First Time Manual Owner

I am currently waiting on a 2017 GT PP and with it being my first car with a manual transmission I am asking the forum for a list of some things to watch out for in the first say 10k miles. Just want to make sure that my learning period doesn't completely destroy a factory clutch because I know they, more than likely, won't replace it under warranty.

I would disable the "hill assist" feature while you are first learning to work the clutch. I think it will be more beneficial in the long run.

Go buy a $200 beater with a stick and learn on that.

Never driven a stick before? Do you know the basics?

Maybe a few lessons from a driving instructor?
Tell us more.

I've driven a buddies old jeep several times as well as an old 1970' F350 with a manual transmission (helping out on the farm). But in both of those situations I never had the amount of Torque and HP that the GT will provide. I ride dirt bikes a lot on our property here in south GA. I understand the concepts behind a clutch, just didn't know if there was any wisdom that could be bestowed by folks that DD manuals.

Oh man. Did you test drive one at all before ordering? I ask as someone who came from a dd manual of 8 years, ordered the car, and then traded it in 3 months later because I hated the MT-82. Best of luck, I hope you love your car when you get it.

Yeah, I test drove 3 different ones. Didn't have much of an issue with any of them during the test drives. I was able to keep one overnight and drive it in some decent traffic the next morning. I will say that my starts were a little rough, especially the initial shift from 1st to 2nd produced some bucking. I've read elsewhere on the thread that 2nd typically likes a little higher RPMs when shifting into it though.

Buy the steeda clutch spring assist https://www.steeda.com/steeda-s550-mustang-clutch-spring-assist-35-lb-in-15-16-all-555-7022.html , as this should be your first mod. The stock clutch feel is horribly vague because of how light the clutch feels.

Find a flat piece of asphalt and practice getting into first with just the clutch.

PrimetimeKenny_S550 said:

Buy the steeda clutch spring assist https://www.steeda.com/steeda-s550-mustang-clutch-spring-assist-35-lb-in-15-16-all-555-7022.html , as this should be your first mod. The stock clutch feel is horribly vague because of how light the clutch feels.

Find a flat piece of asphalt and practice getting into first with just the clutch.

Click to expand...

Haha I've read enough of the threads that I've already got the spring waiting at the house.

Just take the spring out - no replacement needed.

And yes, the MT-82 sucks. I have 25,000 miles on the car and still feel like a newbie - 5th manual car I have driven. That being said, it IS much better after it has warmed up in the morning, just awful when cold.

If you have a flat area to practice, you can get a feel for the engagement point by slowly releasing the clutch without using the gas at all. The lack of engine speed and torque will allow quite a bit of slippage without worrying about damage to the clutch. Once you've become comfortable with the engagement point, you can start adding throttle and releasing the clutch more quickly to speed up the launch.

The main thing to prevent damage is to have good throttle modulation, so you don't accidentally race the engine while slipping the clutch.

-T

My 2017 Mustang GT PP was my first manual as well! My dad let me practice on his S2000 prior to my purchase, but I was still no pro.

Those first few days, go out early in the morning before traffic is bad. That way if you mess up you have plenty of wiggle room.

Also, go super easy when taking off in first gear turning onto a road. That back end whipped around on me the first time I pulled out from my neighborhood. I kept the car straightish, but thank goodness no one was around. Keep in mind my previous car was a 2012 v6 stang with the tall 2.73 gears I think.

Overall, I love driving it. I have had it since September and never regret getting a manual. Practicing it and getting better over time is like a gift that keeps on giving. Enjoy!

Forgot to mention that mine has zero issues in the cold and I drive it year round in VA.

OP, I think you'll be fine. My 15 year old, learners permit, has gotten the hang of it pretty well on his 01 GT. The biggest thing that helped him was in an empty parking lot pratice with just engaging the clutch enough to get it to roll then push it back in at an idle. Once he got the feel of the clutch grabbing he hasn't stumbled on taking off since.

Saw Trackaholic's post after I posted this. What he said.

So two guys respond to a guy waiting on a new ride that his transmission sucks!

Way to go buzzkills!:shrug:

When I test drove a 2017 I found the MT-82 to be fine. Not sure what the others are bitching about.

You will burn your clutch, multiple times.
You will spin the tires, mutiple times
You will stall
You will roll backwards on hills
You will grind the gears

Once you get over those realities, mastering a manual is easy.

Don't leave the clutch in while sitting at lights for long periods. Like the guy above said, disable the hill start assist in the dashboard menus until you can take off from a hill without rolling backwards. Try not to rest your hand on the shifter while driving.