[LT4Greg]

I have been driving manuals for over 40 years and it just takes practice and patience. I thought when I was learning to drive one it would take forever which took about 2 weeks for me to be comfortable driving in traffic and out on the roads. Give it time and you will see how easy it will be to learn how to drive that Camaro with ease. Good luck!��

[WhiteMale]

Something as easy as a clutch assist spring that is present in the Mustang GT/MT82, you could pop that out and have a lot better feel in the pedal and drive it more smoothly than working with or against the spring pressure.

[Aragorn]

In my humble opinion , for this car it helps to rev it out a bit at least 2500 RPMs, when dropping the clutch do it in a controlled manner especially at the end, and 2nd to 3rd shift make sure you push the shifter forward with the palm of your hand, don’t grasp it.

[ariZona28]

Unfortunately you're going to run into 10 different experts,10 different opinions. Try going to rangeracceleration.com. Scroll down the left on the homepage to "Improved shifting". Step by step instructions that helped me greatly on both my Z/28 and Z06. Plenty of other good info on that site also.

[z28pat]

Getting seat time and practicing is a great thing to do. Practice practice practice, it’s taken me time to get used to this throttle sensitivity. Find an empty parking lot and try the shift that gives you the most trouble.

[nancygrl]

I learned and made all my mistakes 40 yrs ago on an old '76 Capri 4cyl, 4spd. Been driving manuals ever since. We recently bought a new Corolla w 6spd, and I almost stalled it several times off the start. So yeah, every car is different no matter how long you've been driving. Those of us that been driving for a while have the muscle memory and mechanics down, and all it takes is time and practice (repetitions) and lot's of patience. Can't tell you how many times I was ready to call it quits back with my Capri. Right now you're thinking about all aspects too much all the while also having to drive the Camaro. It would be easy to say get a cheap civic manual or some other cheap beater to learn on, but that's probably not practical. When you get to where it's second nature then it'll all start coming together. You'll get there eventually; stay with it

[Norm Peterson]

Originally Posted by Snakely

So, i have a confession to make...

I thought I could drive stick. Turns out, i can make a car go, and generally not look like a doof, but i cant Drive it that consistently.

I get some smooth shifts sometimes, but its 50/50 from 1st > 2nd (and sometimes 3rd) on if it it lurches. i suppose I'm not giving it enough? or the timing (my timing) is off.

This is just spirited driving on the street mind you.

Rev matching helps, but even then, i think(?) that i've got to pull completely off the gas and not get back on it until the clutch is all the way out? sometimes maybe i touch the gas a little too soon?

Does anyone have any technique tips? this is the first Manual V8 car ive owned, driven a few older ones (60's\70's).


Anyway, Im just thinking out loud here, killing time when i should be working.

It all comes down to practice, developing a 'feel' for what you're trying to do, and timing. EFI has made it somewhat easier to learn, but try to learn by doing and by feel. Don't worry about doing any math or trying to hit some exact rpm numbers, that'll just slow your progress.

Even after decades of "driving stick" you'll still botch the occasional shift and even stall the car out once in a while. I can tell you from direct and fairly recent experience that screwing up doesn't even need to be on a new-to-you car; it can be in a car you've driven for tens of thousands of miles. Not quite 58 years of driving MT cars here.


Norm

[dpevans]

1st to 2cd is brutal even with the single disc clutch. your SS has a dual disc which makes it even harder. I don't shift into second until 3k rpm. That helps. Your car should have rev match so that should help.

[Theme Song]

Originally Posted by JSH

It boils down to coordination between your arm and leg. An average athlete with average coordination can practice and become proficient.

Here's a professional making what I would call average "speed" shifts, nothing fantastic -

Well actually, this is indeed some fantastic driving.

[MR's 2SS]

The 1-2 shift in my opinion is notchy as well. As someone just said winding up to 3 grand on the 1-2 shift smooths it out. I think because thats aggressive enough to defeat the 1-4 gate. I think if your shifting too close to the gate it feels notchy.
It seems to me the tranny is very sensitive to being cold too.
Sometimes being too tentative or gentle ends up more rough. The car wants to be driven a bit harder.
I dont know what the guys talking about double clutching in a car for but...Sometimes a very brief paus in neutral smooths things out too.
Non syncro trannys in big trucks that someone might double clutch... are actually easier to shift entirely without the clutch. But that has nothing to do with your Camaro.

[Pupilbone]

I’m 48 and have been driving manual transmission cars since I got my first at 16. In that time I have never been without at least 1 manual car. Now i hop between three regularly. A 53 with “3 on the tree”, my throaty ZL1, and my wife’s very high strung 370Z Nismo.

The part I enjoy the most in driving is where you are right now. Getting to know the car is (for me), a very personal and rewarding experience. Enjoy this! These skills come only with time and patience. But now, when I hop in the cars I know and love (I’ve really got the 53 in mind here), it’s like putting on a comfortable form fitting glove. Nothing like it, and any automatic just pales in comparison.

Driving and getting to know a manual car is something to experience. Have fun with it.

[Norm Peterson]

Originally Posted by MR's 2SS

The 1-2 shift in my opinion is notchy as well. As someone just said winding up to 3 grand on the 1-2 shift smooths it out. I think because thats aggressive enough to defeat the 1-4 gate. I think if your shifting too close to the gate it feels notchy.
It seems to me the tranny is very sensitive to being cold too.
Sometimes being too tentative or gentle ends up more rough. The car wants to be driven a bit harder.
I dont know what the guys talking about double clutching in a car for but...Sometimes a very brief paus in neutral smooths things out too.
Non syncro trannys in big trucks that someone might double clutch... are actually easier to shift entirely without the clutch. But that has nothing to do with your Camaro.

Double-clutching can alleviate some of the "cold transmission fluid" issues, particularly the first couple of 1-2 upshifts on a cold morning after an overnight "cold soak". Cold fluid puts the transmission's countershaft revs out of step with your normal shift timing.

It's an advanced technique that simply having synchromesh present doesn't remove all value from knowing. Actually, when you're in a hurry with some downshift, it ends up being somewhere in between 'single-clutch' and 'double clutch' as you probably aren't fully disengaging the clutch both times or fully engaging it when you blip the throttle.


Norm

[95 imp]

When I got my ride I hated the clutch, the tranny and the shifter.

The clutch pedal engage/disengage was all over the board and too soft. The tranny was/is "notchy", and with the shifter I couldn't find the right gear to save my life.

After the car broke in, the clutch pedal settled down and engages/disengages by barely pushing it. (exactly what I wanted). The "notchiness" is still there and is annoying, but tolerable, and it shifts better. (Except 6th)

Give it some time to break in and you learn that car.

[Big Lebowski]

Practice, practice, practice. Half the battle is knowing how to shift, the other half is having the confidence that you do. Practice remedies both.