Manual Transmission Driving Lessons

Submitted by jeffkeyrouz87 t3_11vu6pw in boston

Hello Everyone! I am going to be staying in Newton for business for around 2 weeks. Oddly enough, I decided to finally cross off a bucket list item: learn to drive a manual transmission. I searched everywhere online and could not find a driving school that provides lessons. Can you guys point me to a certain school or does anyone know someone who is willing to teach me (of course paid).

Background information: I am an adult and great driver, just never learned to drive manual.

Thanks šŸ™

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3720-To-One t1_jcuuuty wrote

Does this even exist?

Almost anyone I know who can drive manual had their parent teach them when they were first learning to drive.

I personally learned myself in college at a summer job on a small utility vehicle we had to use.

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RhaenyrasUncle t1_jcvkmx7 wrote

Buddy of mine bought a used truck one time, sight unseen. We drove all the way to the Cape to pick it up. It was a stick. He didnt know how to drive stick (and at the time, I did not either).

He drove all the way back to Dorchester...somehow.

About two weeks later the clutch was fried so he sold it.

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BsFan t1_jcvk8qb wrote

I learned in my mid 20s when I decided to buy a Subaru STI, only knowing how it works and never having driven a manual. Had a buddy test drive it with me and just figured it out in the parking lot. Was living in Somerville at the time so the learning curve was fast. Very sink or swim. Almost every car including my new one has been a 6 speed and I'll never go back.

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LoanWolf888 t1_jcv47x5 wrote

This place in Watertown Square which is close to Newton.

https://stickshiftacademy.com/

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Claramini t1_jcv6q4v wrote

When learning remember ā€œwhen in doubt, clutch.ā€ Clutching basically puts the car in neutral, and will give you a minute to collect your thoughts. In the old days, the worst part of learning to drive a manual was having to stop on a hill. Newer cars have something called ā€œHill Assistā€ which keeps you from rolling backwards down the hill after taking your foot off the brake. Good luck!

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jeffkeyrouz87 OP t1_jcv8fkg wrote

Great advice!! Gotta love technology haha! Thanks!!

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SkyFall___ t1_jcwxtxt wrote

Tip from someone who learned stick by the seat of my pants, when in crawling traffic (1-5mph) donā€™t worry about rolling forward while lugging the engine. Wait until thereā€™s enough space to accelerate to 5+mph before stopping. Eventually youā€™ll get a feel for crawling in traffic but itā€™s tough the first time around

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Rachellie242 t1_jczse4h wrote

My ā€œwhen in doubtā€ is to use neutral. Didnā€™t know the clutch could put it into neutral too?

The hill thing is so true!

When learning OP, just listen to the engine, as it helps you know when to shift up or down. I liked to shift down as a way to slow speed without brakes (not a screeching halt, but a gradual slow down).

Havenā€™t driven stick in a long time, but I think itā€™s a good skill to have.

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BurrDurrMurrDurr t1_jcv38ub wrote

These donā€™t really exist anymore.

Youā€™d have to:

  1. Know someone with a manual willing to let you drive it
  2. Lease or buy one
  3. SUPER DICK MOVE rent one on Turo and have someone that knows how to drive one teach you.

I know a couple people that did option 3 in the last few years and itā€™s super fucked up. I just ended up buying one and re-learned on my own car.

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Consistent_Syrup_235 t1_jcv4aaq wrote

Did a google and found this: https://www.stickshiftdrivingacademy.com/stick-shift-driving-lesson-near-me

​

My 16-year-old nephew is learning to drive near Philly and his lessons include four hours on manual. This definitely exists.

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MaLTC t1_jd1m359 wrote

Practice slowly lifting your left foot (clutch) while simultaneously lowing your right foot in a tapping motion (gas) so you have some muscle memory. Youā€™ll feel it ā€œcatchā€ during this process when you finally learn.

Tips- have some finesseā€¦ releasing the clutch too fast will cause the care to jerk and then stall out, and stepping too hard on the gas will cause a peel out etc. Need to do both evenly and smoothly (release clutch while gassing).

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mtbmike t1_jcuxnis wrote

Maybe one of these. That open road on the kangamangus highway in new hampshire sounds pretty awesome

https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwjC5oen2-j9AhUfyZQJHVyoAAQYABAAGgJ5bQ&ae=2&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESbOD2xkFlqreNCk8Kf6doMeUd1ODvGsYA91OBVzXXnHGkwVFX7pCasLLZrEAgQz-jJq7xyeGvwbt2wEQL9M_NH3cVWT72Ft7WyoSX4b2LWA8l_OzD-UKx5IBHsWUibAcqoQhMtCcosXM_Y3k_cQ&sig=AOD64_3uEuWb3mxO46A3BZy0VWQKiStvhA&q&adurl&ved=2ahUKEwjX1v6m2-j9AhX9FFkFHQkiAtEQ0Qx6BAgIEAE

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mtbmike t1_jcuy4m3 wrote

Edit. Sorry the faq says they are all automatic

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jeffkeyrouz87 OP t1_jcv4lzn wrote

Thanks for your effort!! Looks like an amazing experience šŸ˜Ž

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Leontxo_ t1_jcvdq9w wrote

I need to learn to, lmk if you find one!!

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irishsaints23 t1_jcvxbzw wrote

Donā€™t have recommendations on where to find a car to do this (sorry, my car is not that forgiving and i already had to apologize to it when i let my partner learn on it šŸ˜…) but thereā€™s some decent empty lots over in Watertown, I believe just beyond where the old Russoā€™s used to be. High key recommend finding empty lots to practice in bc you can go slow and it does not matter how often you stall out. Definitely also recommend watching some YouTube videos on how to do it, because they can be really useful!

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bitpushr t1_jcyhyfv wrote

I grew up in Australia and learned to drive there. If you take the test in an automatic transmission car, your driver's license literally says so and it's against the law for you to drive a manual transmission. Peer pressure means that basically no one gets the "auto only" license.

When I moved here, it always seemed strange that you could get a license that covers driving manuals and autos when some people have literally never driven a manual transmission car.

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Electrical_Bed_ t1_jcyz3gt wrote

Not close to Newton at all, but Skip Barber Racing School offers advanced ā€˜normalā€™ driving courses along with other skills. They have many schools at racetracks around the country.

Skip Barber

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TheColorAndThe t1_jd1n05l wrote

Iā€™ll teach you, my only credentials are that Iā€™m very patient and my dad was a UPS driver for 40 years.

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sorenwilde t1_jcv6qz2 wrote

You just press in the clutch and move the stick.

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charons-voyage t1_jcv8a3f wrote

I mean itā€™s a little more complicated than that and itā€™s intimidating to learn at first, but yeah basically boils down to that haha šŸ˜‚ I miss driving stick. Learned in 2006 on a 1984(?) bmw 318i that a neighbor had rotting in their driveway. What a beautiful machine once I got it cleaned up. 100 horses, 1.8L engine, 5 speed, very unforgiving clutch (great way to learn). Miss that thing.

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bristollersw t1_jcve1hk wrote

Those two steps are essential, but itā€™s the engaging the clutch that causes 90% of the issues for a new driver. Thatā€™s the tricky part.

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charons-voyage t1_jcvf259 wrote

And accidentally going from 4th to 3rd instead of 4th to 5th lol

1st to 2nd can be rough too lol

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riski_click t1_jcvb28e wrote

The other option is to learn on a motorcycle. Once you do that, it's just a reversal of the hand action and foot action. That's how I learned to drive a stick..

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