i had 97 miata and it's great car.
you'll learn a lot from it. it's lightweight car!

Eh, that just means you need to make some more friends! I've got a couple buddies teaching me manual when they get a chance and as soon as "training" is complete, I'm getting my FR-S.

Instead of $3k, you could always offer $500 on CL for a set amount of sessions. Like 2-3 per week for 3 weeks. You could probably even offer less cash.

It's a shame to go thru what's in store, buying a car, sales tax, insurance, paperwork, etc. to accomplish something you can learn in an hour or two. Any other possible plan would be cheaper. Rent-a-car. Offer your neighbor $100.00 to teach you in his car. Run an advertisement in your local paper offering to pay someone for 1/2 a day to teach you in their car. Save the rest of your money for something really worth something.

I had never driven a manual before I drove my FR-S off the lot.

What are you so worried about?

7 weeks in and I LOVE IT!

how'd you get it out of the lot... this would be completely impossible for some people - like picking it up in Manhattan and driving it across manhattan back into queens...

Just ask the sales guy to help ya out before you take off... my aunt bought a camaro ss and never really had much experience with manual, she asked the salesman for some help and she drove it home fine afterwards... just watch some youtube videos first to get an idea

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Umm... I drove it, actaully I had to go about 45 min home in stop and go traffic. I don't understand how any drive (unless it was offroad) would be completely impossible?

I bought the FRS as my first manual car too, without ever been in any manual cars either. Drove it out the lot by taking in advices from forum members on here and youtube videos :thumbup:.

A few hours in the parking lot is all it took me. Of course I was a slow learner and pretty useless with my feet at the time. I don't think you will have very much trouble OP. :party0030:

i learned in my sooby on the way home from school. (graduation present to myself. school in VA, live in Clt) lets just say that it was a very interesting drive.

Let me give you your first lesson without your even being in a car. Did you ever ride a 10, 12 or 15 speed bicycle? How long did it take you to learn when you were in the wrong gear? I'll bet you didn't need anyone to spend hours teaching you. If you were on too small of a front sprocket you were spinning your legs and going nowhere. If you were on too big a front sprocket you were having to grunt and groan just to get the bicycle to move. If you were on the correct sprocket the ride was almost effortless. As you're learning how to use a manual you want to keep it as effortless for your engine as you can. After you've learned it well you can worry about heel, toe, rev matching, double clutching which is not important to know in the beginning stages.