Let me try to add some clarification because I am struggling to understand. Are you talking about dead stop, starting to move, to off the clutch? Or are you talking about what RPM do we shift to 2nd?

If I am starting from a stop, I'm off the clutch completely by 1500 HIGHEST as once you get the vehicle moving and more accustomed to the clutch work, you don't think about it or overly focus on it. I just sort of get off the clutch as quickly as smooth. once you're moving and driving, you should never have your foot resting on the clutch because it can add to excess wear.


If you're talking about what point do we shift at, I run about 33.8 mpg on 91 octane shifting around the 2500-3000 mark. This for me is "Just cruising" -- If I am pushing the car I shift around 6600 rpm because that's where the power starts to cut out on just about every dyno I've seen for stock cars. This also ensures I stay above the torque dip that's in our power band.


Been driving stick 17 years and never destroyed a clutch disc either.

I was specifically referring to, from a dead stop. I think for me it's more of a sound/feel thing as I don't really watch the tach. Usually I'll listen to the engine and know that I won't lug it if I let the clutch all the way out. I did watch it today and it was up to 2k which is why I brought this question up.

OMG! Your MPG is great. I'm running 93 and I am struggling to keep it over 22. This is almost all city driving, probably 90/10 as my work is a very short commute. I'm also still in the break-in period so hopefully it gets better as I have been staying under 4k and have done just a bit of spirited driving. I usually shift between 2.5k and 3k under normal driving conditions.

Considering I've kept all of my previous few cars for a year, you are probably right. :D I do want to keep this one though as it's the first manual car I've owned and have never felt more engaged. I don't even listen to the radio much anymore. I'm more focused on the driving experience. This may go away with time but right now, I'm enjoying it. I also tend to over analyze everything and I know I should just drive it but I always baby my cars even though most of the ones I've owned were made to be driven spiritedly.

WTF does octane have to do with MPG? lol

What the hell.. If I even tickle the clutch at 1100 RPMs the car immediately bogs and dies. Anything from 1100-1500 the car rattles and sounds like a tractor. If I don't rev to at least 1500 the car behaves awfully and sounds/feels jumpy and clunky. I have never driven another manual car that acts this way.

Not a thing, haha. I don't know why I added that.

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I've had that experience too.

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Its called being smooth. Gas in clutch out. try just navigating a parking lot by just using the friction point on the clutch at idle.

After 40 years and driving probably 300+ different MT vehicles (military and my own) I can honestly say that without a doubt I have no clue what RPMs I start out at. I am driving a car not landing a jumbo jet on an instrument only approach. I just don't look nor care what the tach says and about 98% of what I drove didn't even have one. Some times I start at lower revs sometimes at higher, it all depends upon what I am doing at that point in time. I will soon be teaching my grandson to drive my car and the very first order of business will be to tape over the tach so he learns how to hear and feel the car instead of driving by a gauge.

Couldn't agree more. Knowing the sound if the car, the muscle memory of the clutch will kick in over time. (Just don't adjust your seat too much ;)

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But, but ..... how did you know when to shift, without a dial or digital number to look at and a little light going ON ... ??

Without a rev limiter, how did the engine keep from blowing up .. ??

Without ABS, what kept one wheel from always locking up ... ??

How did you ever rev match with all that sloppy linkage and a slow venture effect carburetor ... ??

How did you steer with one hand, without power steering, while holding a soda and cigarette in the other.

Oh, that's right ...... you only had three gears and the shifter was right on the steering column (in the later years).

Of course you listened to the engine ..... because it must have been so boring, always listening to one of three radio stations (on a clear cold night) through a radio with 3 watts of power and one speaker.

:D

Sorry ..........for the :threadjacked:


humfrz

Ahhhhh the nostalgia!

Same exact thing here brotha

Yep, ol Tcoat has been these machines around fer ah spell ...... :D

No, folks, we won't go into setting the spark and the "art" of hand cranking.... :happyanim:

Back on the topic, yep, the horse would start off pulling the wagon ..... but it was smoother if you gave the horse a slight tap on the hind quarters with the rains ...... :slap:


humfrz