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Hill starts will take a lot longer. Do not be afraid to use the parking brake, or even ease the car back against the bumper of the car behind you if you get desperate.
I know. years ago i was zoning out at a light with a steep grade, and slowly rolled back into a Harley. Thankfully it didn't tip, and i was even more thankful he didn't get off that bike. Let's just say there was a large difference in our physical sizes, and the stare i saw in my rear view mirror..... well I almost needed some depends!
So guess i'd suggest rolling back for support is not a good thing to practice!
I go to Europe often and my next trip will be Italy, and I want to rent a stick there,, so I decided to learn how to drve a stick and I took a lesson. I got the hang of the basics, but Iwould love to practice so that it is second nature before I rent a car in Europe. What is my best bet? There are no stick rentals here, but based on my one hour behind the wheel, can I get the hang of it, and not stall out all the time going on hills etc, or does it really take time to learn?
If anyone knows where I can rent a stick in the Long Island or Bklyn, area, please let me know.
it took me probably 2 years to be comfortable driving one.
i was competent at about.. a month or two.
I remember it was lots of fun learning to do hill starts with a 4-cylinder toyota pickup, with 33" x 12.5 " mud tires and a lift.
I remember it was lots of fun learning to do hill starts with a 4-cylinder toyota pickup, with 33" x 12.5 " mud tires and a lift.
Hehe, you'll use some clutch doing that.
Toyota clutches last though, in my experience. I torment mine, and so far it's been taking it.
With 86hp, you need to rev the engine a bit to get a quick getaway, but you do that at the cost of the clutch of course. Calmed down a fair bit in my older days though. (24 ).
After a while of driving stick you will find it gets natural, there is actually a change in what part of the brain is directing your hands and feet, it's like your brain "writes a macro".
If you can't find a car you can use in LI, you should still be fine in Europe. Learn to use the handbrake for hill starts, that and don't consider stalling the engine to be that big of a deal, it's not like you will have to get out and hand-crank it to start it.
Driving a stick is one of those things like throwing a football, or shooting a shotgun (on a flying target) - if you over-analyze it, you make it harder. Just get in touch with the Zen of it, and soon you will have that first moment when you reach down to shift into 5th, and you find you are already in 5th...at this point you have "arrived" in terms of stick-driving ability.
I go to Europe often and my next trip will be Italy, and I want to rent a stick there,, so I decided to learn how to drve a stick and I took a lesson. I got the hang of the basics, but Iwould love to practice so that it is second nature before I rent a car in Europe. What is my best bet? There are no stick rentals here, but based on my one hour behind the wheel, can I get the hang of it, and not stall out all the time going on hills etc, or does it really take time to learn?
If anyone knows where I can rent a stick in the Long Island or Bklyn, area, please let me know.
If you want to practice on something worth while that will help you improve greatly over a short period of time....practice taking off from a stop going uphill.
I could drive a stick when I was 12 years old but looking back I don't think I had mastered driving a stick until I got the chance to drive on actual road conditions....which had varying slope.....
I agree that it's practice, practice, practice. But motivation has a whole lot to do with it as well. I learned to drive a stick because my first car was the "going to college" car my dad bought me. A 1970 Ford Cortina. (Wheel was on the left. Rats!) I can still hear him cussing as I was grinding the gears. So my mom said, "I'll teach her" and she did. I'd say with about 10 hours under my belt I was an expert. Because I had to be if I was going to drive that wonderful little car!
But, dang, using the car behind you to stop from rolling? You are kidding, right?
Practice as much as you can before your trip. I LOVE driving a stick! And I pride myself on being smooooooooth.
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I was thinking the same. Yeah...let's use the guy in back of us to stop us from rolling!
).
at this point you have "arrived" in terms of stick-driving ability.
