Thought i would post a new thread seeing as the old one was getting long.

First off thank you all for your advice, it has helped me in my driving experience. I really appreciate it. So i am getting more comfortable in the stang. ive been driving around town for joyrides. I havent stalled yet and i am getting faster at starts. those hills are still a pain though-im really trying at getting better at that. My only gripe now is the transition from 1st to second. If i let the clutch out too fast the car will lurch. if i let it out to slow then i slow down significantly. how can i make this a smooth transition while gaining speed? i assume its bad to have a foot on the gas while letting out the clutch

 

Keep working at it, 1-2 is the hardest to get down correctly, it will come with time and then it will seem as easy as 4-5. You won't do any damage while learning, it's all about the correct amount of gas and release of the clutch.

 

you'll learn. just keep experimenting. For me now, i can get into any manual car and i can drive it like its an auto. it just takes practice

 

If it makes you feel better, my '12 stang is not only my first muscle car; it's my first stick shift, too. I've only had it for a little over a year now. Shifting feels so natural to me now that it's become muscle memory; my hand changes the gears before my brain even computes it. You'll reach that point, too, the more you drive.

Hills were my pet peeve, too. I've pissed drivers off by stranding myself in the middle of a hill once. Just to be safe, I had to let everyone behind me pass before attempting the climb. That happened on the day I took the stang home from the dealership. Haha! I practiced hill climbs on my driveway, which happens to be pretty steep. There's a small hill in my neighborhood, too, where I used to practice finding that "sweet spot" between the clutch and gas.

In the end, I felt rewarded, and I know you do, too. Keep practicing

 

practice makes perfect!

 

You need to learn how to match your speed with the correct RPMs.

Take each gear up to 1500-2000 RPMs & get that feeling down before trying to speed shift.

 

when i picked mine up, my dad drove it to a parking lot where he taught me. I learned in about 45 or so minutes and drove home without stalling. I honestly dont think ive stalled it since i got the car that day, but i learned fast. I'll never buy an auto if i dont have to.
Couple months after that one, i went to a dealer and purchased my'03gt, test drove it (manual) by myself and fell in love. bought it the next day after some haggling

 

You should be letting the clutch out pretty fast between shifts. It should be one motion, let clutch out and give it gas at the same time.

 

This, the clutch and gas needs to be 1 single motion, else it will buck or bog down.

bogging down = not enough gas (give it a bit more gas, keeping RPM's up. Ideally, around idle which is ~750 rpm)

lurching = popping clutch out too quickly

Keep at it, it took me about a week of driving manual to get used to shifting so that it's somewhat smooth. It took about a month for me to get comfortable on hills..because don't you love it when someone is RIGHT behind you on a hill and you are learning stick. But you get to the point where you know the EXACT point your clutch engages the motor and you don't even roll back at all.

 

Between 1st and 2nd, keep the RPM up around 1000 - 1200 or so and the shift will be much smoother. Later on you'll be able to do it in your sleep at a lower RPM. That's how I learned 40 years ago.