Teaching someone to drive a stick shift?

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

How best to teach a kid how to drive stick? Our vehicles are automatic. Can you rent cars with manual transmissions these days?

I don't want my kids to grow up not knowing how to do this.

 

[DFSNOLE]

I think everyone should know how to drive a stick in case that's all that's available in an emergency situation. A rental agency might have a sports car with a manual transmission. Maybe a friend has one you can borrow.

 

[OrlandNole]

I think everyone should know how to drive a stick in case that's all that's available in an emergency situation. A rental agency might have a sports car with a manual transmission. Maybe a friend has one you can borrow.

Yeah, my guess is that you'd have to find a specialty rental, which could be pricey, especially with a young driver.

Most vehicles now come with hybrid paddle shifters for those who want the control of a manual transmission. Do they even produce stick shift any more?

 

[OrlandNole]

I just some cursory research and can't find any evidence that stick shifts are still in production, even in sports cars. This is the equivalent of insisting that someone learn how to use a manual typewriter.

 

[RangerNole]

Luckily my dad has a sports car and it is a stick. I took my son out in it and a couple of times and showed him how to drive it. Mostly parking lot stuff, so he knows how to use a clutch but I wouldn't want him on the open road with a standard. Dad got rid of the car before my daughter was old enough to learn so she has no idea that there is a thing such as a car with a clutch.

 

[DFSNOLE]

Yeah, my guess is that you'd have to find a specialty rental, which could be pricey, especially with a young driver.

Most vehicles now come with hybrid paddle shifters for those who want the control of a manual transmission. Do they even produce stick shift any more?

You can get stick shifts in trucks. Maybe that's the way to go.

 

[travnole]

The way my father taught me.

Parked our truck on the steepest hill in the neighborhood, handed me the keys, and told me to figure it out.

 

[MIKE_G]

Fly to Europe. Rent a car. Teach kids to drive on rental car. Fly back.

 

[southgateNOLE]

Good for you. I’ve driven stick since I got my license. I still can’t take the plunge to automatic. Even ordered my car in stick. There are a few rental stick shifts available but I only know of them from specialty car rental places. I will say though, it is great to know how to drive stick now, but I’m not sure how long there will be any manual cars left at all out there.

 

[Manch.]

Almost got into a fist fight 30 years ago with my wife trying to teach her, she almost burnt the clutch out. Teach them a dirt bike, then leave them on a steep hill.

 

[dmm5157]

Sports cars still have manual transmission. You'll probably have to call around to try and find a truck or smaller car that has one, most rental cars are automatic.

I wouldn't recommend trying to teach a young driver on a sports car transmission. I suppose that is what they most likely would encounter one on, but the cutch tends to be tighter and with the more powerful engine a little more risky to learn on.

I learned on a POS Honda Civic when I was 12 and it was hell. Dad was hellbent on me learning in case of emergencies, I did not enjoy it but it did help out immensely later. I didn't own a manual transmission vehicle until I bought my Expedition a couple years ago. Don't miss having one, but knowing how to drive one is nice.

 

[Wendy79]

A classmate just bought a new stick shift (Yaris). So yes, they're still out there.

 

[FSUTribe76]

I think everyone should know how to drive a stick in case that's all that's available in an emergency situation. A rental agency might have a sports car with a manual transmission. Maybe a friend has one you can borrow.

Well my driver’s ed class back in 1991 used a newish Ford Mustang with a manual transmission to teach us. And I did learn on it first. But the only time I drove a stick shift after that was 1995 when the designated driver to a long distance drunken gathering got wasted and I had to drive us back from Miami to Tally. I probably ended up destroying his clutch and that was only 4 years later.

 

[DanC78]

My 2014 jeep was a manual.

 

[fsu1jreed]

I learned how to drive on a stick shift.......if I could drive one now, I would.

 

[SeaPA]

The way my father taught me.

Parked our truck on the steepest hill in the neighborhood, handed me the keys, and told me to figure it out.

My intro to driving a stick was during my 2nd year at FSU; to that point, I'd never driven anything other than an automatic. I'd taken a knee to the face in a soccer game, rattling a couple of teeth loose; had a root canal scheduled on the far side of town, and I didn't have a car. The guy who was supposed to take me no-showed, so I was scrambling around the fraternity house looking for a ride. Found another fraternity brother, who had a sweet sports car; he said "I've got a test in 5 minutes" & tossed me the keys. I made it out of the old ATO parking lot fine & started up Tennessee Street, trying to time my approach to lights so I could roll through. Got caught at the light near the round Holiday Inn (yeah, the spot of the steepest $!#%! hill on the drive), and a TalTran rolled right up on my azz, a couple of feet from the bumper. Light changed, I stuttered, sputtered, jerked forward; stalled it once, then got it rolling after damn near giving myself whiplash.

By the ride home, I had it down pat.

Education by fire works.

 

[kc78]

The only reason you'd ever need to know today is if you were going to get a classic car. That said, I really am starting to think about getting an older Mustang as I've always loved those and I have no idea how to drive a stick. We never had one once I started driving and I've never encountered one, ever if I even wanted to. So if I go that route, I'll have some work to teach myself.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

Good thoughts all.

I have some friends with cars with manual transmissions but they're luxury sports cars or classic cars. Not exactly a favor you can ask of someone. I suppose I'll figure out a rental for a weekend when the time comes.

As to why, I just think it's a skill everyone should know. Maybe there will be a time he's traipsing through Europe and has to help drive an aspiring French model home, and he'll think fondly of dear old Dad.

 

[DFSNOLE]

The only reason you'd ever need to know today is if you were going to get a classic car. That said, I really am starting to think about getting an older Mustang as I've always loved those and I have no idea how to drive a stick. We never had one once I started driving and I've never encountered one, ever if I even wanted to. So if I go that route, I'll have some work to teach myself.

I take it you're not a truck person.

 

[GoNolesTX]

Request an Uber, specify that it's a manual transmission, when they get there, let them know you'll pay them a few $/hour to destroy their clutch.

Problem solved.

 

[kc78]

No, I'm not, but I've driven my fair share. I haven't seen a truck in the last 10 years with a stick in it. I don't know when they stopped, but I can't find an option to put a stick in any of the new ones I've looked through online.

 

[ReliableOstrich]

completely agree that everyone should know how to drive a manual transmission, has come in handy more than a handful of times in europe

 

[F4Gary]

Plenty of new cars are available with a manual transmission.

 

[TexaNole]

Seriously? We're twenty-something replies into this and no one's done anything bawdy with the phrase "stick shift?" The LR really is slipping.

 

[EveryoneBleedsGarnet]

I think everyone should know how to drive a stick in case that's all that's available in an emergency situation. A rental agency might have a sports car with a manual transmission. Maybe a friend has one you can borrow.

Hey, mind if my kid uses your sports car to learn how to drive a stick shift? Are you kidding me? You're a bad friend just for asking a friend that question.

 

[goldmom]

Many a youth in days gone by - like the 60's - drove a stick shift, girls included.
Four on the floor is even a Beach Boys lyric. And along with bucket seats, it was an excuse used by many a girl to stay on her side of the car at the drive-in if she was on a date with someone who turned out to be a loser.

Who here knows cars well enough to tell me what a Hurst Mystery shifter is?

 

[Nole Lou]

I'm 45, never learned to drive a stick, and it's come up exactly once in my life 25 years ago, and it wasn't an emergency. A buddy of mine was disappointed I couldn't share driving on a road trip. I'm not GLAD I don't know how to do it or anything, but I'm not worried about it either. Guess I never spent enough time in Europe.

I've never considered teaching my kids. I don't want them in a situation where they're driving somebody's sports car based on a couple hours of lessons they got ten years previous when they were 16 years old. That would have to be a real hell of an emergency...I'd rather they take a cab, call an uber, whatever. I'd be more nervous about them on the road driving something they barely had an inkling how to drive than I would about them missing a test or being late for work or having to pay for a cab.

 

[goldmom]

Seriously? We're twenty-something replies into this and no one's done anything bawdy with the phrase "stick shift?" The LR really is slipping.

We're obviously dealing with LOTS of inexperienced children...pass me that cassette please.

 

[DFSNOLE]

Hey, mind if my kid uses your sports car to learn how to drive a stick shift? Are you kidding me? You're a bad friend just for asking a friend that question.

Maybe your friend has an old pick up. That never occurred to you?

 

[cmanole]

Do you want them to learn to use the abacus and sun dial as well?

 

[ReliableOstrich]

Maybe your friend has an old pick up. That never occurred to you?

all his friends drive lambos

 

[wbnolefan2]

buy one so the teen can't text and drive

 

[bigmamanole]

Sports cars still have manual transmission. You'll probably have to call around to try and find a truck or smaller car that has one, most rental cars are automatic.

I wouldn't recommend trying to teach a young driver on a sports car transmission. I suppose that is what they most likely would encounter one on, but the cutch tends to be tighter and with the more powerful engine a little more risky to learn on.

I learned on a POS Honda Civic when I was 12 and it was hell. Dad was hellbent on me learning in case of emergencies, I did not enjoy it but it did help out immensely later. I didn't own a manual transmission vehicle until I bought my Expedition a couple years ago. Don't miss having one, but knowing how to drive one is nice.

You have an Expedition with a manual transmission? Special order?

 

[SeaPA]

I'm 45, never learned to drive a stick, and it's come up exactly once in my life 25 years ago, and it wasn't an emergency. A buddy of mine was disappointed I couldn't share driving on a road trip. I'm not GLAD I don't know how to do it or anything, but I'm not worried about it either. Guess I never spent enough time in Europe.

I've never considered teaching my kids. I don't want them in a situation where they're driving somebody's sports car based on a couple hours of lessons they got ten years previous when they were 16 years old. That would have to be a real hell of an emergency...I'd rather they take a cab, call an uber, whatever. I'd be more nervous about them on the road driving something they barely had an inkling how to drive than I would about them missing a test or being late for work or having to pay for a cab.

Meh, it's not really that complicated. As I said above, I learned on the fly, driving across town in Tally (not an overly friendly place to learn), having never driven one & only having ridden in one every now & then. And once you learn, it's much like riding a bike.

 

[EveryoneBleedsGarnet]

Maybe your friend has an old pick up. That never occurred to you?

Just as bad, still going to destroy the clutch.

 

[Fijimn]

The summer after my first year of law school, I had saved enough scratch to buy a car that had air conditioning. My girlfriend's car was about done and did not have a/c. The only car that I could afford was a standard trans Ford Escort. Nothing electronic on that car, 4 wheels and a steering wheel. Sales guy gives it to me for $500 over cost because. Paid $7700 plus TTL. Sign paperwork, get it all washed and ready to drive out. They hand me the keys, shake my hand and I tell them I have to wait for my girlfriend to get off of work because I don't know how to drive stick. Salesman laughs his butt off....

 

[MIKE_G]

Learned to drive on automatic and standard simultaneously. Well, not at the same time, but you know what I mean. My parents always had standard shift cars because they were cheap (the cars and my parents). We had one standard and one automatic at the time I was learning, so I learned both. I only drove standard shift cars from 16-30 yrs old when I traded in my first Jeep Wrangler for a Maza 626 I shared with my girlfriend when she moved in with me--more practical car for commuting, although she only drove standard cars coming from Germany. I did end up getting another Wranger with stick shift, but otherwise we've only had automatic cars the last 15 years or so. With kids, it seemed impractical to drive stick for some reason. Guess you need the hand free to smack 'em around.

 

[DFSNOLE]

Just as bad, still going to destroy the clutch.

You must be a terrible driver. I didn't destroy the clutch when I learned nor did either of my kids when I taught them.

 

[F4Gary]

I wouldn't have a problem helping a neighbors kid learn to drive a manual using my Corvette. It's not that hard.

 

[EveryoneBleedsGarnet]

You must be a terrible driver. I didn't destroy the clutch when I learned nor did either of my kids when I taught them.

I'm actually a pretty good driver when I'm sober.