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| General Discussion This section contains general discussion about the new Dodge Challenger concept. If it does not fit into a more specific area, it probably belongs in here. (Dodge Challenger General Discussion) |
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Re: Best way to learn manual transmission?
Call some local driving schools. Find a friend that has a stick....practice in a parking lot.
It does take a little concentration and then it becomes easy....just like riding a bike. You can do it!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry to hear about your hassels in purchasing a car! Dealers can be jerks!
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09 CHALLENGER SRT ON ORDER! HEMI ORANGE, SUNROOF, MY GIG, TIRE UPGRADE! DAYTONA SOLD !!!!! See My Daytona!
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Re: Best way to learn manual transmission?
Best way to learn is to just do it. I had never driven a 4 speed before but at age 18 (I'm 50 now) I bought a 70 Roadrunner with a manual and I just got in and drove it home. I stalled it out once at a red light in Baltimore city traffic and some black lady behind me cussed me out to high heaven. I got the Beeper going and have never looked back. Stick or nothing in the new Challenger for me. My 72 Charger Rallye is a 4 speed.
See if you can rent a car for a day, best to take someone with you who can drive one and get it off the lot. New manual trannies are nowhere near as unforgiving as the old ones were. I suspect yo'll pick it up pretty quickly. Learn to shift sitting on an uphill slope once you get the hang of it. As for track performance, automatics tend to do better unless you are really really good. If you drive in city traffic regularly you may not want a stick as it can still get tiring. Either way, do your best to learn and then decide what suits you.
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72 Charger Rallye 440/4spd |
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Re: Best way to learn manual transmission?
Auto vs manual is definitely a personal preference thing. I've driven manuals for 22 years now, with some autos mixed in. Always preferred manuals in daily drivers but then again I'm not dealing with snow or mad traffic like in the LA basin.
That said I would never buy this car with an auto. For the same reason I would never buy a porsche, corvette or ferrari with an auto. It is one of those things that doesn't have an entirely rational explanation these days either since autos have improved so much. If you want to learn how to drive a stick you should learn in a low HP car - a toyota corolla 4 banger or some such. Minimal power to distract you from the actual act of manual driving. Personally I think the hemi power will exacerbate the challenge of learning. Don't move onto a V8 manual until you are completely comfortable with the 4 banger. As a side note I learned on a 1985 mazda 626 which is a 6 cylinder wankel as I recall. |
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Re: Best way to learn manual transmission?
Yea just get out there and do it. The hardest part for most is just the concept of what your doing. I guess I leaned how to drive a manual anything would be on a dirt bike! Got in my first manual tranny car and had no problems at all. My first manual trans. car was an 04 SRT4.
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2007 White Shelby GT 2008 Hemi Orange Challenger SRT8 |
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Re: Best way to learn manual transmission?
With that being said, im going to speed-shift my way to heaven in a six-speed! ![]() |
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Re: Best way to learn manual transmission?
...I learned to drive a 3 on the tree (3 speed column shift), then 4 speeds....always have owned manuals with a few automatics mixed in along the way....driving them becomes so natural after a short time you won't think a thing about it....especially the way the new cars shift compared to the old ones....I used to teach my girlfriends to drive a 4 speed on dates when I was a teen....guaranteed, if they could learn to drive a 4 speed musclecar with no power steering etc and me as an instructor, you will learn to do it easily these days
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1970 Challenger T/A....Plum Crazy, 4spd |
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Re: Best way to learn manual transmission?
I have tought alot of people how to drive a stick. It is all a matter of confidence. I once tought an old girlfriend on a Mustang GT she got it down in about an hour... and she couldn't drive an automatic very well
![]() actually she became a much better driver after getting a std. transmission car...I think it had to do with paying attention to something other than her make-up and the radio If you can find a 4cyl as mentioned above it helps... also if you can find a manual car with the emergency brake handle in the center it helps to learn hills. Put on e-brake on hill and play with clutch till you find the "sweet spot" then drop the e-brake...this way you don't hit the car behind you. most of all don't get panicked...just take your time and in a few hours you'll be a pro |
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Re: Best way to learn manual transmission?
I learned at 16 with a stick on the Steering Column.....I killed it a few times in reverse...but after about 20 minutes had it down pretty good. Taught my wife to drive a Stick in a Parking lot early on a Saturda and SUnday morning. On our last trip to Italy, she did most of the driving in a Fiat Stick....she was amazing, and fit right in as far as cutting off drivers, pretending traffic lights were not there, and almost hitting pedestrians......
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Re: Best way to learn manual transmission?
You're right it doesn't, haha. I was apparently too focused on the manual transmission when I wrote that. Just edited my original post to correct the mistake. The enthusiast friend advised the automatic for more consistency on the track, just like you said.
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