One day I was bored and wanted a BRZ...

[Dragon]

i'm 25 and always wanted to learn how to drive a manual car but never had the chance to. recently paid off my 07 Acura TL Type S and I've been lurking these forums and read about how members rave about how this car was so fun especially with a M/T. So I had to do it. Put the TL on Craigslist and it was sold..

2 days later and I had no car, picked up a beater civic for to learn how to drive M/T. I was scared at first, but had a really good friend walk me through.. I'm still nervous when I drive the car, especially when I'm on a steep decline, like a freeway overpass. still havent driven it to work yet but im getting dropped off.

am i crazy?! has anyone else sold their DD, picked up a beater, and are now waiting for a BRZ?!

Sometimes I miss my ol TL

[Carlitoz3]

Traded in my DD at the dealership for a frs.
Learned how to drive stick on the spot.
Believe me, I wanted to shit my pants...

[doggieboy09]

Awesome that you made the effort to learn to drive stick. I think the BRZ is a great platform to learn how to drive stick. I can heel and toe with ease in this car because everything from the pedal position and feel to the way the shifter is symmetric and positive.
It's not a fast car but it's the best driver's car that I have ever owned. And my last car I owned was a stage 2 2009 WRX hatchback. Not many cars on the road can compare to that. But the 86 car is a also a special vehicle.

[BlueSTaR]

I got bored and bought my BRZ that day.

Lol. Did about 4 hours of research, a test drive, and knew it was what I wanted.

[jkonquer]

When I sold my Sti, i was driving my girlfriends Nissan Juke and my Mercedes SUV. Not a beater but you defintely get sports car withdrawl.

[Dragon]

Originally Posted by Carlitoz3

Traded in my DD at the dealership for a frs.
Learned how to drive stick on the spot.
Believe me, I wanted to shit my pants...

You have more balls than me! I get really nervous at stop lights when theres people watching me.

Originally Posted by jkonquer

When I sold my Sti, i was driving my girlfriends Nissan Juke and my Mercedes SUV. Not a beater but you defintely get sports car withdrawl.

A year ago, i wanted a STi really badly but couldnt see myself affording it then comes a few BRZ sightings, forum lurking, and bam..im here!

[BlueSTaR]

Originally Posted by Carlitoz3

Traded in my DD at the dealership for a frs.
Learned how to drive stick on the spot.
Believe me, I wanted to shit my pants...

I kind of regret not doing this from time to time. Then I get stuck in traffic or a stoplight on a huge hill here in Seattle and I'm like "Nahh, I'm good."

[tedddee]

I love getting stopped on steep hills. Rev that motor out...

Good on you though OP. I'd suggest finding a decent incline that you can practice on with no one around. That's what I did the first week I got my Impreza. Find a parking lot or something with a decent hill that you can stall and roll back down without worry of hitting anything.

[jkonquer]

Originally Posted by Dragon

You have more balls than me! I get really nervous at stop lights when theres people watching me.



A year ago, i wanted a STi really badly but couldnt see myself affording it then comes a few BRZ sightings, forum lurking, and bam..im here!

yeah i sold the Sti to buy s2000 or miata, then BRZ came along

[BeRZed]

I actually sold my TL, bought a used civic to learn manual in and got my BRZ a few months later

[GNS]

At least you're making an effort to learn stick shift.

[Shaun.]

Sold my motorcycle, BMW F650GS, for a down payment on the BRZ. Learned stick on it. Only took a couple weeks before I felt comfortable enough to not get nervous every time I hopped in the driver's seat

[gily25]

I almost did what you did when I first learned to drive stick. I was considering a beater 323 or Jetta, then I came across a good deal on a Jeep. If you haven't fully learned yet and the BRZ comes along, just jump on it.

Basically when I first learned to drive stick it was at the dealer where I purchased my first Jeep. I had been practicing in my g/f's Saturn so I was able to get out of the dealer lot (salesman didn't come thankfully), pull into the next parking lot, practice starting and getting up to third. Needless to say the 150 mile drive home was hell on the nerves. After a month it was so worth it and I never looked back.

[Sony]

I pre-ordered my BRZ in February 2012 with a Manual transmission never having owned a stick before and only driving stick in my friends cars a couple times while they were trying to teach me.

I took delivery of one of the first probably 20 BRZ's to hit the streets of New England on June 4th, 2012. I drove it home on the spot myself having almost no prior experience driving stick, on a new clutch in the city of Boston Massachusetts....that was an interesting first week of ownership. There was a lot of honking and me almost shitting myself...especially on hill starts (which Boston has a lot of BTW.)

I didn't give up however....I drove this car around the city every day until the snow hit and it went into storage...I got good, and I got good FAST.

There is no replacement for practical experience, get out, drive it, don't get pissed or scared when the person behind you starts honking at you cause you're going slow. Take you time, go slow when driving, BE CAREFUL, try not to put yourself in any crazy hill start situations unless you have to. If you do get in a hill start situation and you have people behind you, DO NOT be afraid to over-rev the engine and burn the clutch a little bit. That's what it's there for, and a clutch is FAR cheaper to replace than vehicle damage is to repair and it doesn't raise your insurance premiums.

I've been driving the BRZ for just over a year now, I have put 18,000 miles on the BRZ in ONE year. I am now more proficient at driving manual than at least ONE of the two people who taught me how and I'm on par with the other one. Hill starts are easy now, I can upshift, downshift, clutchless upshift and I can shift quick enough that if I'm WOT when I shift from 1st to 2nd the tires will chirp in 2nd gear.

So, for the first year, DO NOT BE AFRAID TO DRIVE. Drive as much as you can, find reasons to drive, and (the environmentalist in me is going to hate me for saying this) find reasons to drive (instead of walk or bus) places you normally wouldn't for the first year. The more experience you can cram into the first year, the better. Trust me it will be frustrating at times, there was more than once I considered driving back to the dealer and trading mine in for an automatic BRZ, a decision I know I would have regretted, but stick with it, once you get over the major hump or starts, hill starts and stops it's all easy sailing from there.