was the first stick I have ever driven and I picked it up fairly quickly, so you should be fine. There are a few little techniques and tricks I need to perfect and repetitively practice still to get them into my muscle memory, but I have really come a long way. I couldn't even move the car without bucking/stalling when I first started, but now it is seamless and I haven't bucked or stalled it in a long time.

07-15-2012, 12:25 PM	#83
squat Drives: 2011 Dodge Charger Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: MN Posts: 1,070	Stick is super easy to learn. I've only ever driven stick a few times (each time was a teaching experience). By the end of the hour I had it down pretty good. The hardest was the ford ranger because the shifter had such a long throw. Hills would still scare me though... __________________ 2011 Dodge Charger

07-15-2012, 03:00 PM	#84
67RS2010SS Drives: Maroon 67 rs and CRT 2012 ZL-1 Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Connecticut Posts: 2,005 View My Garage	Here you go buy the ZL-1 fly me down there, I'll drive it off the lot for you. Go to a parking lot and I'll teach you in 15 minutes. Never had a stick till I bought my 67, It was sitting in my garage so there was only one way to learn get in and drive it. Now I've got more manuel transmission cars than autos. Problem is remembering the quirks about each one. Good luck!!