Simulator to learn MT

[fastdrivingjr]

So ive seen many people wanting to learn how to learn MT but dont want to ruin a car trying..

well there are car simulators out there including those on gaming systems like :

Forza motorsports- the only one i play
Grand turismo

if you have the money Fanatec has racing wheels for systems which are $300-$600 with all of the needs (pedals , six speed shifter/ seq. shifter)

if you play Forza 4 with all of the settings off its pretty accurate.. shift down in too high of rpm , you will see what damage you done.
Shift without clutch watch the life of the clutch reduce.
tires loose life..

anyways ive got the csr wheel n pedals with a Racing seat by playseat

anyone with money and free time at the end of the night this burns off some steam:happy0180:..

http://www.fanatec.de/webshop/new_usa/index.php

me being in college i needed a hobby after full day of class and work..
its like my therapy.. for the need for speed..

[chulooz]

If anyone around southern CT wants to learn to drive stick PM me, Im replacing my clutch at the end of the week.

[MiguelAE86]

I am proof of this! Ever since i was 14, i was "preparing" myself to get a MT car as my 1st, and due to some issues i still haven't been able to receive my driver's license (until i'm 18) but regardless, i built this with my dad (17 now) and have been practicing ever since, and hey, it helps a lot!

[moniz]

Best way is to actually buy a cheap beater and learn on that. As good as a simulator can be, it can never replace the real world learning of driving a manual. A lot of it is feel and physical which a simulator can never come close to replicating, as good as they can be. Good luck!

[(K)]

^Agreed, sims don't give you pedal feel and the proper dynamics of driving stick. That point where the clutch starts to grab, the point where the car starts to bog or stutter, the smooth transition between shifts. These all need to be felt, I would also argue that feeling is probably 99% of driving a manual.

Buy a beater, drive it, learn from it.

[7thgear]

find an old beater, smash it's windows out, jam a screwdriver in ignition and punch it

you'll learn to drive stick faster than you can say O'SHIT COPS

park it in a ditch and run your ass somewhere safe

[Laika]

I've got a very nice G27 setup with reverse mounted pedals, aftermarket clutch/brake springs, and full size steering wheel. It's nothing like actually driving manual. Like previously stated, most of driving a manual is about feel and you don't get any of that with GT5 or Forza.

It's a fun way to get the basic concept down though. I like to direct my friends the wrong way up the corkscrew on laguna seca to show them how the clutch actually does function similarly to a real clutch.

[reni]

Originally Posted by 7thgear

find an old beater, smash it's windows out, jam a screwdriver in ignition and punch it

you'll learn to drive stick faster than you can say O'SHIT COPS

park it in a ditch and run your ass somewhere safe

LOL

Seriously though, learning to drive stick isn't goign to cause serious damage. Just buy an MT FRS and learn on it.

[7thgear]

^^

exactly, the only damage you can do to a modern manual transmission is if you ride the clutch like.. ALL the time. Have someone competent with you to teach you and you'll earn in a single day.

[Turbowned]

A simulator will not replace the feedback you get from actually operating the clutch in a manual-transmission vehicle. For the same $6-700 you spend on a Fanatec setup, you can buy a cheap $#!tbox to learn stick on, and then take it off some sweet jumps when you're finished!



Here's a gem in the Atlanta area!!

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/eat/cto/3039347593.html




Awww, yeahhhh. The laughs you would get driving a beater like this cannot be replicated by driving a sim. Trust me!!

[ZetaVI]

Or you can just go to an arcade with racing games and choose MT.

[7thgear]

Originally Posted by Turbowned

Awww, yeahhhh. The laughs you would get driving a beater like this cannot be replicated by driving a sim. Trust me!!

10 E points to the person who names that CD/DVD case that's in the purse

[Klinn]

The hardest part of learning to drive a manual is that initial start from rest in first gear. Everybody releases the clutch too fast and/or gives it too much gas at first.

My recommendation -- find a gravel parking lot to practice on. If you get it wrong you'll just spin the wheels, there's no driveline shock / lurching like you would get on pavement.

When you can take off without spinning the wheels, you've got the basics down.

[Bristecom]

Originally Posted by moniz

Best way is to actually buy a cheap beater and learn on that. As good as a simulator can be, it can never replace the real world learning of driving a manual. A lot of it is feel and physical which a simulator can never come close to replicating, as good as they can be. Good luck!

Yeah, simulators can give you a good idea of the concept of manuals. I think it's important to understand the fundamentals before driving one but you can't get the proper feedback and sensation of speed from simulators - which can make it feel very different. You might even pick up some bad habits from driving a simulator for so long. But anyway, it's really just a matter of fine tuning. Any noob will let the clutch out too quickly or too slowly at first. It's nothing to worry about though.