Sponsored

Want to buy a GT350 but cant drive a manual!

FogcitySF

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2017
Threads
5
Messages
263
Reaction score
200
Location
San Francisco
Vehicle(s)
BMW E90 M3 | GT350R | Porsche 911 GT3 RS (991)
No faster way to learn a manual than to buy one which forces you to drive it! Start out in flat, residential areas or parking lots. 1st gear is the hardest, but 2nd-up a novice can catch on really quickly. The clutch should be more than robust enough to handle a few stalls.
Sponsored

 

MrCincinnati

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2017
Threads
24
Messages
895
Reaction score
473
Location
Cincinnati
Vehicle(s)
2017 GT350R
A cheap used car lot should have a manual beater for $1500 or less that you can learn on.
However, as someone else has already mentioned--- u ride harley-- u already know how to shift gears and manipulate a clutch. There's not much more to the basics than that.
 

GTthree50

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2016
Threads
25
Messages
801
Reaction score
461
Location
San Francisco Bay Area
Vehicle(s)
Magnetic Grey 2017 GT350
Unless my particular car is unusual I think the Shelby is not difficult to learn on. I really like the clutch feel, its smooth, light and reasonably progressive. No issues with the throttle either. Been teaching my 18 year old son to dive a stick on it and not much drama to report. I find the car easier to drive than the two previous 911's I owned and those were pretty easy too.
 

rb92gt

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2015
Threads
12
Messages
591
Reaction score
371
Location
Ponte Vedra, FL
First Name
Ryan
Vehicle(s)
2016 GT350 Cooled Tech
I think the GT350 is easy to learn on compared to other sticks I've driven including my fox body Mustang and Jeep. Just do a little studying ahead of time, you could burn up a clutch easy with 526 hp if you ride the clutch. Use the clutch as little as possible and DO NOT press your right foot hard on the accelerator at the same time your left foot is pushing the clutch in (no matter how little) and you will be fine. You will stall it here and there initially, no big deal, won't hurt a thing but your ego because everyone will be staring at you in a GT350 :). You should see the kids at the bus stops in the morning I drive by, it's like I'm driving the bat mobile (with much better sound though). I'm sorry, this is the best damn sounding car I have ever heard, PERIOD.
 
Last edited:

Shift

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2015
Threads
39
Messages
2,730
Reaction score
1,358
Location
CA
Vehicle(s)
a Ford
Just do it man, my first car was a manual. I remember those near panic attacks because I couldn't get rolling on the green light/stop sign :lol:

Here I am though, on my 4th manual car. Never owned an automatic car in my life.
 

Sponsored

Stingray23

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2015
Threads
2
Messages
130
Reaction score
48
Location
NY
Vehicle(s)
2012 SVT Raptor
I would buy it. I did the same thing back when I bought my cobra. I had my friend drive it home for me on a saturday afternoon. I was driving the next day up and down my road and by monday I was driving it to work. Its easy once you get the hang of it. Do it.
 

machsmith

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2016
Threads
11
Messages
3,608
Reaction score
2,039
Location
somewhere along the river
First Name
Jim
Vehicle(s)
Honda Minis
Id learn first that way you arent tearing up your ride.
Do you know how to drive a clutch motorcycle? Its similar.. but use foot to shift and hand to pull clutch. Hitting the friction point is the same tho.
This car is easy and fun to shift...especially at 8000 rpm.
Learn elsewhere that way you treat your baby good.
 

jvandy50

H3249
Joined
Jul 8, 2015
Threads
12
Messages
2,259
Reaction score
1,117
Location
AR
First Name
jason
Vehicle(s)
22 TRX, 18 ZL1-1LE
If you understand the bike i think you'll get the car. Not to mention if you dump the clutch in that torquey Harley it might just take off instead of stall...this is a high revving beast, but at the lower rpm range you wont be popping any wheelies :)

Only thing I'd worry about is how weird the clutch spring makes it IMO...this is my 5th mustang and i looked like a noob pulling her off the lot...steeda clutch spring fixed that vague blah whatever that is from ford

Good luck, we know you're gonna do it:cheers:
 
OP
OP
MikenDallas

MikenDallas

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2014
Threads
15
Messages
130
Reaction score
13
Location
Dallas, TX
First Name
Mike
Vehicle(s)
2015 Mustang GT Premium in Black
I think the GT350 is easy to learn on compared to other sticks I've driven including my fox body Mustang and Jeep. Just do a little studying ahead of time, you could burn up a clutch easy with 526 hp if you ride the clutch. Use the clutch as little as possible and DO NOT press your right foot hard on the accelerator at the same time your left foot is pushing the clutch in (no matter how little) and you will be fine. You will stall it here and there initially, no big deal, won't hurt a thing but your ego because everyone will be staring at you in a GT350 :). You should see the kids at the bus stops in the morning I drive by, it's like I'm driving the bat mobile (with much better sound though). I'm sorry, this is the best damn sounding car I have ever heard, PERIOD.
Yeah I've been watching YouTube videos all day of the exhaust! Incredible
 

Steve68

Mr. Robot
Joined
May 28, 2015
Threads
33
Messages
1,526
Reaction score
1,047
Location
Sitting on the lap of someone you love.
First Name
Steve
Vehicle(s)
2019 Mustang Bullitt, 2018 Jeep JLUR, 2020 F-150
I agree with Pencil (maybe the not the percentage to "there") but you're at least 50% there. Same concept as your Harley, controls in different places is all. I say go for it. I just sold my GT350 and got a Road King. :)
 

Sponsored

Rogue

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 26, 2015
Threads
30
Messages
1,094
Reaction score
667
Location
Florida
Vehicle(s)
Porsche 911 Carrera S, Boss 302 Laguna Seca, Jagua
I bought a brand new Shelby GT500 off the showroom floor in 2007, I had never driven a manual and couldn't even drive it out of the lot after purchase. I learned after about a day.
 

Computer Guy

Active Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2016
Threads
0
Messages
35
Reaction score
27
Location
Southwest Michigan
Vehicle(s)
2017 Lightning Blue GT350
Ok guys the GT350 bug has officially bitten me. I have a couple deals lined up but the only problem is I don't know how to drive a manual. Am I crazy to buy one of these without knowing how to drive one? I'm thinking I'll be ok and can learn pretty quickly but I would love some feedback. I have some friends that will help teach me but they don't have manual cars at the moment. Thanks!
My GT350 is the first manual transmission car that I have owned. I was nervous about driving it home, so the dealership arranged for one of the people who owns a manual transmission Mustang working at the dealership to drive it to my house. I started driving manual transmission farm tractors (Farmall A, Farmall C, Ford 8N) roughly 35 years ago, so I was familiar with the process of using a clutch. While I have never stalled one of the low horsepower farm tractors, it takes a bit of practice with the GT350 to take off in first gear slightly above idle without stalling as the engine RPM seems to drop right around 400 RPM as the car starts rolling - so it takes a bit of practice to gradually give the car a bit more throttle while releasing the clutch to prevent a stall. It probably took me 10 to 15 starts and stops to become familiar enough with the clutch engagement and drop the chances for a stall on takeoff to below 50%. Shifting up through the gears was always a smooth process in my case with no grinding, although it takes a bit of practice to release the clutch without the car lurching slightly due to the dual stage clutch spring.

Running the car with the exhaust in loud mode will help you get a feel for the RPM drop on take off and also the correct RPM at which to shift. Find an empty, open area, such as a yard, long driveway, or parking lot to practice taking off and stopping. The car's heads up display shift light may be set as low as 3,000 RPM, so that may also help you to remember to shift into the next gear. Do not rest your hand on the shift knob - your hand should only be on the shifter if you intend to immediately shift into another gear. Do not rest your foot on the clutch pedal - your foot should only touch the clutch pedal when you are preparing to shift into another gear, or rolling to a stop once the engine RPM drops to roughly 1000 RPM. If you plan to downshift, push in the clutch pedal all the way, tap the gas quickly to raise the engine RPM (possibly 500 RPM for a 1 gear downshift or 1000 RPM for a 2 gear downshift), put the car into the desired gear, release the clutch, and then go back to the throttle. Try not to hold the clutch in for too long at a stop - I typically slide the shifter into first gear when rolling up to a stop, and if it looks like the car will not be able to move in 10 to 15 seconds, I generally try to take the car out of gear and release the clutch to save wear on the throwout bearing.

I also own a Mustang GT automatic (2011). It took a few weeks to transition to the GT350 and understand the point of having a manual transmission in the car - a couple quick shifts into second at ~8200 RPM helped to clarify any remaining confusion.

Good luck with your decision. The traffic in Dallas may make owning a manual transmission car an unpleasant experience, so make certain that you evaluate that potential problem before buying a manual transmission car.
 

nordique14

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2017
Threads
9
Messages
374
Reaction score
225
Location
NorCal
Vehicle(s)
2018 GT350 Magnetic Gray (J1601)
When it came time to buy my first car when I was 25, I ordered a Firebird (back when they still existed) with a stick. Drove it off the lot and stalled it a few times leaving the dealership. Quite embarrassing. It was my only car so I had to drive it. By the end of the week I was getting pretty good. Just find someone who knows how to drive a stick and is willing to sit with you as a passenger and give you advice.

Prior to buying the Firebird, all of my cars were hand-me-down automatics from my parents. The only real experience I had with a stick before driving it off the lot was in a manual Ford Escort I rented for a day from Rent-a-Wreck. If there is one near you, give them a call. They may have a stick. But avoid if you are a germaphobe. They seem to save money buy never cleaning the cars after use.

My advice...go buy the GT350 right now. Best way to learn is by doing. You will learn it quick and will not do any permanent damage to clutch in the week it takes you to get up to speed. Good luck!
 

Krogen

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2016
Threads
2
Messages
160
Reaction score
82
Location
Puget Sound
Vehicle(s)
2017 GT350 Oxford White & Blue Stripes
It's easy. You can do it. Just like a Harley except the clutch and throttle are feet not hands; and the shifter is your hand not a foot. Piece of cake. Just don't try to rush things; there's no need for speed shifting.

My first car was a stick - a '69 GTO. It was a beast and I sure wish I had it now. It put up with me learning just like an old dog tolerates a toddler. Every vehicle since has been a stick except for a time with an automatic Supra and an automatic Ford pickup. The only way I'll go away from sticks is if I can't by one anymore or wind up in an electric vehicle.
 

Pnasty

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2015
Threads
14
Messages
863
Reaction score
217
Location
Florida
Vehicle(s)
2016 GT/CS Ruby
Like most said once you have the concept down on a bike its cake. The only thing I struggled with at first is throttle input in first gear because your trying to get much more mass moving in a car vs a bike. That being said gt350 is an easy car to drive just be easy on the throttle.
Sponsored

 
 




Top