Austin

[garsh0p]

Originally Posted by luxmn

congrats man, what color and tran again? so there are 5 of us now (right?), we HAVE to meet this next week somewhere! My wife planned my weekend already (dont ask lol) but weeknights next week I'm open for it.

Hot Lava MT!

[mickey177]

Originally Posted by garsh0p

Hot Lava MT!

Congrats. I must be the only lame one in austin with the auto at this point.l

[garsh0p]

Went over to Round Rock to pick up the car after work. Since this was going to be my 2nd time ever drivnig a manual, I took it to a parking lot near there and practiced for ~3 hours. Stalled so many times Made it home safely, but stalled about 4 times on the way home. I got a lot of practicing to do this weekend!

EDIT: Bad camera phone pic. Didn't have time to take more; too busy practicing on it!

[Longhorn248]

Originally Posted by garsh0p

Hot Lava MT!

Congrats dude! Where are the pics! ?

I'm moving into my Austin apartment tomorrow, when's the first capital city meet?

[luxmn]

hot lava is not my color but as a UT grad im glad garsh0p got that color, someone HAS to, not burnt orange but close enough. great job making it home man, give it a day or two to learn the high clutch release point i'm sure you'll be back in the game.

longhorn248, you're moving here for good? cool man, i'm up for meet

[garsh0p]

Originally Posted by luxmn

hot lava is not my color but as a UT grad im glad garsh0p got that color, someone HAS to, not burnt orange but close enough. great job making it home man, give it a day or two to learn the high clutch release point i'm sure you'll be back in the game.

longhorn248, you're moving here for good? cool man, i'm up for meet

Heh, I'm actually not a UT grad, but I love the color :P

[mickey177]

Congrats on the Lava. Yeah we should all get together and take a group pic one of these days.Go for a cruise.

Well I hope someone will eventually get tired of their manual and let me switch cars with them.lol.

[mickey177]

Well I havent gotten a chance to take a proper picture.but here is mine in the parking garage at work. So camera phone quality.

[garsh0p]

Time to go practice some more!

[Dang Lad]

So I was at Target South Lamar today (after a drive on Lime Creek with the wife this time), and saw a BRZ driving by. I tried to get the driver's attention but saw them too late. So, did I see anyone on the board or a friend today?

[garsh0p]

I'm having a tough time learning to drive manual Hill starts scare me the most. Any tips for that? And any tips on being able to shift smoother?

[luxmn]

Here's mine: after you push the clutch in to shift, let go the clutch about 1/3 of the way (grab point) keep it there, right foot gas a little to test see if it grabs, if not let go the clutch a bit more, slowly, once it grabs, let go slowly, one full second to go from grab point to completely let go of the clutch.

For slope, watch the light to be prepared. So you pull to the light at a slope, clutch, shift to neutral, break. Then right before it turns green which is about a second after the other direction turns red, let go the clutch slowly to test the grab point, the more you drive, the quicker and more precise you pinpoint this grab point. For now I just let go 1/3 of the way, keep my left foot there, gas a little, let go the clutch slowly until the car moves forward, the gas more and continue to slowly let go.
Pull your hand brake and break the moment you stall. Leave clutch in first, turn key and try again.

When I practiced, I picked a slope in my subdivision, then just try to keep my car at the same spot with the car in first gear, take your time getting to the grab point, the car will roll back a little then gas enough to get back to where you were. Do that five time, brake and shift to neutral for a bit then try again.

I don't know about you but my epiphany moment was when I realized I could gas when my left foot still on the clutch. I thought the left foot and right foot can not press in at the same time so inlet go the clutch too fast. Obviously you should only gas a little, keep it there and slowly let go of the clutch to the grab point, once it grabs, gas more while let the clutch go slowly.

Take your time, people will honk but that's normal, the key is to not roll back.

You'll get it man, keep trying

[Longhorn248]

Originally Posted by Dang Lad

So I was at Target South Lamar today (after a drive on Lime Creek with the wife this time), and saw a BRZ driving by. I tried to get the driver's attention but saw them too late. So, did I see anyone on the board or a friend today?

If it was world rally blue then it was me.

[Longhorn248]

Originally Posted by luxmn

hot lava is not my color but as a UT grad im glad garsh0p got that color, someone HAS to, not burnt orange but close enough. great job making it home man, give it a day or two to learn the high clutch release point i'm sure you'll be back in the game.

longhorn248, you're moving here for good? cool man, i'm up for meet

Yes sir, here for good!

[Dang Lad]

Originally Posted by Longhorn248

If it was world rally blue then it was me.

Yep! Too bad we couldn't get together. Could have got the first Austin mini-meet up

[garsh0p]

Just took an hour or so cruise around town. Only stalled once, and it was on a hill! Making progress... I'm still pretty slow to start from a stop though, but at least I'm minimizing the stalling...

[*KID*]

sickk, whats up guys. Im not in austin but do travel alot to visit my brother. I just got a firestorm frs, I hope to drive up there soon

[garsh0p]

Any suggestions for a hill I can practice on in Austin? I tried a parking garage near my office building over the weekend and got kicked out by a crazy security guard.

[Rabble]

Garsh0p I swore I ran into you at round rock scion. Did you test drive the silver FRS and then wait around to buy the red?

As for the manual practice, just find any parking lot and give it a go. Give it gas before you let off the clutch, the more the better when you practice (just let the clutch out slowly) as you practice you'll find that sweet spot for how much gas you should give.

[garsh0p]

Originally Posted by Rabble

Garsh0p I swore I ran into you at round rock scion. Did you test drive the silver FRS and then wait around to buy the red?

As for the manual practice, just find any parking lot and give it a go. Give it gas before you let off the clutch, the more the better when you practice (just let the clutch out slowly) as you practice you'll find that sweet spot for how much gas you should give.

Nope, that wasn't me. Only time I went by was to pick up my Hot Lava this past Friday evening.

[Longhorn248]

Originally Posted by garsh0p

Any suggestions for a hill I can practice on in Austin? I tried a parking garage near my office building over the weekend and got kicked out by a crazy security guard.

Mt. Bonnell road

[Dang Lad]

Hi All - quick update on the possible race driving course at Driveway Austin. I'm checking in with Bill again to see how large a group he'd need to get us to a sub-$300 price range, and told him that we're looking at late July/August. Once I hear back I'll plan on putting a poll up in the main Southwest area specifically about this event (in case some SA or possibly DFW people would like to attend as well) so that we can finalize schedules and attendance numbers. Does anyone know if July/August absolutely won't work for them?