[Jdelgado92]

so as some of you know i picked up my camaro on friday and i was very excited as you can tell from the pictures but what i didn't mention was that this is actually my first manual car and my first v8 and my first brand new car(made it that much more special). i kind of know the basics to driving a manual but the only practice i had was my buddy's ss which was like twice for 20 min over a span of 2 months...

That being said, i decided to drive it home myself from the dealer and let me tell ya, that was a hell of a drive i think i stalled at every red light and made a lot of people angry and a cop asking me what i was doing in the middle of the road lol
By the time i got home i was a nervous wreck but i made it
Since that epic drive home i wasn't able to practice at all till today and after a bunch of rough starts and stalls, i'm proud to say that i got it down now..mostly. Now i just need to learn how to get out on first fast enough so i don't roll backwards down hill.

Also i've been so focused on learning how to drive stick that i haven't been able to fully enjoy power of the lt1 or most of the gadgets in the 2ss... something ill be looking forward to once im comfortable driving stick

okay i just had to get that out and if anyone has any advice for a new manual driver, i'm all ears!

[Wiskey]

That is a beautiful car!

The next step is learning how much to rev the engine up on downshifts so you don't jerk your passengers all around! My last manual car was a 63 HP toyota Tercel, I could downshift from 5th to 1st and dump the clutch if I wanted and nobody knew, but on this car everyone would get wiplash lol.

I haven't had a manual for 10 years, I picked up my manual 6 last week and I can't believe how much I missed it!

Whiskey

[jimmypop13]

Remember to use the minimal rpms it takes to get going from a stop. The rpms should just barely rise at all before you're fully engaged in first. It takes a lot of practice but it's well worth the effort for the well being of your clutch.I hate when I'm in a friend's car and they Rev it to 2k and slip the clutch big time to get going from a stop. That's how you burn up your clutch and shorten its life

[2016SS]

It will come you will get better and better my SS/TC was my first manual car I learned on basically came natural for me was a easy car to drive. When I bought the Z I thought the clutch was gone but was just a really grabby clutch girlfriends head was bouncing around she was not impressed! Lol

Enjoy your new car looks great!

[Toxicgoober]

In the same boat. Bout to order a manual as well. I actually learned how to drive on my dads manual Miata years ago, but have never owned a stick personally. It'll be something to learn, but I think it'll be more than worth it and make the engagement in the driving experience that much better. Good luck to you!


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[BadBillyJack]

These cars a ridiculously easy to drive now with the hill assist and whatnot. In fact, if you engage the clutch slowly the ecm will see the load increase and apply the throttle to keep it from dying. I was able to get a Cruze up to 45 doing that and shifting into the next gear. Purely for science though.

[Wiskey]

Originally Posted by jimmypop13

Remember to use the minimal rpms it takes to get going from a stop. The rpms should just barely rise at all before you're fully engaged in first. It takes a lot of practice but it's well worth the effort for the well being of your clutch.I hate when I'm in a friend's car and they Rev it to 2k and slip the clutch big time to get going from a stop. That's how you burn up your clutch and shorten its life

This is a great point!! You want to feather the gas and engage the clutch keeping at RPM below 1k, once the clutch is out you can womp on it. I have a friend who brings the RPM way up and slips the clutch and you can smell it when he parks.

You really only have to slip it for a very short time. When upshifting the trick is to wait a second for the engine RPM to drop before dumping the clutch that way you get smooth shifts without slipping above first gear. To downshift you match the RPM to the new gear.

All this takes getting to know the car, but it's worth practicing because your clutch will last the life of the car if you are good to it. My first car the clutch lasted 170K, this one I expect longer because the way things are built has improved in the last 33 years.

Whiskey

[bpang1234]

[dreamingat30fps]

That reminds me of my first car a 1.8T Jetta manual. Only practice I had with a manual was with a friends old bronco which was not a good car to learn on. You really didn't even have to use the clutch on that damn thing and could just power shift into any gear.

Anyways right out of the dealer there was a light... on a hill... I must have gone trough like 4 light cycles before I was able to get out of there. People were honking and that just made me more nervous.

As others have said the Camaro is actually a pretty easy manual to drive so it should be good for you to learn on. The main thing is trying to relax especially when you mess up and have people pissed off behind you. When you get anxious it just makes it 100x more difficult.

[Sev]

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

The main thing is trying to relax especially when you mess up and have people pissed off behind you. When you get anxious it just makes it 100x more difficult.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This

The hill assist will also help keep you from rolling backwards on a hill. Eventually you'll get used to driving the manual, and it will become second nature.

[motorhead]

It takes guts to buy a manual without having experience. I like that crab it and growl mentality.
Im sure you'll get it down pat. Congrats on the new hot rod.

[LesBaer]

Don't stress over it man, you'll be fine...I hope...because I'm going to be in the same boat as you when my car shows up. I haven't driven a stick in almost 30 years lol

[Mud Z06]

Congrats & props for taking the plunge.

Manual is much easier to learn on a car with some torque! You can really power out of potential stalls.

[andrec10]

Not to be a wet Blanket, but find a driving instructor school by you and ask for a manual class. Its about 100$. Lot cheaper than a clutch!