Current Events > Driving Manual Shift: How long did it take you to learn.

(+) Yeah! (+)

I've driven manuals, but limitedly....and a long time ago.

I'm looking at buying a 133,000 mile Saab....I'm wondering if I would destroy the clutch in no time.

Other than that, everything about the car is perfect for me.
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It comes back pretty quickly, but then again I drove manual cars for 15 years.

You'll do just fine.

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I learned manual from the get go
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Ya, I think I might jump on this one.
I just feel like the milage is just at the....you should probably think about your Clutch point.
...So I kill the old one and get a new one? It comes with a set of Saab wheels with snow tires as well.
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I meandont ride the clutch. I.e, dont keep your left foot on the clutch pedal. It should only be on it when changing gears or when youre stopped.

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I dont think Ive ever even been in a manual car

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I learned over Saturday and Sunday and drove to school on Monday. I didn't understand how to start and stop very smoothly, so I got reprimanded for revving my engine in the parking lot, but I was able to go where I needed without stalling.

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when i bought mine i took like 3 lessons with an instructor, practiced a little in a parking lot with my brother then was on my own like a week later. didnt truly become fully comfortable until after like a year to be honest lol

im convinced people who say shit like you get it after a week or 2 are fronting to look cool

rookieplayer03 posted...

I meandont ride the clutch. I.e, dont keep your left foot on the clutch pedal. It should only be on it when changing gears or when youre stopped.

Ya, I know, it can help for gas milage...but ya' shouldn't.

I think I just feel like 133,000 is like the exact point when you might want to start thinking about the clutch.

It's still well within my price range though...in town..it's basically my car now, two years younger...lest rust...and in the color, I wanted in the first place....Black. If this was an automatic it would be such a no-brainer.
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I learned in like one afternoon. I watched my brother do it for a couple years and I already had a pretty good idea of what to do. Once I felt comfortable launching the car from a stop, things were fine.

Pro tip #237 if you cant find em, grind em

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Not very long. I was able to get around almost right away, and maybe a week or two to get really comfortable with it. Had years of experience driving auto, and I did already know the theory behind driving manual ahead of time.

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I spent 20 minutes learning in a cemetery before taking it home on the highway after purchase. I wasn't 100% comfortable with it until maybe 2 weeks of driving it. I wouldn't recommend watching a handful of YouTube videos and spending 20 minutes learning before jumping on the highway to anyone though. I wouldn't even trust for it to come back if I bought a new car with a manual honestly. It's been a few years now.

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took just a few lessons to get the hang of it

drove manual for like ten years then bought an automatic; man i forgot so quickly

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A buddy taught me in less than an hour.
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About.. 3 lessons? I already knew how to drive an automatic, so it was just the learning curve if the clutch. Havent driven one in years though.

They are so much more fun to drive, but in a stop-and-go city like LV, it's actually terrible. But in NH they were so much better.

Also, if it's a SAAB, take this into consideration:
http://swadeology.com/2011/07/question-high-mileage-saabs/#:~:text=The%20highest%20known%20mileage%20on,President%20Jay%20Spenchian%20in%20attendance.

They're great cars.

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I learned to drive manual at 15.5 so it was learnt alongside everything else. I didnt drive regularly from 16-17 so it was a good bit before stalls became pretty rare. Ive only owned manual cars despite being murican (buying a new 2021 Subaru WRX hopefully next week)

do you know for sure it is still on its first clutch? If so, it probably doesnt have much left to go.


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All good responses...the one about the cemetery hits home a little bit. ~That's a whole other story.

I have learned, and have done it. It's just been a while.

I guess what I am saying, beyond clutch life is...it's kinda a bitch to test drive a car you might fuck up.
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teep_ posted...

I learned manual from the get go

This.

I'm not American, I learn things.

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Pandamonic posted...

This.

I'm not American, I learn things.

You are Belgian!

I hope you realize I'm trying for a Saab. There is a reason for that.

I know I can learn....I mean I've done it before...but I was wondering about the clutch.
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Never had to in a car or had the opportunity.

Used a tractor before though.

And a motorcycle I played around on.

Right hand was the gas and break.

Left was the clutch and you had to flip this gear thingy with your left foot up and down.

Shit was confusing as hell.


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SiO4 posted...

You are Belgian!

I would like to say something like 'YOU'RE GODDAMN RIGHT!' but it would kinda sound like a weird flex so I'll just meekly say 'fuck yeah dude >_>'

SiO4 posted...

I hope you realize I'm trying for a Saab. There is a reason for that.

I know I can learn....I mean I've done it before...but I was wondering about the clutch.

Learning it is pretty easy, nothing to it really.
As for the car itself, I wouldn't risk it, 133000 miles is a lot.
The clutch could be fine for another couple of years, and it could also just die in a couple of weeks.
I mean, if repairing the car ends up costing more than the car itself it's a shit deal.

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Pitlord_Special posted...

do you know for sure it is still on its first clutch? If so, it probably doesnt have much left to go.

Ya, that's totally my question at this point.
I am supposing so.
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SiO4 posted...

Ya, that's totally my question at this point.
I am supposing so.

Get out of there while you still can!

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Pandamonic posted...

I would like to say something like 'YOU'RE GODDAMN RIGHT!' but it would kinda sound like a weird flex so I'll just meekly say 'fuck yeah dude >_>'

Ya, as I remember it it was North Eastern somewhere near, Hasselt.

Pandamonic posted...

Learning it is pretty easy, nothing to it really.
As for the car itself, I wouldn't risk it, 133000 miles is a lot.
The clutch could be fine for another couple of years, and it could also just die in a couple of weeks.
I mean, if repairing the car ends up costing more than the car itself it's a shit deal.

Ya, I have to look into how much that will cost because that problem will be on the way.
A couple of years would take me a long way, my commute is only about 1.3 mile or 2 Km's...so that's not bad.
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teep_ posted...

I learned manual from the get go

This. I had it down in an afternoon.

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Also with Manual drivers a Automatic will confuse them.

When my Dad drove Automatics he would still search for the clutch and gab for the shifter.

To help him he would drive with right foot on the gas and left foot touching the brake.

This is why I like column shifters.

Got to where I can slap it in gear and barely take both hands off the wheel.

My KIA doesn't have this and it makes me feel like I'm driving one handed just backing up or putting it into park.


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About 3 hours.
Then about a week to get good at it.

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Ya, I gotta get on this. It's exactly what I am looking for, but the manual might be fun.
They are asking less than $3,500. Which I could do in cash.

I will probably just call up my mechanic tomorrow and run this past them.

~As it is, they still have my RIP '03 9-5.
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SiO4 posted...

Ya, as I remember it it was North Eastern somewhere near, Hasselt.

Oh shit, that's cool you remember that :D

SiO4 posted...

Ya, I have to look into how much that will cost because that problem will be on the way.
A couple of years would take me a long way, my commute is only about 1.3 mile or 2 Km's...so that's not bad.

A couple of years would be pretty generous, but if your commute is short like that and you don't do any crazy stuff with your car it might just work. But it's still pretty risky.

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Pandamonic posted...

Oh shit, that's cool you remember that :D

Ya, I mean I have you tagged....but I remember you are up around there.

Pandamonic posted...

A couple of years would be pretty generous, but if your commute is short like that and you don't do any crazy stuff with your car it might just work. But it's still pretty risky.

Ya, so you get what I am saying about the miles/k's...
Honestly, if a $1000 repair kept the thing going at some point I would be okay.
I never really spent that much to keep my '03 9-5 alive....if anything it was salt that probably killed it.

I am a very conscientious driver.
If, anything I baby my cars.
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I learned on a Toro Workman, which is basically a small golf course vehicle. 3 gears, 3rd was disabled, and you could start it in 2. It was the perfect thing to learn manual transmission on, though it did stall quite easily (usually because we had 400lbs of dirt or rocks in the back)


when i bought my first manual car, I drove it home. I was not very good at it, but after about 2 years I was able to drive without stalling.

Been driving manual for about 10 years now. Driving an auto, usually on a rental, feels weird to me. Ironically, feels like a golf cart.

Naysaspace posted...

I learned on a Toro Workman, which is basically a small golf course vehicle. 3 gears, 3rd was disabled, and you could start it in 2. It was the perfect thing to learn manual transmission on, though it did stall quite easily (usually because we had 400lbs of dirt or rocks in the back)


when i bought my first manual car, I drove it home. I was not very good at it, but after about 2 years I was able to drive without stalling.

Been driving manual for about 10 years now. Driving an auto, usually on a rental, feels weird to me. Ironically, feels like a golf cart.

Haha, same!!! Well sorta. I 100% learned the basics of driving on a small tractor. It didn't have gears...as such...but I learned how to drive as well as back up with a trailer.
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I'd say I really got the feel for it on my third attempt. Probably happened within a year's worth of time

1st: 10 minutes in a geo metro in a parking lot. Difficult.
2nd: 5 minutes in some Saturn on the road. Not very smooth.
3rd: V6 eclipse. Night and day difference. So easy. There was something about the power difference or clutch in the first 2 vehicles that just made it clunky and difficult to learn. I basically jumped in the eclipse and it was smooth sailing after having practiced in the first 2 cars


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My first manual vehicle was a motorcyle, I bought it without knowing how to ride, taught myself how to ride in my driveway, drove it without being licensed for a year (dumb yes, but I was 22 at the time).

Fast forward about 5 years, I bought my first manual car (2001 Miata with a 6 speed) without knowing how to drive it outside of watching youtube videos. I only stalled it twice driving it home (40 minute drive mostly by highway).

I'm pretty proud of that.

EDIT: Current car is an 04 Wranger w/ 5 speed, never burned out a clutch, the whole thing kinda came naturally to me I guess.

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Ya, I am a pretty good driver so I think I would pick it up real quick.
I drove my brothers like mid 80's BMW once and didn't stale too much and managed not to stall that is on a high that is literally a fault line.

I guess I just wonder about the clutch...and replacement cost...but at the asking price, if I could get a year out of it, it would be worth it. It's basically $3000.
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Just be easy on the throttle while learning the engagement points so you don't roast it. For replacing a clutch, it really depends on the vehicle, you need to drop the transmission to get at it, some are easier than others, usually 4-6 hours of labor at a shop.

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pogo_rabid posted...

Just be easy on the throttle while learning the engagement points so you don't roast it. For replacing a clutch, it really depends on the vehicle, you need to drop the transmission to get at it, some are easier than others, usually 4-6 hours of labor at a shop.

Thank you that is helpful.

I'm just trying to be practical. If this was an automatic I'd probably buy it straight up.
Everything is perfect except for this hiccup.

~I'm probably being me and overthinking it.
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SiO4 posted...

Thank you that is helpful.

I'm just trying to be practical. If this was an automatic I'd probably buy it straight up.
Everything is perfect except for this hiccup.

~I'm probably being me and overthinking it.

You're overthinking it.

Just buy it and enjoy it.

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NES4EVER posted...

You're overthinking it.

Just buy it and enjoy it.

I am a fucking champ at overthinking things.
'Gotta check it out on Monday or Tuesday.
I have contacted the seller...so I hope it's still available.

It really is a nice car.
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