Which car should I consider when trying to learn to drive stick?

[racermike1967]

I'm trying to learn stick but I don't know what kind of car (cheap) I should get. For now, I just want to learn stick, don't really care about the car it self. Also, how long does it usually take to drive stick "properly"?

Say I bought a new car (thinking of the 350 Z); what would happen to the car if I tried to learn stick on it?

[Chad82]

Find the worst stick you can to learn on it. I learned on a 1980 Chevy 3/4 ton with a 3 on the tree and about a 1" spot on the clutch that would actually allow you to shift on. That car was a great one to learn on.

[Chad82]

Oh, and to answer the other part:

within 1 day, you can figure out how to get across town. Within a week you will feel confident for most driving. Within a month you will start to prefer manuals.

[MagicRat]

Originally Posted by racermike1967

I'm trying to learn stick but I don't know what kind of car (cheap) I should get. For now, I just want to learn stick, don't really care about the car it self. Also, how long does it usually take to drive stick "properly"?

Say I bought a new car (thinking of the 350 Z); what would happen to the car if I tried to learn stick on it?

IMO the WORST thing you can do is to buy an expensive, high- powered car to learn on.
You may roast the clutch (damage due to excess slipping) and need an expensive repair.
You may have an accident.
You may simply never get the hang of driving a stick, or not like it and have the hassle of re-selling the car.

IMO the BEST car to learn on isn't a car at all. Try a used compact pick up truck. They are cheap to buy used, and are easy and straightfoward to drive.

Trust me, you want something EASY to learn on. After you are comfortable, then you are ready for the 350Z; and you should be able to sell the truck for what you paid for it.

Some compact trucks have pushrod engines (not overhead cam). Virtually all pushrod engines have more torque at lower revs. This makes it easier to get the hang of slipping the clutch and increasing power gently to get the car rolling from a stop, especially uphills.


Another thing is to get a clutch with a 'progressive' action, where clutch slipping is easy to moderate and 'feel'.
The opposite of progressive is 'grabby'; a grabby clutch is just as bad as 'grabby' and unpredicable brakes.

Have a friend who knows how to drive stick test-drive any car you are looking at buying, to give an opinion on the clutch feel.

There are few modestly powered cheap pushrod engined cars, but trucks like this are common. IMO look for a late '80's or newer Chevy S-10, or GMC S-15 or Sonoma pick up truck or compact Chevy Blazer equivalent. Look for the 4.3 liter V6, although the 2.8 V6 is almost as good.

Another good choice is a 1987 or newer Jeep Cherokee (not grand cherokee) with a standard trans and the 4 liter six. That engine is so easy to drive, a cross-eyed baby could learn to drive stick on it.

[harrymay]

i learnt to drive stick in a 84 toyota p/u. it had a 4spd tranny with a 4 banger.

no matter what you did, it would be ok. i couldnt tell you how many times i thought i burnt the clutch only to find the next day it was fine. it was damn near indestructible.

that was in my opinion the best car to learn in. plus you can sell it for more than you paid for it if you play your cards right.

[Tonto Kowalski]

What if you don't know anyone who owns a manual and don't have any friends who can drive one? How do you get a car to learn on then?

[racermike1967]

Originally Posted by harrymay

i learnt to drive stick in a 84 toyota p/u. it had a 4spd tranny with a 4 banger.

no matter what you did, it would be ok. i couldnt tell you how many times i thought i burnt the clutch only to find the next day it was fine. it was damn near indestructible.

that was in my opinion the best car to learn in. plus you can sell it for more than you paid for it if you play your cards right.

That's pretty cool. I'm really interested in getting a toyota pickup. Does anyone know how I can get a toyota pickup?

[Chad82]

Find one on sale locally, offer to buy it with cash in hand.....

[harrymay]

i wasnt going to sell it, but two guys knocked on my door one morning and asked how much i would sell it for. they gave me 2000.

id say just go look around. see if you can find someone who has one and ask them if theyll sell it.

[directory]

you're going to want to do some research. research like: what's the cheapest/easiest car to work on? what parts are most available.

you're going to roast a clutch learning on it. you might as well have the parts/ knowledge at stand-by to fix it back to new. that being said. a chevy cavelier manual might be a good choice. there are plenty around and learning on them is easy. they are very forgiving.--then you could either toss the car--or get it fixed.