I have 8 weeks to learn how to drive manual, but I have no access to a manual car...

[MultiMediaWill]

What should I do? None of my friends own manual cars, and my parents don't know how to drive manual either. I've only ever driven automatic but I ordered a 2016 manual GT.

I've watched countless youtube videos on how to drive stick, but I'm afraid that won't help me drive off the lot when the car is delivered. Any advice?

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[Jeepwx03]

http://novadriving.com/our-programs/stick-shift-lessons/

I'm not sure how close this is, but something like this might be the ticket

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

 

[krazieboy]

maybe there's a company somewhere that will rent a manual car.

 

[50hhh]

I suppose you could have someone at the dealer teach you. Just get the car to a large parking lot and have at it.

 

[stoli]

Your sales person should be willing to help you out. 10-20 minutes and you should be good enough to at least get it to another parking lot where you can practice some more.

 

[xfyre101]

find the shadiest car rental company you can (they're likely to be only ones that have manual cars anymore) and just rent one for a wkend.

 

[saleen367]

Not sure there are many rental agencies that have manuals anymore, but your selling dealer may have a Focus, Fusion or similar in the used lot that they are willing to loan to you for a few days to learn. Then again, they might not.

For me personally, I think you'd be more proficient at it driving any manual for a few days vs. a couple of hours in an empty lot with your GT. Plus the down side of burning a new clutch would suck.

 

[BeauxXL1200]

And don't worry too much about learning to drive a manual. It'll come to you with a bit of practice. It ain't rocket surgery.

You're gonna love your Mustang. :cheers:

 

[brandonsmash]

Honestly, I'd just buy a beater Volkswagen off Craigslist for $1000 or something. That way you can teach yourself to drive it and resell it for likely near what you paid once you're comfortable.

http://chicago.craigslist.org/nwc/cto/5184917646.html

http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/cto/5193158814.html

Or a Ford Ranger. These things are great AND useful.

http://chicago.craigslist.org/nwc/cto/5207742111.html

 

[Socalmustang]

I learned how to drive manual in my mustang as well and no matter how may videos or readings you do...it won't help much until you get into a manual car and start practicing. I would not recommend driving the mustang off that lot with zero experience....even with 20-30 min of the dealer teaching you....that spells bad news all over it.

Ask family or your friends family...Someone has to know how to drive a manual and like someone said earlier...rent one from a rental company...that's your best bet.

 

[Earlsays]

I learned how to drive manual transmission from a car salesman...I bought the car that night, and drove it home...very shakily...By the time I was about two weeks in, I was driving the car like a seasoned pro...well, almost, but you know what I mean...it's real easy.

Recently, I picked up a 2015 Mustang GT - I had not touched a standard transmission in a few years, and it took a little while to get the feeling down, but it all came back pretty fast.

Last weekend I let a friend drive the car who had never really driven a manual transmission. He killed it at a stop sign 15+ times, finally got it going, drove it a few miles, and was really doing very well, very quickly. It's easy. Worst case scenario is that you are thrown into it the day you take delivery. Just relax, you won't hurt the car. Let the clutch out, when you feel it grab, give it some gas. Or don't it will basically take off under it's own power once the clutch begins making contact.

Take the clutch helper spring out before you do anything. I feel that it would be easier to learn on a clutch without the helper spring.

 

[batz1917]

What should I do? None of my friends own manual cars, and my parents don't know how to drive manual either. I've only ever driven automatic but I ordered a 2016 manual GT.

I've watched countless youtube videos on how to drive stick, but I'm afraid that won't help me drive off the lot when the car is delivered. Any advice?

I was in the same boat as you are when I got my GT delivered. Best advice for getting it home is to be slow with the clutch going into first and you should be just fine. You WILL stall, there's no way around that. Don't panic, relax and you'll be ok.

On the bright side you will pick it up fairly quickly. There is enough torque in that engine to start moving the car when on a flat surface. Once you feel the clutch engaging start to give it a little gas. Just remember be slow with the clutch. Eventually you will feel the engagement point from experience/muscle memory.

Good Luck!

 

[cosmo]

As others have said, ask a salesperson to take you out in one. There's probably an older manual somewhere on the lot you can learn off of.

In terms of learning how? I've successfully taught people using the same way I learned how to ride a motorbike.

For starters, leaving your right foot off the brake/accelerator and the car in first gear, lift your left foot off the clutch slowly until the car starts to move. That is the "friction zone" where the clutch is engaged and the engine and transmission are now connected. After you get the car moving, press the clutch back in and apply the brake until you stop. Repeat for as long as you need until you have a good feel for 1.) how the clutch feels when it enters the friction zone and 2.) where the friction zone is. For part two, right where the friction zone starts, start adding gas and pressing the accelerator. You will continue lifting your foot off the clutch until it is completely off, and using more gas. Continue to vary how much gas you're giving the car, and see how it reacts. Is it stuttering? More gas is needed/needs gas sooner in the lifting of the clutch. Is it revving high and jumping? Too much gas/giving gas too early. For part 3, start to speed up/slow down the transition of adding gas and lifting off the clutch.

Too many people immediately start trying to give the car gas, without really knowing WHEN they're supposed to give the car gas.

 

[rick8172]

Hopefully you never forget. I'll be getting a manual GT350 or GT next spring and haven't driven a manual in 8 years. But I drove one every day for about 8 years before that so it should come back to me quickly.

 

[chris_5oh]

I learned how to drive manual when I picked up my mustang. It wont be too bad and you will get used to it pretty quickly.

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