manuals?

[flight567]

what is the method with the clutch/accel?

[AABCDS]

what is the method with the clutch/accel?

They have an inverse relationship.

[jd_1138]

Wow, a 327ci V8 in a Fiero. That's some serious HP per weight ratio. Be careful. Maybe sell it and get a Volvo 240 station wagon with an auto transmission. I had a Fiero when I was 18 in 1990. It was a silver base model 1984 with the 4 cylinder engine and the automatic transmission. We bought it out of the junkyard with a blown engine. It was only $700 or so. And we got a good engine out of a Chevy Citation. That Iron Duke 2.5 engine is a solid engine when taken care of. GM made the Fiero by raiding their parts bin. The engine/tranny/rear suspension is the same as a FWD Citation/Phoenix/Omega/Skylark drivetrain and CV joint system.

[blary54]

Wow, a 327ci V8 in a Fiero. That's some serious HP per weight ratio. Be careful. Maybe sell it and get a Volvo 240 station wagon with an auto transmission. I had a Fiero when I was 18 in 1990. It was a silver base model 1984 with the 4 cylinder engine and the automatic transmission. We bought it out of the junkyard with a blown engine. It was only $700 or so. And we got a good engine out of a Chevy Citation. That Iron Duke 2.5 engine is a solid engine when taken care of. GM made the Fiero by raiding their parts bin. The engine/tranny/rear suspension is the same as a FWD Citation/Phoenix/Omega/Skylark drivetrain and CV joint system.

LOL Volvo 240 DL stationwagon was my first car(manual of course). Great gear ratios on that car...

[flight567]

lol i was kinda thnking about something like that. but i love the idea of a fiero lol.

[Edcculus]

No worries. No matter how much you worry and practice, every manual driver has that first time where they are sitting first in line at a red light and you stall out. Of course there are a lot of people behind you, and its usually rush hour ; )

[Oblique Human]

Just relax and enjoy. You'll get the hang of it in no time. Like riding a bike, you can't really be taught, and won't ever forget.

+1.. and don't forget to enjoy.

[flight567]

yep, that's the hill with the stop sign lol

[CrotalusHH]

so what do you guys drive? out of curiosity.

The handbrake method becomes especially handy if you are stopped on a steep incline.

2009 RX8 with a 6 speed. I've owned 11 cars. Only 2 were automatics.

[Seraphim]

Everything you need to know:

[flight567]

lol, don't tempt me lol. i wanna try and be semi safe in this car lol.

[Bigsurprise]

The best advice I got for tackling hills was give it more gas than anticipated. As long as you have room in front of you, who cares if your tires squeal a little bit? Much better than stalling imo. From there you can adjust the amount of gas.

[jamesspo]

So hopefully it does *not* have a racing clutch in it :). It probably doesn't , so I'm sure you'll be fine. As others have said, definitely go practice in a parking lot. It'll come quicker than you think..and soon, you'll be on auto-pilot while shifting/clutching. Kudo's for going with a manual, BTW. They're simpler, longer lasting, more efficient, and something you can (easily) work on and repair yourself if needed. I soooooo hate automatics. I have to drive my wife's on occasion, and it's such a drag :/.

Be safe out there..your life depends on it. If you ever feel the urge to get crazy on the streets..just don't do it, and instead, go look up local auto-cross or track day opportunities to fulfill your need for speed. Trust me, you'll get it out of your system that way, and you'll become a *much* better driver.

[jamesspo]

so what do you guys drive? out of curiosity.

Have driven lots of different things, but current ride is 2002 WRX, w/ bigger turbo, 3" exhaust, front mount intercooler, imported Japanese market 6 speed. Very fun car, but I think, not quite as fun as my Miata I sold a couple of years ago. Way less HP, but supremely fun.

Me having a blast in said Miata at a track day at PIR in turn 6:

[mdevine]

I've taught four of my kids, a niece and a nephew to drive stick. I usually take them to a local fair ground. It has roads with gentle hills and no other cars on them. Almost all my efforts are at starting from a standstill in first gear. I start off going down hill. Once they have that down we progress to flat ground; then we practice going up hill. I start with them not using the throttle at all. They slowly ease up on the clutch until the car starts to roll. If they are careful, the car won't stall. This lets them get a feel for where the clutch engages, then, we add a little throttle to the mix. Shifting from first to second, second to third etc. is a piece of cake after that. All but one of the cars I've owned have been stick. I've had a Cavalier Z24, Eagle Talon, BMW M3, Mitsubishi Evolution, BMW 328i, Subaru WRX and currently drive an Audi A5.

[professorchaos]

Take it easy and it will come back quickly. Once you get used to the clutch, you'll do fine.

All my cars have been manual. They will continue to be manual for as long as I am driving.

[demaro]

I drive a Honda Civic maunual 5 speed. I love driving manual and will continue to drive nothing but manual for the rest of my life..

[andyr]

My best advice is to avoid hills for a while. You need a good feel for the clutch.
If you can't avoid some hills, use the parking break.

I have never owned an automatic. I bought my first car when I was 23 and just turned 53. Current car is a 2004 Subaru WRX.

[jamesspo]

Sweet.... third WRX owner/reference in the thread

Current car is a 2004 Subaru WRX.

[echotron]

I'm 55 and I drive a Toyota Corolla 5-speed ... my first car was a 1973 VW Beetle - yeah, 4-speed!