Any advice !?
 

Finally picking up my Red Monogram FRS tomorrow !!! YAAAYYY

I'm a first time Manuel driver and had a bit of practice on a RX8. I was just curious if you guys had any advice for driving stick since I feel I'm still really rusty when it comes to launching on start up.

I'm so happy i can finally say im going to be a owner of a FRS YAAAAYYY!!!!

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

You are part of the transmission. Drive the car how you feel comfortable shifting it. After a couple or few months you will find your shifting gets much smoother and natural.

don't stall.

take one last look at your POS corolla and let it know it won't be missed.

ill try not too =[ haha

hahaha i will defiantly wave my corolla good bye !

I personally feel like I hate the FRS's clutch. I've only owned mine for a little over a month and I've owned 5 manual transmission cars including a 300zx and a second gen RX7 which I consider sports cars as well.

The clutch has great resistance when pushing it in and releasing but I feel almost no confidence at the friction point at the tip top of the release point. The resistance is great when releasing but once it gets to the friction point the resistance seems to stop pushing back and there's this weird spot where you have to try to find the friction point by hovering your foot slowly backwards instead of allowing the force of the clutch to push your foot back.

I've gotten better over the month that I've owned it but still have a fear of stalling. I've only stalled it once but it could be because I'm one of those drivers that barely touch the gas pedal on takeoff unless I'm trying to move fast from a stop.

Hit the clutch, hit the gear, hit the gas -- GO !

The manual is pretty Funky on this thing! 1st is a bit of a launch gear and you do have to apply some gas if you don't, it wants to stall. 1st and 2nd are really close ratio. I get the car moving in 1st and shift to 2nd right away. 1st will snap your head if you rev it up and let off the gas.

I've developed a weird clutch technique... I let it out quick to the grab point then taper it out a little slower ( I've never had to do this on any other car! ) but seems to work for a smooth quick shift.

2nd and 5th are infamously grindy when cold.... I have found that is has gotten better with break in though.

I'd almost rather have no experience when I started driving this thing, then i wouldn't have had a preconceived notion of what it should shift like. Being a newby isn't going to hurt you that much we all had to start at square one with this thing. ( and I used to drive big crane trucks on oilfield iceroads and crap like that! )

Start in a parking lot, get your start and stops down. If you can find a really deserted road just work your way up to 5 then down to 2 repeatedly over and over until you feel confident. Helps to crack your window so you can hear the revs really well.

Turn on your gear Indicator as well. If you lose track.. you can sneek a peek!
[ame="http://youtu.be/fB9dcC9dl3w"]http://youtu.be/fB9dcC9dl3w[/ame]

Good luck dude! welcome to the club!

Practice
 

Congrats on your new baby :thumbsup:. As for my advice, just one word which is Practice. Practice on getting the feel of your new ride.

park the car on a slight incline,

my father did this to me when i first started off, parked me on a hill facing uphill, once i learned how to get the car moving on the hill, on normal streets it was a piece of cake


like i said in a previos thread simular to this, dont let the people behind you get to you. once the light turns green, take your time, who cares if you take another second or two to make sure what your doing, people around where i live honk the moment the light turns green if you dont go

Thanks for that video that works out perfectly! i was hoping someone would post this cause i had no luck finding it yesterday haha... Being able to see which gear I'm in is going truly help so much.

Yeah i actually read that thread and was thinking about what you said yesterday. I am defiantly going to be taking my time and not really worrying about when other people behind me. I know i am going to need practice and i may stall... I am not the perfect driver and completely new when it comes to stick so i know i am going to need to develop those driving techniques. That was a great thread btw =]

Thank you everyone for your advice its defiantly making me even more excited to pick her up today !!! Pictures will be uploaded later :party0030:

I was a first time stick driver myself in this car..1st i cant stress enough is to relax. Dont worry what the person behind you thinks. Let them honk haha who gives a shit. Also take drives at night to practice. Dont be a dumb like me and have your first stick shift experience in traffic in downtown chicago lol. Follow the breakin procedures. The transmission may feel clunky at first but it gets better as break in period goes on.

"I've developed a weird clutch technique... I let it out quick to the grab point then taper it out a little slower ( I've never had to do this on any other car! ) but seems to work for a smooth quick shift."
^I find thats the clutching technique that works for me.
Cheers!