Need help deciding

[firebird19_99]

well my current firebird was a salvage, and the dealer doesnt want to bother trying to get the title so he offered me another car with a clear title. But its manual and i have no clue how to drive it. My dad doesnt want me to get it bc he says youll have to replace the clutch often. My question is, how hard is it for a beginner to drive stick and will the clutch have to be replace often, is it worth it? i say yes he says no. thanks

[jabberman]

Re: Need help deciding

A Year ago I Never Knew how to drive standard until i found out that the Camaro i wanted to buy was Standard! So it was either do or die! It took me about a hour or so to get the hang of it. After a couple of weeks i Perfected it! The Hardest part is when you first take off. Just always let the clutch out slow. If your not constantly doing burnouts or Abusing your car then NO you dont have to replace it often. Some stock clutches go for 100k miles when they are takin care of and properly maintained. Standard cars are more fun so go for it!

[Sean_99_3.8]

Re: Need help deciding

its not hard to learn i learned how when i was 10 lol.
if you not slipping the clutch all the time it shouldnt wear out any time soon.

[firebird19_99]

Re: Need help deciding

its not hard to learn i learned how when i was 10 lol.
if you not slipping the clutch all the time it shouldnt wear out any time soon.

whats slipping the clutch? u think a summer would be enough to learn? my dad said its my decision but that most likely im goin to have to replace it a lot and he says its not worth it because you have to worry about them stalling, im saying yes and if you guyz can convince ill probably call the guy 2day and tell him ill take it.lol thnx for the opinions

[jabberman]

Re: Need help deciding

whats slipping the clutch?

When your accelerating and not fully letting go of the Clutch it doesnt fully catch and wheres it down...just like the way brake pads work with friction and stuff. But if you give it the right amount of gas and let go of the clutch equally then have nothing to worry about. Once you drive a standard car youll know what everyone is talking about.

[firebird19_99]

Re: Need help deciding

lol alright i guess im gonna call the guy and see if he still has it...thanks for the info and just hope i dont stall at a red light.lol thanks guyz

[t-topV6]

Re: Need help deciding

i would do it... first stick i ever drove, was a toyota tercel... killed it a few times at stop signs... but i got the hang of it, youll like it, kind of wish my camaro was a stick

[ssms5411]

Re: Need help deciding

I learned how to drive a stick on a Daston 210 hatch back. Just drove in empty parking lots. I think it took me 2 days and I was good to go. Also if your not dropping the clutch to do burnouts and whatnot , you can have your clutch last at least 4-5 years with normal driving.

[firebird19_99]

Re: Need help deciding

all useful info, thanks, so basically in about 2 weeks or less you'll get the hang of driving stick. Thanks, if i fuk up im coming here anyways.lol

[jabberman]

Re: Need help deciding

thanks for the info and just hope i dont stall at a red light.

Dont be afraid to push that clutch..Its kinda Intimidating when your a Beginner..But when you feel its gonna stall just push that clutch to keep it on.

[firebird19_99]

Re: Need help deciding

Dont be afraid to push that clutch..Its kinda Intimidating when your a Beginner..But when you feel its gonna stall just push that clutch to keep it on.

see im learning already, didnt know that by pushing the clutch back in it would keep the car from stalling

[Archer]

Re: Need help deciding

after a week of driving it, it will become second nature..

When you turn sharp corners, just down shift to 2nd.. Wish I had a stick on my Camaro... Is there a write up on how to swap the trannies???

Archer

[t-topV6]

Re: Need help deciding

after a week of driving it, it will become second nature..

When you turn sharp corners, just down shift to 2nd.. Wish I had a stick on my Camaro... Is there a write up on how to swap the trannies???

Archer

im not sure if there was a write up... but i do know a handful of people have done it here.. such as meatyshells.

you could start if you wanted to look into by searching, theres a couple threads where it says all the parts you need for the conversion

[firebird19_99]

Re: Need help deciding

ok my last question is anyone who drives stick, how long after you first learned to drive did you have to replace the clutch (if you had to) and about how hard is it to replace.

[SpeedingFirebird]

Re: Need help deciding

After a week or so, it is second nature, and you'll wonder why you worried. If you can, find a parking lot or someone's driveway that is on a hill and practice starting off. If you can start off on a hill, then everything else is cake.

I do things differently than pointed out. When it's about to stall, give it more gas. The worst that will happen is you'll spin the tires.

I have taught numerous people with this method: Don't touch the gas. Let the clutch out slowly until the engine starts to bog. This is what I have always called the "catch point". Give the car a little gas so it doesn't bog (you still won't be moving at this point). Now keep letting out the clutch but match the amount of gas to keep the car from stalling. In other words, focus on the engine not stalling. don't focus on the clutch. Keep the engine from stalling while letting out the clutch, and she'll take off. Over time, this smooths right out.

Note, if you drive in traffic a lot, you may hate the standard. Otherwise, you will never go back to a slushbox.