Please Help-Driving Stick
Thread Starter
2nd Gear Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 187
From: Chicago
Please Help-Driving Stick
Hey guys,
I am treating myself to a college graduation gift and am going to get a 2004 Mustang GT. I had an 88 a few years ago and got rid of it but it is time again. My 88 was auto so I did not have a problem, but I now want to get my 04 with 5 speed. The only problem is that I have only drove stick a couple times. I am touchey on starting off and I am nervous about shifting from 2nd to 3rd and so on becuase i do not want to mis shift. Can you guys please give me some tips on how to smoothly shift from 2nd to 3rd and 3rd to 4th and 4th to 5th. The last thing I want to do is screw up my car that I have been waiting for. Any other tips would be greatly apprecated. Thank you.
I am treating myself to a college graduation gift and am going to get a 2004 Mustang GT. I had an 88 a few years ago and got rid of it but it is time again. My 88 was auto so I did not have a problem, but I now want to get my 04 with 5 speed. The only problem is that I have only drove stick a couple times. I am touchey on starting off and I am nervous about shifting from 2nd to 3rd and so on becuase i do not want to mis shift. Can you guys please give me some tips on how to smoothly shift from 2nd to 3rd and 3rd to 4th and 4th to 5th. The last thing I want to do is screw up my car that I have been waiting for. Any other tips would be greatly apprecated. Thank you.
3rd Gear Member
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 927
From: Lost Wagez, NV
RE: Please Help-Driving Stick
There really isnt to much you can do but practice! There isnt a "do this" and it will be smoother way to teach a person to drive stick without physically being there with you! Don't worry so much about missing a shift.. it happens to the most experienced drivers... the rev limiter will stop you from doing damage to the motor! Best thing to do is get ahold of a POS car with stick to practice.... or go from dealership to dealership test driving stangs with sticks! 
4th Gear Member
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,565
From: Wilmington, Delaware
RE: Please Help-Driving Stick
Well my dad taught me how to drive stick when I was 16 and all he kept telling me was be "fluid" with the clutch. Let it out smooth and give it a little gas. If you feel it is going to stall give it a little bit more gas. All in all it just takes practice and getting used to. I learned on a '96 Toyota Tacoma 4 cyl so it wasn't the best thing to learn on. Try and get a 400 dollar beater to learn on first. The second to third thing is scary at first but in a Mustang it is smooth as butter (yes even with the stock shifter). I have never missed a shift (knock on wood). Every car is different, remember that. It took me a couple days to get my car down when I got it. I wasn't used to the power and I would take off at every light. You will be fine getting a 5 speed and you won't regret it.
5th Gear Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,625
RE: Please Help-Driving Stick
Taking off all depends on the engagement which you will have to get used to. I would reccomend pulling the E-brake and finding where the engagement is for the first thing. Then I would let the brake off and on a flat ground raise the clutch to get to that engagement point and do that like 5 or 6 times so you get the feel how far out you need to go. When you get to the engagement part kinda hold it there as almost you were burning it a little to get the gas flowing to like 1500rpms or so and then you ease right off of the clutch pedal. This is good for maybe a few times until you get the hang of things. Don't think about it too much or you will have trouble, just DO IT. (hey I should get sponsor $$$$ from NIKE for that one..lol) As far as the shifting from 2nd to 3rd just make sure you don't jam it up at an angle, but instead try to go forwards then over then up. A zigzag instead of a straight shot. This will help from a missed shift. 2rd to 4th is straight back and 5th is definately up over to the right and up again. There will be no way to go at a direct angle. I would suggest going through the gears with the car off and your foot on the clutch! Good Luck
3rd Gear Member
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 927
From: Lost Wagez, NV
RE: Please Help-Driving Stick
ORIGINAL: 97targa
Taking off all depends on the engagement which you will have to get used to. I would reccomend pulling the E-brake and finding where the engagement is for the first thing. Then I would let the brake off and on a flat ground raise the clutch to get to that engagement point and do that like 5 or 6 times so you get the feel how far out you need to go. When you get to the engagement part kinda hold it there as almost you were burning it a little to get the gas flowing to like 1500rpms or so and then you ease right off of the clutch pedal. This is good for maybe a few times until you get the hang of things. Don't think about it too much or you will have trouble, just DO IT. (hey I should get sponsor $$$$ from NIKE for that one..lol) As far as the shifting from 2nd to 3rd just make sure you don't jam it up at an angle, but instead try to go forwards then over then up. A zigzag instead of a straight shot. This will help from a missed shift. 2rd to 4th is straight back and 5th is definately up over to the right and up again. There will be no way to go at a direct angle. I would suggest going through the gears with the car off and your foot on the clutch! Good Luck
Taking off all depends on the engagement which you will have to get used to. I would reccomend pulling the E-brake and finding where the engagement is for the first thing. Then I would let the brake off and on a flat ground raise the clutch to get to that engagement point and do that like 5 or 6 times so you get the feel how far out you need to go. When you get to the engagement part kinda hold it there as almost you were burning it a little to get the gas flowing to like 1500rpms or so and then you ease right off of the clutch pedal. This is good for maybe a few times until you get the hang of things. Don't think about it too much or you will have trouble, just DO IT. (hey I should get sponsor $$$$ from NIKE for that one..lol) As far as the shifting from 2nd to 3rd just make sure you don't jam it up at an angle, but instead try to go forwards then over then up. A zigzag instead of a straight shot. This will help from a missed shift. 2rd to 4th is straight back and 5th is definately up over to the right and up again. There will be no way to go at a direct angle. I would suggest going through the gears with the car off and your foot on the clutch! Good Luck
2nd Gear Member
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 163
From:
RE: Please Help-Driving Stick
[sm=dontgetit.gif]OMG! I can't believe this one![sm=icon_beat.gif][sm=joke.gif]I have been driving stick since I was 15 and dad taught me in a cemetary..hahaha. It was a Chevy pickup, 3 speed on the column, with heavy duty clutch. Being all but 80 some pounds, I had a hell of a time pushing in the clutch, but I learned. Practice is the best thing you can do. Good luck
6th Gear Member
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 12,575
From: United States
RE: Please Help-Driving Stick
Theonly thing you can really do to improve is practice, and DONT just start off trying to jam gears right away, get used to it first. Try racing like john force your first few times out and your going to break a shift fork or syncroiser.
5th Gear Member
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,791
From:
RE: Please Help-Driving Stick
getting a short throw shifter really helps but mustangs with a stock clutch are not that hard to drive really. The torque really makes it easy to get going. For 2-3 shift when I first bought my car (1st stick also) I would just shift out of 2nd and gently move the shifter to the right untill I feel stiffness, thats when I know I am approaching the 5/r gate. and when i feel the stiffness I would just push up on the shifter, worked untill I really started to get the hang of it
Thread Starter
2nd Gear Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 187
From: Chicago
RE: Please Help-Driving Stick
Hey guys I really apprecate all of the help and tips. I am getting so exctied just thinking about this and reading everything on here. Thank you so much. I am going to be having a few posts up here now just wondering certain things for my mustang. Thanks again. [8D]
