Just got my first BRZ and first manual car!

[krayzie]

Originally Posted by jeffchap

FWIW, I don't go into neutral when coming to a stop. I just hold the clutch in. Sometimes I work down thru the gears, 5-4-3-2-1. And other times I'll just go straight to 1st. But I don't hear the chattering you have in your video. And the car is ready to move if I need to get out of the way suddenly.



Been driving sticks for over 35 years.

Actually holding the clutch in without going into neutral while at the lights is required when taking the driving exam with a stick shift here in Ontario, Canada otherwise will fail.

[Synkronicity]

Originally Posted by jeffchap

FWIW, I don't go into neutral when coming to a stop. I just hold the clutch in. Sometimes I work down thru the gears, 5-4-3-2-1. And other times I'll just go straight to 1st. But I don't hear the chattering you have in your video. And the car is ready to move if I need to get out of the way suddenly.



Been driving sticks for over 35 years.

Doesnt that wear out the clutch quickly?

[jeffchap]

This is my 4th manual, and I've never replaced a clutch. One of them, a 1990 Honda Accord had 200k miles on it.

[8ighty6]

@Synkronicity we must be forum twins haha. I also just picked up a WRB BRZ a couple weeks ago. It's my first stick and I'm in the DMV area...same age as well :0 Unfortunately, I've been overseas since I got the car, but this thread helped me get over some of my anxieties. Can't wait to get back and drive. Thanks everyone!

[Santiago86]

Lmao! Picked mine up last weekend on Saturday Also my first Manual Car :P #Skurtt

[Tcoat]

[QUOTE=8ighty6;2266492. this thread helped me get over some of my anxieties. [/QUOTE]
Probably the biggest hurdle to get over when learning to drive MT is the fear of learning to drive MT.
I know it is easy for me to say after driving 100s of different vehicles but just try to relax and let the motions come naturally.
Although there are certainly some hard rules (don't ride the clutch, watch over revving on down shifts, etc) many aspects of shifting come down to your own style can vary with the driving situation. You don't have to try and meet a specified method just because that was how it was done in a video or some guy told you that is the only way to drive a stick.

[Synkronicity]

Originally Posted by 8ighty6

@Synkronicity we must be forum twins haha. I also just picked up a WRB BRZ a couple weeks ago. It's my first stick and I'm in the DMV area...same age as well :0 Unfortunately, I've been overseas since I got the car, but this thread helped me get over some of my anxieties. Can't wait to get back and drive. Thanks everyone!

Originally Posted by Santiago86

Lmao! Picked mine up last weekend on Saturday Also my first Manual Car :P #Skurtt

I'm glad that my thread could help out a few new drivers :] Somebody has to ask the question right?

Also, what part of DMV area? We could potentially meet one day lol.

P.S: Just got my magnets in, will be doing magnet mounting soon!

[8ighty6]

Originally Posted by Synkronicity

I'm glad that my thread could help out a few new drivers :] Somebody has to ask the question right?

Also, what part of DMV area? We could potentially meet one day lol.

P.S: Just got my magnets in, will be doing magnet mounting soon!

Silver Spring/Colesville area. New job in Arlington starting September, so I'll be down in the NOVA area more often. You go to any Mid-Atlantic 86 club meets?

Drove my car last night for the first time since getting it. Not too shabby. I'm just paranoid about letting the clutch out too slowly and riding it. Hills Still not too comfortable, but I can see it being a blast once I get the hang of it.

[Eski]

Originally Posted by 8ighty6

Silver Spring/Colesville area. New job in Arlington starting September, so I'll be down in the NOVA area more often. You go to any Mid-Atlantic 86 club meets?

Drove my car last night for the first time since getting it. Not too shabby. I'm just paranoid about letting the clutch out too slowly and riding it. Hills Still not too comfortable, but I can see it being a blast once I get the hang of it.

Tip for the hills: Hold the button on your e-brake with the e-brake applied until your in gear, then let the e-brake down and roll away. Prevents you from rolling backwards to fast until you get the hang of starting on hills.

[8ighty6]

Thanks for the tip @Eski. Trying to get the point where I'm confident on steep hills without the e-brake before I go out onto the street.

The most annoying part about learning from online videos and discussion is that everyone has differing views on everything and it makes applying the techniques nerve-racking for fear of picking up bad habits. These are 3 things I'm having the most trouble with getting conclusive answers:

1) When starting in first gear, is it better to give it a little throttle immediately when starting to let out the clutch, or is it better to get to the friction point and then give it some throttle? The former sounds like riding the clutch to me.... but is advised in most tutorials.

2) For this car, I've heard that it's smoother to give it a little gas while easing off the clutch when shifting into 2nd. When shifting into higher gears, should the clutch be fully let out before getting on the throttle? Or does it vary based on how quick you shift/where the RPMs are? The car feels smooth when I shift up, but I'm worried that I'm getting off the clutch too slowly (riding it).

3)Slowing down/coming to a stop seems to be the most ambiguous. Shifting into neutral from a high gear and braking to a stop seems to be universally frowned upon. When braking to a stop from say, 5th gear, is it advised to hold the clutch in and shift down through the gears (with clutch depressed the whole time)? Most online videos seem to say it's advisable to shift into 4th or 3rd and then just brake, eventually shifting into neutral when stopped. Also, does this vary when you have to brake to a stop in an emergency?

Most online tutorials give instructions based on what's easiest for beginners... but I rather learn the correct way from the beginning even if it's more difficult at first. Thanks for your input! Hopefully this helps others as well.

[Eski]

Originally Posted by 8ighty6

Thanks for the tip @Eski. Trying to get the point where I'm confident on steep hills without the e-brake before I go out onto the street.

The most annoying part about learning from online videos and discussion is that everyone has differing views on everything and it makes applying the techniques nerve-racking for fear of picking up bad habits. These are 3 things I'm having the most trouble with getting conclusive answers:

1) When starting in first gear, is it better to give it a little throttle immediately when starting to let out the clutch, or is it better to get to the friction point and then give it some throttle? The former sounds like riding the clutch to me.... but is advised in most tutorials.

2) For this car, I've heard that it's smoother to give it a little gas while easing off the clutch when shifting into 2nd. When shifting into higher gears, should the clutch be fully let out before getting on the throttle? Or does it vary based on how quick you shift/where the RPMs are? The car feels smooth when I shift up, but I'm worried that I'm getting off the clutch too slowly (riding it).

3)Slowing down/coming to a stop seems to be the most ambiguous. Shifting into neutral from a high gear and braking to a stop seems to be universally frowned upon. When braking to a stop from say, 5th gear, is it advised to hold the clutch in and shift down through the gears (with clutch depressed the whole time)? Most online videos seem to say it's advisable to shift into 4th or 3rd and then just brake, eventually shifting into neutral when stopped. Also, does this vary when you have to brake to a stop in an emergency?

Most online tutorials give instructions based on what's easiest for beginners... but I rather learn the correct way from the beginning even if it's more difficult at first. Thanks for your input! Hopefully this helps others as well.

No prob! Happy to help, I remember trying to learn and it was intimidating at first. Honestly all the videos and tutorials are great to help you understand what's happening when your shifting, clutch in and clutch out but it all comes down to practice. The more you drive, the better you get. It's all about feel and what works for you. Obviously you don't want to ride the clutch or you will be replacing it quicker than you should. Giving a bit of gas before letting the clutch out can provide an easier smoother engage, especially on hills but be cautious because these cars have such a low idle that if you blip the throttle and let off you can almost stall the car on it's own. Just keep practicing and you'll find your own rhythm soon enough. I have stalled my car on random occasions even after years of driving stick. I have also bunny hoped (quite embarrassing and uncomfortable) on occasion just from pure laziness. Just keep your chin up and make sure you don't ride the clutch and you'll be fine.

As far as the 3) question, idk about the whole shifting thru all the gears while clutch is in, that doesn't do anything for you at all. Downshifting is key, look up some heel-toe downshift videos and check them out, or once you drive the same routes often enough and get good at rev matching you can almost downshift your way all the way up to the light into second gear and then press the clutch in, throw it in neutral and brake. I usually downshift through all the gears to 2nd and roll up to the stop unless an emergecny/hard braking situation occurs, then i just put the car in nuetral and brake.

For emergency braking times just put the clutch in and brake.

[Vincenttam]

I honestly think the best way to learn to drive a manual Brz is to learn in one, as someone who did it in their Fr-s. All clutches feel different, and the catch point for the fr-s/brz is pretty low and unforgiving.\ *meaning if you miss it by a little, the whole car will jolt, as specially in first and second*
[*]Is it bad to continuously stall the car?
It depends how hard you stall it, but it's best you want to stall it as least as possible.
[*]Any tips to learning stick/manual?
When moving from a auto driver to a manual, you go into with a mind set of a auto tranny. You have a heavy foot, you either floor or close to it to gain speed. The difference in manual is you place very little effort into the gas for the best transition. My uncle always told me "Its easier to go fast than slow."
[*]How long did it take for you to learn stick?
For me to learn to drive the car, 30 minutes.
For me to be able to get the car moving from stop and go normally, 1 tank of gas.
[*]Did I get a good price on my car?
For a blue series, I believe so. I was looking for one for awhile and was willing to throw in 28 for about 2k miles.
[*]My dealer didnt drill holes in the front of the car for the license plate, should I get the towing plate thing for it or just get it drilled in? I have OCD and the off center look looks weird (i kinda answered my own question)
I think it's stupid that dealer ships drill the front before even selling it, and it would of been a huge no go for me if they did it in a series blue or a rs1.0.

[Synkronicity]

Originally Posted by 8ighty6

Silver Spring/Colesville area. New job in Arlington starting September, so I'll be down in the NOVA area more often. You go to any Mid-Atlantic 86 club meets?

Drove my car last night for the first time since getting it. Not too shabby. I'm just paranoid about letting the clutch out too slowly and riding it. Hills Still not too comfortable, but I can see it being a blast once I get the hang of it.

I haven't gone to any meets yet but am considering it.

You aren't considered riding it unless you rest your foot on the clutch while driving (as far as I know).

Drive it more! I personally am very used to driving on hills now, what my brother did for me was throw me on a very steep hill and stand behind my car and move closer and closer until he was about avg distance a car gives you at a stop light. Since I drove it so much when I got it, I got used to the hill starts extremely quickly, all I do is quick release to biting point and gas it, done.

Originally Posted by Vincenttam

I honestly think the best way to learn to drive a manual Brz is to learn in one, as someone who did it in their Fr-s. All clutches feel different, and the catch point for the fr-s/brz is pretty low and unforgiving.\ *meaning if you miss it by a little, the whole car will jolt, as specially in first and second*
[*]Is it bad to continuously stall the car?
It depends how hard you stall it, but it's best you want to stall it as least as possible.
[*]Any tips to learning stick/manual?
When moving from a auto driver to a manual, you go into with a mind set of a auto tranny. You have a heavy foot, you either floor or close to it to gain speed. The difference in manual is you place very little effort into the gas for the best transition. My uncle always told me "Its easier to go fast than slow."
[*]How long did it take for you to learn stick?
For me to learn to drive the car, 30 minutes.
For me to be able to get the car moving from stop and go normally, 1 tank of gas.
[*]Did I get a good price on my car?
For a blue series, I believe so. I was looking for one for awhile and was willing to throw in 28 for about 2k miles.
[*]My dealer didnt drill holes in the front of the car for the license plate, should I get the towing plate thing for it or just get it drilled in? I have OCD and the off center look looks weird (i kinda answered my own question)
I think it's stupid that dealer ships drill the front before even selling it, and it would of been a huge no go for me if they did it in a series blue or a rs1.0.

I appreciate this answer but I am completely comfortable with my BRZ now!
I think I had the same time frame for driving it, about 30 minutes and I was able to drive it around, a whole tank and I stopped stalling and shifted decently!

[Champster]

getting the hang of it.. Would like to learn to drift next lol