How long did it take you to learn manual?

[ws6 jim]

I pick up my Camaro this week and have never driven manual for any length of time. How long did it take you to learn and then drive on the streets comfortably?

[Camvill]

your never gonna learn jim

[Slow-V6]

About a week of driving around in parking lots.

[Camvill]

lol took me about a week or so to drive confrotably after driving a stick honda LOL! But if youve never driven stick i give it about a month or two to be confortable and about 6 months to have mastered your cars shift points etc.

[MyFirstZ]

you said for a length of time meaning what. . . .

when i bought my camaro i had only driven a few manual cars in and out of my shop. . .

I took what i knew right out on the street when i got it home that day. Took about a few weeks till i was very comfortable. . . now i get in cars automatically seeking a clutch pedal to start it.

Depends on who is giving you pointers and how quickly you learn that stuff, just dont get frustrated..

good luck, let us know how it goes

[BigAls87Z28]

The clutch on the Camaro engages kinda high, didnt like it all too much. Just an FYI.

Car I learned on was an 89 Civic hatch, no power anything. Was a 4spd manual, and that was a fun car to drive around. I came close to buying it for $250 bucks, but it consumed more oil then gas.

[Anti_Rice_Guy]

I taught myself on a 1 ton rack body. I have faith that you'll be very comfortable within a week. I was fine after spending the day in it. You'll never want to drive automatics again.

[NJ346]

I learned on my camaro in a highschool parking lot. In a matter of 30 minutes I felt comfortable enough to drive home from the parking lot.

[NJ Torque]

Watch out for hills.

[Whiplash Performance]

Took a ride from CT to NJ and sitting in NYC rush hour traffic before I got use to it. So it was about a 5 hour ride with the traffic.

[JerzLT1]

i was a lot boy at a dealership and was thrown keys and told to go get a car. Got going on the first try. drove it around as my lot car for a week to get comfortable

[madness410]

it took me about an hour to comfortably get it down driving in a parking lot. a month or so to perfect it.

once you're going you're golden. hills are a pain in the ass.

i recommend at least driving it in a parking lot or another stick car before trying to hit the road in your new camaro. if you dont know what you are doing you can end up hurting someone some how lol

[jts98z28]

i practiced for half an hour and then delivered pizza for 6 hours, after that i was good

[JL8Jeff]

I learned driving dump trucks, Cushman's and a small steam roller when I worked at the golf course. You'll be comfortable in a day, but it will take a couple of weeks to get into the pattern and mentality of it.

[afclubkid21]

My first car was a manual. I learned pulling it out of the car lot and on the way home. Grew up with my dad driving a manual so I had the concept of it down, just never put it into practice until then.

[1986IROCZ28]

i learned on my brothers dodge daytona ... i was gettin a job at mechanics auto parts and was required to know how to drive manual... i learned in just about a few hours but it took about 2 weeks to get pretty decent... i did teach my 17 year old brother how to drive stick on my 01 z28 and he picked it up pretty fast ... after a few 2 hour lessons i had him drive home from moorestown from the mall to blackwood .... lets just say he loved 295 lmao

[Featherburner]

You'll never want to drive automatics again.I call BS on this.

[WildBillyT]

I call BS on this.

Yup. Try sitting in traffic, on a hill.

[madness410]

yeah driving in traffic in a manual car is a pain, and on a hill, and in the city. but its fun for recreational driving

[btownws6]

i learned in a vw golf and about a week later my brother gave me his 660hp mustang and said it's yours haha i learned pretty quick after that. But it's very easy the hardest part is starting and downshifting i thought but you'll get the hang of it

[BonzoHansen]

Yup. Try sitting in traffic, on a hill.

Commuter Challenge: Drive a stick during rush hour on route 1 from Lawrenceville to New Brunswick and back every day for a month and then tell me you'll never go back to automatic again. :)

[Anti_Rice_Guy]

Yup. Try sitting in traffic, on a hill.

I have. In a 15,000 lb International dump. Many times. Didn't really mind it.

[foff667]

15 minutes in the haldeman ford parking lot before I felt comfortable.

[creeper]

I was getting bored of my automatic so I swapped in a 6 speed. Before that I had driven stick for a total of about 5 minutes over the course of my life. Got the swap done, putted around a parking lot for 5 minutes, then took it out to the street and have been daily driving it ever since. I certainly wasn't smooth for the first week or two, but I wasn't afraid to drive it and got where I needed to go no problem.

[bandit88]

8 to 9 hours. tops. Learned in a 98 Cavalier.

[Ls1dreamin02]

Learned in my dads 67 Austin Healey 3000 driving around the block and what not. Then I moved on to our 31 Ford Model A Pick up. I like the model A 3 Speed better but I still need to work on the double clutching. The new camaro should drive and shift really smooth shouldn't take you long at all.

[Kat]

about twenty min. I kinda had to tho. Went down to VAB to pick up one of the ex's 79 Camaro she wanted. The person that I asked to drive the car home, for me, was to short and couldnt push the pedal in. lol

So I was taught, drove around for a few min, then went on a 5 hour ride home. Now I drive one daily in the GTO.

[spina74]

took me only a few hours, I learned in a 3rd gen with a t56 swap still using the 3rd gen pedals so the clutch was very tight and engaged very high

[Featherburner]

I started "driving" manual shift when I was 7 years old. My first motorcycle was a manual shift. When I got my permit and started driving, i drove a 1963 Corvair Greenbrier with a 4 speed. There was no learning time because I had "driven" clutch for 9 years.

[Brendan713]

I learned how to drive a manual in less than an hour ask ib4200 (Joe Callahan) yeah i let the car die a few times but i did it, JUST PRACTICE and once you get the hang of it, go find some hills to get better on!!!! After i practiced in ib4200's car, a couple months later i bought my own 95 camaro and was able to drive it when the person i was buying from bought it over to my house, went up and down the street couple of times then took it out all day, God i miss that car.

[FoodStampsz]

I knew the concept behind it before I ever tried it, learned on my firebird and grand turismo ;) never went to a parking lot, stalled out at 5 points in hamilton got scared s***less and haven't stalled out since.

[CHRIS67]

i was a lot boy at a dealership and was thrown keys and told to go get a car. Got going on the first try. drove it around as my lot car for a week to get comfortable

Ditto. Spinning wheels, stalls, and clutch smoke the first day. :rofl:

[Raist103]

i bought a 94 firehawk and learned on the way home with no experience. it is easy.

[r0nin89]

Learned in my dads 71 vette in a parking lot. Although I wouldnt really say I learned how. Just kind of drove the car cause when I got my 5 speed toyota pickup it was like Id never driven stick before. Id say a few hours driving around I had it down and a week or two later I had it mastered.

There was something about the fact that the clutch isnt "ON" or "OFF" that I couldnt wrap my head around. I always feared slipping the clutch and smoking it and it wasnt until I said to my dad "wait its suppose to slip a little" that I got it.

[PolarBear]

You'll never want to drive automatics again.
I couldnt agree more.
I call BS on this.

Yup. Try sitting in traffic, on a hill.

Commuter Challenge: Drive a stick during rush hour on route 1 from Lawrenceville to New Brunswick and back every day for a month and then tell me you'll never go back to automatic again. :)


I drive Route 1 almost every day and I would take standard any day of the week, rain or shine or snow or sleet, night or day over the POS automatic I have to drive for work.

I HATE, HATE, HATE, HATE driving auto. It makes me want to go to sleep, not to mantion it is like winding up a rubber band. I push on the accelerator and have to wait a whole second before the van starts moving. So many times I have been in traffic and how I wished the van was standard :drool:

[ws6 jim]

Thanks for the input. Dads been the one in my ear about me being careful and over stating the importance of not having a mishap in a car I don't know how to drive. The 3 manual cars I've had short runs in over the years was a Chevette, Beetle, and Fit. I never really got comfortable enough in either being how small they were and their cumulative engine size and HP<LS3. We shall see I guess.

[coolmanvette75]

went to the parking lot when i bought my 94z. ive watched my dad drive his 5 speed vette for years, so i had the basic concept. when we got to the lot my dad told me to get in and give it a try. i pretty much got right in and drove it away. bucked it a few times my first day but never stalled. that was about 2 months ago and ive been good since :-P

[BigAls87Z28]

I got stuck in traffic on the GSP in the Oranges, where it likes to get hilly. My left leg was sore after that nightmare.

[maroman88]

about a week to nail it down

[maroman88]

went to the parking lot when i bought my 94z. ive watched my dad drive his 5 speed vette for years, so i had the basic concept. when we got to the lot my dad told me to get in and give it a try. i pretty much got right in and drove it away. bucked it a few times my first day but never stalled. that was about 2 months ago and ive been good since :-P

wat year vette? IIRC they went from the 4+3 to the M6

[LuvMyF8LWS6]

I learned in about 20 minutes driving an old Ranger in a parking lot. But it is true, will take a week or so until you have everything down pack because you don't run into the same scenarios everyday. (i.e. hills, traffic, sudden stops, ect)

[coolmanvette75]

wat year vette? IIRC they went from the 4+3 to the M6
75 with a zz465 small block and a tremec tko 5-speed

[BullittSVT]

Didn't take more than a few hours to drive it bearably around, practiced for a week on and off. Took it out at night time traffic and was doing considerally fine. You might have some hiccups for another week or two but it goes away. I love manual <3

Getting into first and going SMOOTHLY and reverse (As well as going up hill from a stop) are very important

[79T/A]

My first new vehicle was my Jeep. My buddy drove it off the lot for me and we went straight to a parking lot with hills. Practiced accelerating up a hill for a good half hour before I felt comfortable enough to get out on the road, and then drove around for an hour or two. Like many here, it was about a week or so before I was comfortable with it.

[Azmedian]

I learned drivin a tow truck with a car on the back in hoboken.
While my brother was in a shop, cop rolls up hits the lights. My bro is like "heres how ya learn". & walked away
I cant belive i didnt hit anything.

[greenformula92]

it takes about a week or so, i taught myself in a fox body mustang with a king cobra clutch.....it was not fun, but then i got it....and now i can drive any car within 5 minutes of getting into it

[B4C]

Youll be fine in a couple days. ^Agree with blk95 if you learn on something hard youll be able to drive anything else. I learned on a fox body with a very heavy clutch everything else was easy

[The Fixer]

Honestly, I think higher-powered cars are easier to learn on. I tought myself how to drive stick on my grandfather's '77 Datsun B210. That car had manual steering, manual brakes, a 4-speed with a shift throw a mile long, and was slow as dirt. Trying to pull away from a stop sign without bucking or stalling was a real trick. After that experience, I was able to move my old boss' '90 6-speed Vette in the parking lot at work without a hitch.

I enjoyed driving manual trans so much I got my buddies to help me swap one into my Monte. :)

[Firebird92]

About 30 minutes

well i was working at a valet company Parking productions, and put on my app i could drive stick (i lied lol) so they put me as the only manual driver at a county club. So we got a 911 turbo , M3 and a Zo6 so i called my father and he talked me in to 1st 2nd and reverse after stalling 3 times in the 911 i finally got it...

NEVER pick a 911 to learn on -.-

[ws6 jim]

Picked up the car yesterday took it around the neighborhood today.

[//<86TA>\\]

Picked up the car yesterday took it around the neighborhood today.

so you have had the car for 2 days and no pics?:shock: slacker

[Anti_Rice_Guy]

Picked up the car yesterday took it around the neighborhood today.

JIM! Where's the picture lovin for NJFBOA?!

[BullittSVT]

How did you do? How many stalls?

[Featherburner]

How did you do? How many stalls?Or how many black marks?

[ws6 jim]

Or how many black marks?

More than 1


How did you do? How many stalls?

More than one

so you have had the car for 2 days and no pics?:shock: slacker

heres the link

http://www.njfboa.org/forums/showthread.php?p=741279#post741279

[Anti_Rice_Guy]

How do you like driving manual?

[ws6 jim]

How do you like driving manual?

I'm still getting comfortable with it. This morning I learned how start off on a hill real quick.

[//<86TA>\\]

This morning I learned how start off on a hill real quick.

more black marks i assume:lol:

[ws6 jim]

more black marks i assume:lol:

I'll take black marks over dents any day:drive: