VROOOOOM, KA-CHUNK, Stall... Learning to drive a Standard...

**king2005** · 03-19-2007, 11:10 AM

I need to learn how to drive standard for 2 reasons.

1. Makes my job easier, as I'll be able to drive any car from the Auction to the shop.

I can already drive Auto (d'uh)...
Cars with no breaks (who needs breaks when you have an E break, right? lol)...
Cars with no power stearing (OMG, GRUNT, TURN DARNIT TURN, GRUNT, PANT!! lol)...
& cars that think its FUNNY to randomly turn the dash lights off in the middle of the night (*2 way radio* Ummm guys, is it just me, or did it get dark out suddenly... & how fast am I going? WHAT HOW FAST! No way, stop lying! *light comes back on* OMG I AM DOING 180km/hr, I hate you guys!! But its a really smooth drive).

2. Our newest car is a Standard 2003 5spd Sunfire, & its going to be my new work car, so I have to be able to drive it lol

Anywho, Sat evening Tristian wanted to teach me a little about the clutch & how to go forward & backwards, in one of the cars on the lot. He drove us to the back side of the shop, so if worst came to worse, I'd back into a heep of junk cars or into a post (apparently thats better then the cars we're trying to sell lol)... I had no issues going forward or backwards.. I made the car jerk like a bronco, but I didn't stall the car nor did I hurt the clutch, so WOOHOO for me!!! Tristian said he was fairly impressed & said I should have little issues getting the hang of it, Chad was thrilled to hear that!

Yesterday Chad took me to a parking lot so I could go into 2ed & 3rd gear... I didn't like 3rd gear, so we just stuck to 2ed (too much all at once). Lets just say things didn't go quite as smoothly

I keep releasing the clutch too fast, so the car jerks like mad (I'm getting better, but its still enough to make me want to puke lol)... Then I had a boo boo.. I forget what I did but the car jerked something fearice, sounded like I tried to murder it & came to a lovely stall

So my first stall was kinda violent *pets car*.

Chad said I did pretty good by the time we finished up. I have pretty much grasped the concept of how & when to use the clutch. I just need to release it slower.

Once I get that down, I'll start using 3rd gear & learn how to down-shift. Then learn how to handle hills & finally take it onto the street (side streets).

I think I'll have it down pat by the end of the week, I'm a quick learner when it comes to this type of thing.

Chad is going to make me a little card with the gears drawn on it & how fast each gear is for, then he'd gonna tape it to the dash... So I can learn that part quicker. I need visual & hands on, to learn best.

My first time behind the wheel of an auto, my instructor thought I was lying when I said it was my first time driving. He took me downtown Ottawa

OMG SO MANY CARS!!! I did fine. To this day I still haven't messed up parallel parking

Boy was my instructer ticked lol He wanted to give me tips lol he made me do it 10 times in a row, then he gave up hahaha I became a good driver in less then 5hrs hahaha...

I got my G class kinda early. I only had maybe 30hrs behind the wheel & 2 mins of HWY driving on my belt... The test instructor was pleased with my driving & passed me

if only they knew

I'm the only person my dad feels safe to let drive for him. My grandmother is now another person on my side hehe... My grandmother had a FIT becuase I was going to be driving her & the family to church, Dad said the weather is bad & he cannot drive in it, so if she wanted to go to church, I was her only ticket

She always wants me to drive her now haha

(well when I'm down visiting)...

So ya I'm kinda impressed with myself :P

**Sirrahsim** · 03-19-2007, 11:22 AM

Driving a stick shift is an exhilirating experience. Keep in mind though that taking off from a dead stop in a parking lot is going to be a lot different then taking off from a dead stop on a road on even the slightest incline!!

I prefer driving a stick now that I know how!

**king2005** · 03-19-2007, 11:36 AM

Originally Posted by Sirrahsim

Driving a stick shift is an exhilirating experience. Keep in mind though that taking off from a dead stop in a parking lot is going to be a lot different then taking off from a dead stop on a road on even the slightest incline!!

I prefer driving a stick now that I know how!

Chad & Bill like to use the e-break to prevent them from rolling back on a hill.

I'm going to have a total of 5 people teaching me how to drive standard. They all drive a little differently, so they want me to be able to get settled in & comfy in how I like to drive (without ruining the car lol).

They all told me that I'm going to blow the clutch by the end of the year. They said it happeneds to just about everyone, as new drivers put a lot of ware on the clutch.

Chad blew up Dee-Annes clutch a month ago... He hadn't driven a standard since his accident & messed up.. but her clutch was nearing death anyways (old), so he only had to pay for 1/2 the clutch (700.00!!!)...

My dad is super excited about me learning standard

**Sirrahsim** · 03-19-2007, 11:41 AM

I was referring more to getting used to the amount of gas to give the engine when you are taking off on an incline. My first attempt at turning onto a main road was foiled by a bump in the road that I couldn't seem to accelerate over without stalling

I also remember praying with all my might when a car pulled up behind me on a hill that I wouldn't roll back into them when I took my foot off the brake!!
Good luck!!

**king2005** · 03-19-2007, 11:43 AM

Originally Posted by Sirrahsim

I was referring more to getting used to the amount of gas to give the engine when you are taking off on an incline. My first attempt at turning onto a main road was foiled by a bump in the road that I couldn't seem to accelerate over without stalling

I also remember praying with all my might when a car pulled up behind me on a hill that I wouldn't roll back into them when I took my foot off the brake!!
Good luck!!

Oh... sounds like I'm going to have a lot of fun lol

**Sirrahsim** · 03-19-2007, 11:52 AM

It is lots of fun

Once you get the feel for it it will just feels natural

I wasn't a very good student and got angry when my family told me that I just "have to feel it", but that is the BEST advice.
I mastered first gear by sitting in a parking lot and releasing the clutch VERY slowly without giving it any gas until the car started to inch forward. I was able to "get a feel for" the engine and that helped a TON! If you do that, make sure you don't release the clutch too much or it will stall