[Hermit Y0da]

Took delivery of my car today. Was able to drive it around some. Getting used to the clutch and going through the gears.

The biggest thing I'm struggling with of course is taking off from a complete dead stop.

Do I need to rev and hold it to 1000 first before letting up the clutch slowly or do I need to do the opposite and let off clutch THEN apply gas after the car starts to creep from clutch alone? I'm going to practice more tomorrow.

Any quick tips are appreciated. Rolling stops from about 3 to 5 mph are pretty smooth since the car still has momentum of course.

[LT4Greg]

Practice, practice and more practice Hermit. From a person that has been driving manuals 44 years it will take some time for you to feel the clutch out and before you know it you will be proficient driving your Camaro. Congratulations on getting a manual trans Camaro!��

[raptor5244]

Eventually, you will build some muscle memory for the clutch engagement point and it will become 2nd nature. Ideally you give it some gas right as the clutch is engaging so you don’t slip the clutch too much or release it too quickly and get all herky jerky. Just keep practicing.

[Zr8000]

You kinda need to have both hit at exactly the same time (rpm and clutch engagement). Just like a down shift when rev matching. It’s easier for a beginner to bring it up rpm first, then let the clutch out. you are less likely to stall it because the engine is making enough torque to absorb the load of the drive train. If you let the clutch out to slow and do what they call “ride the clutch” the rpm will start fine, rise, then fall back down where it should be once the clutch fully engages. If you let the clutch out to fast the car will buck around terrible until engine rpms stabilize or do a sweet burn out depending on the rpm. Once you get some experience driving a stick you will be able to feel where the clutch engages and how fast you need to let it out from a dead stop. Once you figure that out, you push the gas pedal like you would on any vehicle from a dead stop and drive away. It will also keep you from rolling backwards on hills like most beginners do learning to drive a stick. Every clutch has a different feel and different shifter throw. You have to learn from practice.

[ember1205]

Try running it in Sport or Track mode. I find the engine is a touch more responsive off of the line and less prone to bogging down with light throttle. If that helps you get the feel for the clutch grab position, you should be able to adapt more easily to Tour mode.

[cjperformance]

Originally Posted by Hermit Y0da

Took delivery of my car today. Was able to drive it around some. Getting used to the clutch and going through the gears.

The biggest thing I'm struggling with of course is taking off from a complete dead stop.

Do I need to rev and hold it to 1000 first before letting up the clutch slowly or do I need to do the opposite and let off clutch THEN apply gas after the car starts to creep from clutch alone? I'm going to practice more tomorrow.

Any quick tips are appreciated. Rolling stops from about 3 to 5 mph are pretty smooth since the car still has momentum of course.

Both. As others mentioned, it takes practice to get used to the clutch point. Neither one should come before the other. Eventually youll develop muscle memory for it. First thing i was told to do when i learned many years ago... go somewhere flat and practice letting out the clutch until you hear/feel a slight engine rpm drop, and then push the clutch back in right away. Dont press the gas, and dont try to move the car tnis way. Just repeat about 50 times (or how many ever it takes) until you are able to lift the clutch to its engagement point (rpm drop) and push it back it without too much thought (until it becomes natural).

Once youve mastered that then taking off will be... letting the clutch out to the START engagement point rapidly, then simultaneously applying gas while more slowly feeding the clutch out the rest of the way while keeping the rpms where you want it.

Hard process to describe hope it helps. I got a job as a delivery driver for an auto parts store many years ago. Their small trucks has manual trans. I had 8 hours a day 5 days a week to practice.

[Nothing like an SS]

As stated, practice, practice, practice. Alternating how you use clutch and apply gas to go between easy, soft starts, and high rev launches.
It will come, keep working!

Fun fact, the LT1 has enough torque you can release clutch slow with NO gas at all and the car will roll smoothly, without stalling or bucking, I do this in traffic a lot, saves me some pedal pushing!

[Classic Muscle]

I've had my 22 SS for about a month and still stall occasionally taking off in first. The clutch pedal engagement point seems high compared to other cars I've driven, and doesn't have a lot of feel. By contrast I learned on an 88 Mustang 4 banger 30 years ago and only stalled it once the first time I drove it.

[ST1LE]

Originally Posted by Hermit Y0da

Took delivery of my car today. Was able to drive it around some. Getting used to the clutch and going through the gears.

The biggest thing I'm struggling with of course is taking off from a complete dead stop.

Do I need to rev and hold it to 1000 first before letting up the clutch slowly or do I need to do the opposite and let off clutch THEN apply gas after the car starts to creep from clutch alone? I'm going to practice more tomorrow.

Any quick tips are appreciated. Rolling stops from about 3 to 5 mph are pretty smooth since the car still has momentum of course.

When I turned 16 my dad bought me a '94 Z28 M6. The joy learning to drive that car is a core memory for me, I'm envious of you a little.

Enjoy every minute of figuring this out, just drive it and you will get better with time. Your feel will increase and you will eventually know what the car needs.

You're not doing anything wrong, its more of an art than a science and you just need practice.

[ZPirate]

Originally Posted by Classic Muscle

I've had my 22 SS for about a month and still stall occasionally taking off in first. The clutch pedal engagement point seems high compared to other cars I've driven, and doesn't have a lot of feel. By contrast I learned on an 88 Mustang 4 banger 30 years ago and only stalled it once the first time I drove it.

I agree with you. I've had my 1LE since late February and I still sometimes am not very smooth when starting out from a dead stop. Once moving it's not an issue changing gears. The clutch pedal engagement point is rather high (compared to other manuals I've had and have). The clutch is also very light and doesn't have a lot of feel. I'm so used to the clutch engagement in my 350Z which takes considerably more effort and has a lower engagement point in comparison. Plus the clutch in my Z has an unsprung disc which has a more immediate engagement.

When I go from one car to the other I have even more issues with getting comfortable with the 1LE clutch again. As others have said practice, practice, practice certainly helps.

[Edward Paul]

Same here on clutch engagement. It's later than I'm used to.
I felt like a rookie big time the first time I took off.

[LT1gen6]

Find a nice big, smooth, vacant asphalt parking lot. Drive to the middle and stop. Rev your engine to about 2.5-3k rpm and quickly let out the clutch. Move your left foot to the brake pedal and feather it gently, while keeping your right foot on the gas. Turn the steering wheel and try to write your initials (in cursive) on the parking lot surface. If there's a lot of smoke, then you're doing it right! Be on the lookout for light poles, curbs, and other cars (especially those with blue flashing lights) entering the area, and you should be golden.

[Cmax]

Too late….but I would have advised you to learn how at the mustang dealer….��

[lt4camaro]

As many have suggested, drive, drive, drive and drive some more. Lets re-visit after you have put about 15,000 miles on the car and another re-visit after 30,000 miles. You should have a pretty good handle by now on how good you are with a manual trans car. Yes it takes that long .