One of the things I did when I test drove the 2017 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon was to bring it by where my mother-in-law works. I’ve found that she is an excellent source for unbiased opinions on vehicles…unlike yours truly, she could care less what the car is or what it’s about. Except on this day, she cared, alright…the timing was so perfect, and I hadn’t even thought about it. I saw her get up from the front counter, and without hearing what she was saying I could tell she wasn’t pleased with this new arrival. She had thought that I was looking at buying it as a birthday present to myself. I hadn’t. (I did consider it, though.)
Once I assured her that I wasn’t buying a brand-new Jeep, her next question seemed pretty tame: “Is it an automatic or a straight-shift?” Bless my luck, the Jeep in question was a six-speed manual. She didn’t like that…”You can’t get that one. You need to get something I can drive, and that your wife can drive. Or you’ll have to teach me how to drive it.” Since I’m pretty adamant that my next vehicle will have three pedals, I said I’d teach her how to drive it. That’s when I got to hear the story about the last time someone tried to teach her how to drive a manual transmission. I can sum up how it went in four words: Rest in peace, clutch.
My stepmother learned how to drive a stick because her father cut her loose in some crapbox with a stick until she had the hang of it…or the gearbox died, I don’t quite remember, but she can row gears. My father, who ran tractors as a kid and semi-trucks for the better part of his adult life, made shifting an art form. I learned riding dirt bikes and practiced on a Dodge D-50 that I used as a work truck as a teenager. I love driving manual transmissions…even the worst little piece of shit car, with a stick shift, trumps an automatic in my eyes. But then there is the issue of teaching someone how to drive a manual trans, and that’s what I’m asking you for, readers: who here has given it a shot? Were you successful, or do you still receive Christmas cards from Centerforce and Tremec for the parts you had to replace? And do you have any suggestions for me? Because I may need them at some point soon…
I tried to teach my wife in my small block powered 69 chevy truck with a 3 speed. The truck was easy to drive and had plenty of power even if you wanted to start in 3rd. I even showed her I could start in 3rd to prove it was possible. However coordination with her feet left a little to be desired. She let out the clutch and let off the gas every time. She never could let out the clutch and keep on the gas. That was problem 1. Problem 2 was she was so confused trying to shift it (3 on the tree) she blamed that as the reason she couldn’t work the clutch. I ended up working the gas while she worked the clutch and she was able to make a few laps around the school campus we were at. She never was able to let the clutch out slow enough at idle to get it moving, the truck would start to move and she would let the clutch out and kill it. Thankfully the clutch and transmission survived.
The first person I taught was my wife, back in the mid ’70’s, in my ’61 Studebaker Silver Hawk. Studebaker had a device called a “Hill Holder” which worked similarly to a line lock, except that when you pushed the clutch in and hit the brake, it would hold the brake on when you released it with your foot, until you let the clutch out, and it would release the brakes proportionately to the clutch. It was awesome! Studebaker. Back in the early ’60’s. Probably invented the device in the ’50’s, I don’t know. But why we’ve never had cars with that on it since then is beyond me.
Taught my wife in my ’88 Ford Ranger, 4X4, 2.9 V6, 5 Speed. It was pretty easy to drive. Taught her in an open parking lot. I drove it home, got out and handed her the keys. The was before cell phones. She said she had a couple of minor issues on hills, but about an hour later she came pulling in.
I taught both of my kids. My daughter didn’t learn until SHE wanted to and that was based around an S10 that I had that she wanted. When she thought she couldn’t do it, she was right.
My son, on the other hand, I explained to him how the clutch works and he was taking off on his own in about 5 minutes.
I love stick shift and I would still buy every vehicle as one if I could.
Tried teaching my brother when we were in high school with my mother’s Mitsubishi Precis (rebadged Hyundai Excel, a misnamed car if there ever was one). He stalled it in the middle of an intersection and it wouldn’t restart. We had to call a tow truck from a pay phone – this was before cell phones were widespread.
My wife was already pretty good at driving a manual transmission smoothly when we met. It’s possible this may have helped me fall in love.
First drive around town with them in the passenger seat doing the shifting, saying “I’ve pushed in the clutch, shift to (X)” so they learn the motion and gears. Then swap seats and let them move gears around with the car off for awhile.
Then before you even start the car have them sit there with their eyes closed and envision they’re standing on a teeter-totter. Right foot down/left foot up…left foot down/right foot up, all in an even manner and no abrupt motion just slow and smooth. It’s a mantra, do it over and over. Out on the road if having problems, relax-take a break, then back to the mantra. When they stall it in an intersection, be the picture of calm and always act pleasant and encouraging (and whoever is behind you, that’s their tough luck). Some people suggest learning out on dirt roads. Have taught a dozen people, half of them females who actually seem to pick it up a little easier.
I tella my wife to push inna de flush and putta in one. Then letta outta flush slow. She keep on stopping motor. I say slower on de flush and she says up your giggy. Women, no capiche. We now hava shift by itself.
I just taught my buddy last month in a 2013 Hyundai Veloster.
I started by just telling him to let the clutch out until the revs start to drop, much the way we were taught on motorcycles at the MSF course. He couldn’t do it. So we just started doing full starts with me giving tips from the passenger seat.
The best tip I gave him and the thing that made the most progress in the shortest amount of time? I told him to put his hands in his lap. We were in a parking lot, so steering or shifting wasn’t necessary immediately. Taking two limbs out of the equation let him focus on his footwork. Things got immensely better after that. He wanted to death grip the gearshift at all times and move it like he was opening a floodgate on a dam, with about 100lbs of force. Making him put his hand on the wheel or under his leg when not making a gear change made a difference. Just gave him less to think about at any given time.
To teach my wife and kids,I rented!
My oldest boy. He learned in the Pulsar. The girl and other boy…I tried to teach in the Mustang but the clutch was too hard for them.
Just got the boy a little Jetta with a 5spd manual. Took him out and he had it down in about 10 minutes.
Shopping for another car for the girl…she wants a stick this time.
I picked it up quick the way my old man taught me so I use the same method.
I’m a 4-speed (well nowadays, 5 and 6-speed guy too), and I’ve always loved rowing gears. I taught my late brother’s ex-wife how to drive a 4-speed while she was waiting for her new Chevy Vega GT to arrive at the dealership. I let her learn on my 72 340 Duster (also a 4-speed).
I thought about it hard, and decided that the easiest way for her to learn (with the least possibility of hitting anything) was to take her out to I-95 (hardly any traffic back then, especially during the day). I started her on the shoulder and had her practice starting and stopping before I let he get into the slow lane. It’s not as crazy as it might sound.
My Duster had 4.56:1 gears, and it made it almost impossible to stall for her. The “fly in the ointment” was that I used a Vertigate shifter, which took to explaining to her. It built her confidence up and we practiced elsewhere for a day. She was a little rough when she got her new car, but she learned pretty quickly. Nowadays, a manual transmission is practically an anti-theft device, but you can bet I will teach my kids to drive a stick first :^). I guess I kinda feel like it’s a duty to show the next generation how it’s done. As a side note, the lack of a manual transmission option is my only fault found with the new Demon.
Just ramblin’
taught a female in HS to drive a stick. she got pretty good.
taught another friend how to drive a stick. he would run the dog piss out of the motor, though
so i guess i am 50/50 on success rate
Had a Jeep that had such a low first gear even if you just took your foot off the clutch it would move nicely. Taught both my sons how to drive a standard on it. My opinion everyone should no how so they always have options.
I learned in a 66 F100. Three on the tree, strong arm steering, manual brakes. And I was a 95 lb pencil neck. My dad’s logic was that if I could drive that stick, I could drive anything.
At 16, uncle calls to tell me to report to his house at 6:00am to start work. Have to drive to a construction site. Ok, no problem- except I’m suppose to drive a Ford F-250 with a granny gear transmission and a big diesel fuel tank on the back to service the onsite equipment.
So- no pressure – it’s dark, first time in a stick shift truck. Uncle’s waiting on me to get the hang of it enough so he can drive the dump truck and I have to follow.
Fun times!!!
Lady friend in a new 73 Mustang 3 speed – I had my license revoked at the time
She did OK , and the clutch survived too !
When we met my now wife she drove stick , always drove a stick car .
When we got a 91 Caravan late 90’s she was bummed it was an auto ….
But the price , condition and grad school twins overrode that .
Then got a Mazda 6 5 speed car free – happy again .
Then that died – sad again .
Taught my older cousin, who just got a job that required driving a stick. I was in 10th grade and my car was a \’63 Chevy II wagon, 192ci 6 cyl, 3 on the tree.
All I did was raised the idle on the carb and let him concentrate on releasing the clutch slowly. As he got better and lowered the idle and let him balance the gas and clutch. Did it in a couple of hours around midnight. Got to stop uphill and pulled away without dying or jerking. He went to work the next day and survived.
We both still remember this after 45 years. Wish I still had that wagon.
I taught many a girlfriend and my first wife how to row, My Sons first vehicle, a ranger 4 cyl 5 speed. My Daughter, a 4 cyl ford probe 5 speed. I thought I could teach anyone to drive a stick until I met a woman who couldn’t be taught how to ride a ten speed bicycle..
Thought my little sister in my pro touring 68 Camaro! Some thought I was crazy but she did pretty good.
Taught my wife in a 04 Chevy 1500. There was not a trail of broken parts, but the need for her to get her license and not wanting a divorce was more than the desire for her to be able drive a stick. We ended up buying a car that was an automatic for her .
I have a 94 Subaru Loyale 4wd, 5 speed. I have taught several young learners to drive a stick on it.
I live in a rural area so am fortunate to be able to pick level areas to start out. The hardest part is downshifting to go up hilly areas.
Plan your progression of skills in learning to shift up & down. Take the whole process apart & go thru it all step by step. It is more timing than anything. So plan the first outing to be on a quiet road. As confidence grows, you can add more terrain.
I believe teens need to know the fundamentals of a stick so if they are with a driver who indulges, they are not stranded. Count it as preventative teaching. Total mastery is not important, knowledge is important.
I taught a few people in my low buck Chevette. One buddy of mine was over 30 and said he always wanted to learn. I had him driving me around inner city Dayton for an hour. A lot of shifting and stops. He didn’t enjoy it yet said if he ever had to again he could. Also showed my younger brother how. He had little to no interest in learning. I also taught him how to drive. He did tell me more recently he did have to move some ones manual transmission car out of the driveway on to the road. He knew the basics from what I taught him. He also now thinks a WRX Subaru is like a super car, yet that’s the effects of marring stupid people.
I taught a few girls to drive and drive manuals. names I don’t even recall, faces I can’t recall either. once they get over the fear put in them by others they either get it or they don’t.
If it were I, I would buy an older throw away car with a row it your self and a hand brake-park brake between the seats. You can stop a roll away or help on a hill.