So I'm planning to get a g35 sedan and just earlier I went with a friend to check out a 6mt sedan. It was pretty clean, and I was excited, until I found out that he had a stg. 2 ACT clutch. My friend said it was pretty hard to drive, and it would take a little getting used to for me, especially since this is going to be my first car. I know how to drive stick, I just haven't mastered it yet. I'm trying to get some opinions here, since a lot of the members here have a mt, and probably aftermarket clutches. Do you think it'll be relatively easy for me to get used to it?

 

My 6MT G is/was my first car and the car i learned to drive stick in... hills are the hardest hell even a slight incline you can stall. practice in a neighborhood where there is little to no traffic. thats what i did for 2 weeks before driving in the city. i have upgraded to the JWT clutch/flywheel combo and it feels the same stock

 

I played around with the clutch earlier today, and it definitely did not feel like stock. It was a lot stiffer and sprang up real quick when released. I'm glad to know there are others who had a 6mt G as their first car, gives me a bit of hope. =) My main concerns are hills and parking, do you have any tips?

 

Get a POS m/t car to practice in.

Go to a parking lot with a very slight incline and practice until you're comfortable. Then move to one with a moderate incline, followed by a steep incline. Once you have the timing down and learn to relax and just do it, instead of getting tense and aborting the maneuver halfway through hills are nothing.

Oh yeah, and one thing not to neglect in your training? Reversing on a sharp decline, as if you were pointed downhill parked behind a car, and now have to back up in order to get out.


The only time I've been severely disappointed with my hill climb was when some jackass was behind me in a VW Thing in bumper-to-bumper traffic going up a very steep incline (traffic was stopped due to upcoming checkpoint). The guy didn't want to come to a complete stop in his M/T, so he was rolling forward and back behind me. When the gap was opening for me to go forward, he just kept creeping forward so he wouldn't have to roll back again. By the time I was to move forward, the guy was maybe 2 feet behind me, inching forward. I toasted some clutch that day, since it's cheaper than a new bumper.

 

+1 to what he said. Find another car to practice with a little before picking up the G. You must know someone with a m/t. One thing that is a lifesaver for extreme hills/declines/guy on your *** is the e-brake. Pull it up until you can get off the foot brake get the clutch out and on the gas. Once you have the car ready to roll, drop the brake and go. This saved me several times when I was parallel parked on a hill. Good luck.

 

Keep in mind no two clutches feel the same even in like cars, they'll engage at a different point. Have a friend or family member rent a cheap MT car so you can get some idea of how the clutch operates on inclines like hill/driveways. You always have your e-brake to keep you from rolling down the hill until you learn! Every one of us has been where you're at!
Gary

 

G35 was my first manual transmission, I didn't know anybody with a manual transmission that didn't baby their car, so I just decided to learn on my G. Getting access to a manual transmission car these days is harder than you think, especially if your friends aren't all car guys.

Bottom line is, some people talk like the clutch is going to shatter or the transmission is gonna die the first time you stall it or something. That's not the case. Just practice on the G and take your time, nothing bad is going to happen in the process of learning.

 

most people prefer to let the car handle the gear shifts for them.

Everyone on this site will say to use a manual but the truth is most everyday commuter cars are do not have a manual transmission.

I honestly prefer auto for my daily commute and traffic. manual if its on a track or rally

 

I wouldn't practice on another car, just practice on the G. It's not hard to learn to drive stick without wrecking the clutch, you'll just need to find a friend who knows how to drive stick to help get you to a nice flat spot.

First, get the car to a flat area and practice getting it moving with no gas at all. Feather out the clutch until you can do it whenever you want without stalling the engine. you'll be starting slow, but that's fine. Once you can reliably start without gas, start feeding in a little bit of gas at the same time for faster starts. This shouldn't take you more than an afternoon to get down perfectly, and once you've got it, you can learn the rest without wrecking the clutch. The other important thing to work on is braking. So, after each start, stop the car. Apply the brake without pressing the clutch and then put the clutch in when you feel the car starting to fight the brake. You can do all of this in first gear without shifting and it's 90% of what you need to know to drive a stick.

Like someone said before, no two clutches are the same, and until you're experienced driving stick, it's hard to go from one to another. The G has a less progressive clutch than a lot of other stick cars I have driven, so it's easy to stall, don't worry about it, you will stall. I've been driving stick for almost 20 years now (**** getting old), and I still stall my G sometimes.

 

agreed use the e-brake when your on a hill. on hills you also have to learn to make love to your clutch and gas haha

 

When in doubt, BURN OUT!

 

first time i did that in the g i killed my clutch, 2nd time i did that i killed my tires haha

 

The G was my first mt. I knew how to drive, but had to get used to it. Like someone else said, practice on the G. Just don't try to drive aggressive until you got the hang of the basics, you don't want to burn your clutch too soon.

 

i will admit my g is the first mt i owned and learned on. its not hard jus gotta get used to it. i got the hang of it after week 2. before that i used to get panic attacks when it was time to drive it lol. hills and rolling back was a big fear of mine but now its all good

 

Just be easy on the car.. Don't be hard on the gas and you'll be fine.. It will take some time till you get good at it..

Good Luck and Enjoy!