1st Time Manual Driver! Need your feedback please

[Roush6ny]

Hello All

I have a great deal on the table ready to go on a 17 GT350, I am looking to trade in my 16 GT/CS but I have never owned a manual car.

Can you guys please tell me from your experience if its a smart move to jump into the GT350 for a 1st timer? is it a easy car to learn on?

I appreciate the feedback very much, I have to close the deal by tomorrow to get the price on the trade!

Thank you

Kaz

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[15pgnatsum]

I have a feeling you may get ripped apart based on my experience on car forums, but I'll chime in before it gets to that point:

I would never teach my wife to drive a manual transmission on my last Mustang (A 2003 Mach 1)

I will definitely teach my wife to drive a manual transmission on my GT350.

It is really an easy car to drive...at all speeds. Between the torque/power curve and the hydraulic clutch, it is such that in day-to-day slow driving, it really isn't scary or unpredictable. Is it fun at those speeds? No. But it is, relatively, very easy to drive.

My Mach 1 was a bitch and a half to drive because of the cable clutch and low end torque and rear end gearing.

So, will most people suggest your first manual transmission vehicle to be a relatively expensive performance vehicle? I'm going to guess no - especially on an enthusiast forum.

But from my experience, the shifting feel of the manual transmission in this car really isn't much more difficult than a gutless Honda or Toyota base-level sedan. It's just that in this case, you're sitting on the potential to turn into a rocket ship past 3500 RPM.

I learned to drive a manual transmission sixteen some-odd years ago on a 1966 Mustang with a 3-speed. Now THAT was a royal pain in the ass to learn on, and I was like 14 years old. Just make sure you have someone to teach you the basics. And I'm assuming that since you can afford a GT350, you're probably not a 14 year old. So yeah...

 

[GTthree50]

I second those sentiments. My car is the only stick in the house and I did not hesitate to teach my son how to drive a manual on it. The clutch is so easy and forgiving. I think if the Shelby is a car you want deep down inside, do not let learning on it be a limiter. Hopefully you have a good friend or family member who will be able to help you. If I recall there is another forum member here local to me in fact that was in a similar situation and was successful. Good luck!

 

[oldbmwfan]

+1. Worst case you shorten the clutch life. Big deal; it's consumable.

Tip: have someone experienced take you to a flat parking lot and practice getting the car rolling, without stalling, without using the throttle. Once you can do that consistently, the rest is pretty easy. With a high powered car, always get the clutch fully engaged before you feed it much throttle and the clutch will live a long time. If you slip the clutch a lot while applying throttle (engaging gradually as you roll away from a stop, you'll increase wear.

It will take a little time to get the feel, but the key is to get the basic mechanics down in a parking lot first, then just go drive on the road. It's way less scary than you think. My wife learned at age 30 on my BMW and did fine, and the clutch was fine too. Now we don't own any automatics. ;-)

 

[Demonic]

Not a hard car to learn manual on, especially since it has hill assist, which is arguably the hardest part of learning stick. I've taught quite a few people how to drive stick, and what I've realized it comes down to isn't the car, but whether that person will overcome the instinct to let go of the clutch (fully engaging it) as the car starts to stall. Most people will get scared and immediately take their foot off the clutch, lunging any occupants into a head jerk stall. If you can simply remind yourself that pressing the clutch in is what prevents you from stalling, then it doesn't really matter what car you learn. Well, except maybe a full blown race car with a tilton triple plate.

 

[Tank]

I agree w the others, it’s a good car to learn on.

Don’t psych yourself out if you come across discussions of the stock clutch spring, Steeda clutch spring or removal of said clutch spring. To you, it won’t make a difference. Jump in and get going. Just don’t forget it’s a manual as you’re coming to a stop...

Good luck and congrats on the deal!

 

[Tank]

I have a feeling you may get ripped apart based on my experience on car forums, but I'll chime in before it gets to that point:..

Since you’re new here, I won’t “rip you apart”.

Spend some more time here and you’ll see most of us who own a GT350 have a love of this car and are willing to go above and beyond to help a newb out. You’ll even find former owners hanging out to share their experiences in a helpful way.

 

[15pgnatsum]

Since you’re new here, I won’t “rip you apart”. Spend some more time here and you’ll see most of us who own a GT350 have a love of this car and are willing to go above and beyond to help a newb out.

Unless they’re a complete dumbass....

I've been on Mustang forums for 15+ years and let me just say, I'm pleasantly surprised with the GT350 section here (general section may be a different matter - seemingly lots of anti-Mustang people here for a Mustang website). Other places can be terrible to people with questions like this (*cough*SVTPerformance*cough*).

So I'll happily eat crow for starting out my post with being presumptuous like that!

 

[jvandy50]

Driving a manual is so much more rewarding, I don’t think you will regret it.

#savethemanuals

 

[Wildcardfox]

Hello All

I have a great deal on the table ready to go on a 17 GT350, I am looking to trade in my 16 GT/CS but I have never owned a manual car.

Can you guys please tell me from your experience if its a smart move to jump into the GT350 for a 1st timer? is it a easy car to learn on?

I appreciate the feedback very much, I have to close the deal by tomorrow to get the price on the trade!

Thank you

Kaz

You’ll get it with practice. Driving stick is intimidating at first, but once you learn is an extreme pleasure.

You can also practice on a PS4/Xbox for $500 if you get a Logitech sheep, shifter, and pedals. Simulates shifitng but not clutch friction point. Need the real car for that.

 

[serpent]

when I taught my son to drive stick, once he got the hang of it I would back my car down a boat ramp and leave back wheels at the waters edge then let him drive up. Once he mastered that I knew he could handle anything.

 

[key01]

The car also has hill assist to keep you from rolling backwards while stopped at a light. Rolling back and massaging the pedals is tough on new manual drivers, so you’re covered there. This car is easy to drive at a moderate pace so don’t worry.

 

[Wine dude]

I like the Steeda clutch spring, have never stalled it since I changed it.
When first learning I was always afraid of stalling or a slow start with the guy behind me thinking I was gonna scream away, so paranoid about a rear love tap. I had a friend drive behind me understanding that gave me a buffer if I stalled or slow started.
It really isn’t hard to learn but I did stall a few times with factory clutch spring.

 

[Wildcardfox]

Love the hill assist. As long as you are at a complete stop the car will not roll back.

 

[Wildcardfox]

I myself am new to driving stick, or to be more honest had to learn re-driving stick as I had a stick about seven years ago for a 6-month stretch, and I never mastered toe-heel and downshifting when I had my old car. This year to practice those manual driving procedures, I bought the Logitech steering wheel and shifter for my PS4, bought “Project Cars” the most realistic driving/racing game, pulled out my old Sparco race seat from my car, and bought PS4s virtual reality glasses. I practiced driving a virtual Boss 302 Laguna Seca Race car. With the VR it was a realistic experience. That practice really helped me, so when I bought the 2019 PP2 a month before my GT350R I was able to transition over to the real thing and practice my downshifts.

My major anxiousness with being in a stick was the panic that I had when that people would just jump in front of you and brake or do something unexpected. In an auto you just hit the brake, but being new to stick you kinda go insane at first thinking “what do I do!!?!!” But with practice on an empty road. I was able to confidently find my friction point in 1st gear quickly (the one thing a game can not simulate), up shifting, downshifting (PP2 has automatic rev matching), and later perfect my toe-heel inside of the car.

Many people do not know how to drive a stick now day, but if you want to learn, you can. It takes some practice because driving stick is a whole body experience versus driving an auto, but you can master it if you want. And, as others have mentioned, it is a blast!

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