Manual experience concerns

[domingos35]

Having lived in Europe driving manual is no problem at all

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[fionic]

The biggest thing on the driver's test in New York is parallel parking. I failed my test the first time because I hit the curb parallel parking -- you get a space that's two feet longer than your car, and you have to parallel park in it without hitting the curb and without having either tire more than six inches out from the curb. That's the biggest difference I've noticed -- everybody in New York can parallel park, but most people I've run into from elsewhere can't. Or they consider parking a 15 foot car in a 20 foot space with the tires left a foot from the curb to be a good parallel parking job...

I'll say it again, no way I could live in the city. Anywhere. No thanks.

At least you can parallel park, unlike a bunch of people

 

[cush]

Just remember to keep your foot off the pedal when you are not shifting... riding a clutch is the easiest way to destroy it.

 

[Keyser_Soze]

The next stang I own will be manual but Ive only driven a manual a handful of times. I really dont want to buy a new stang and tear up the clutch or transmission. Looking to buy in 6-9 mos. Would it be a good idea to trade/sell my current stang which is an auto, and pick up a manual? That way Id have at least a few months to get used to it.

You'd take more of a bath on that than you would completely replacing a clutch you wore out. Calm down, you'll have it a month, stall it ~4 times, and be on your merry way. Mustang clutches are somewhat tall compared with others and I've never gotten in one that was hard to shift. The SN95's shift like trucks, but shift well nonetheless.

 

[HalfMoon]

The clutch in my '15 GT is one of the lightest and most forgiving clutches I've ever had. I'd say it compares strongly to the clutch in my MK6 GTI and Golf R. Feather light.

I need to look for the over-center assist spring on this car, if there is one and yank it out. That made a night and day difference in my C6.

 

[Keyser_Soze]

The clutch in my '15 GT is one of the lightest and most forgiving clutches I've ever had. I'd say it compares strongly to the clutch in my MK6 GTI and Golf R. Feather light.

I need to look for the over-center assist spring on this car, if there is one and yank it out. That made a night and day difference in my C6.

How would this change the behavior of the clutch? I'd love to eliminate the ~40% of travel on the bottom in these cars that does nothing, but then you wouldn't be able to shift out of neutral or into reverse. I've always found Mustang clutches to be overly tall for their purpose.

 

[HalfMoon]

How would this change the behavior of the clutch? I'd love to eliminate the ~40% of travel on the bottom in these cars that does nothing, but then you wouldn't be able to shift out of neutral or into reverse. I've always found Mustang clutches to be overly tall for their purpose.

On the Corvettes the spring is an assist spring, so it lightens the load. Good for people that have issues with knees or just holding down a heavy pedal. It didn't do anything for the engagement point as that's "self adjusting".

This weekend I'm going to look at my Mustang and see what the setup looks like.

 

[Patrick S]

It has been 10 years since i have driven a manual on a daily basis. until yesterday - it was super easy to readjust to it. the only issue i has was going from first to second, oddly enough. but, that ironed itself out.

 

[phil1336]

Anyone who lives or commutes to work in a large urban City will forgo the (joy) of rowing ones gears for the Automatic Transmission. To be stuck for hours on the Interstate in rush hour traffic or constant stop and go City driving is (not) what I would consider fun. Sure, if one lives in a rural area or do most of your driving on a lightly traveled highway, great, otherwise, I`ll simply select "D" and forgetaboutit. No (learning curve) issues here either. Been driving a Stick Shift for over 50 years, FYI.

 

[veeATE]

The next stang I own will be manual but Ive only driven a manual a handful of times. I really dont want to buy a new stang and tear up the clutch or transmission. Looking to buy in 6-9 mos. Would it be a good idea to trade/sell my current stang which is an auto, and pick up a manual? That way Id have at least a few months to get used to it.

I bought my new Mustang GT with a 6 speed manual, and had no experience driving manual whatsoever. Drove it home from the dealer on a Friday night, 50 miles away.

Learned over the weekend by watching YouTube and just going out there and practicing, and it eventually all became second nature. I don't think I will be going back to automatic anytime soon!

EDIT: I live in Los Angeles, one of the most congested cities in the US, and deal with traffic everyday. It's not a big deal (I tend to leave a 2-3 car gap in heavy traffic to avoid having to clutch in all the time), and actually keeps you more entertained/aware of your surroundings.

 

[HalfMoon]

Anyone who lives or commutes to work in a large urban City will forgo the (joy) of rowing ones gears for the Automatic Transmission. To be stuck for hours on the Interstate in rush hour traffic or constant stop and go City driving is (not) what I would consider fun. Sure, if one lives in a rural area or do most of your driving on a lightly traveled highway, great, otherwise, I`ll simply select "D" and forgetaboutit. No (learning curve) issues here either. Been driving a Stick Shift for over 50 years, FYI.

I'm not anyone then.

I drive about 2 hours each way on my commute and have had ONE new car with an automatic transmission car in the last 8 years. I traded it away in 6 months solely because of the transmission.

 

[RevvdMedia]

I drove a Manual GT this weekend. I will say that it was possibly one of the smoothest and easiest to drive manuals I have ever driven - even more than Honda's, which have a very easy clutch. I haven't driven manual with any regularity in 3 years and I drove it like I've owned the car for a year. Also, I found the manual not tedious or labor intensive at all. I could see this being one of the more livable day to day manual transmissions out there.

 

[phil1336]

I'm not anyone then.

I drive about 2 hours each way on my commute and have had ONE new car with an automatic transmission car in the last 8 years. I traded it away in 6 months solely because of the transmission.

When you get older then 50, have a bottle of Aleve ready for the pain in your left knee from depressing the clutch in a thousand times a day.

 

[geokots]

Anyone who lives or commutes to work in a large urban City will forgo the (joy) of rowing ones gears for the Automatic Transmission.

That is completely not true and don't generalize because it's too much work for you. I drive 2.5 hours a day in traffic for work and then there's days when I see clients which may add 1-2 hours. All of this in terrible traffic.
Of my 8 cars 6 have been manual and I wouldn't go back to automatic. It becomes muscle memory.

 

[HalfMoon]

When you get older then 50, have a bottle of Aleve ready for the pain in your left knee from depressing the clutch in a thousand times a day.

Hey, I'm 43 and already feeling older than my years. Too many years on my back on a garage floor doing clutch and exhaust swaps.

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