dkb218

Purchased my first car in 1981 when I was stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base. 1978 yellow Toyota Corolla. 4 speed stick. Never drove a stick prior. 10 miles from the base to my apartment and I must have stalled 20 times. Before the day was out, I was an expert... until I was stopped at a light going up a hill. Thinking back on it, that was funny as heck.

mschuyler

Learned a stick in my cousin's 1962 Jaguar XK-E! He took me to a baseball stadium parking lot. My first car was a 1948 Chevrolet Fleetline. I was close to 50 years old before I got my first automatic.

mdiiulio

I learned on a C5. I didn't tell the guy I bought it from that I didn't know until after I paid him. He about had a heart attack after I said I was gonna learn stick on his waxer.

naturaldisaster3

I learned to drive stick on my brothers 03' focus hatchback when he was in Europe for the Summer back when I was 16.. It was learn to drive stick or have no car for the Summer. 8 years later I bought my manual 98' vette and none of my friends or ex girlfriend know how to drive it, but the guys always want to ride in it.

Watch this video while you are learning "5 things never to do in a manual". It will help teach you bad habits to avoid, he also has many other videos pertaining to manual driving. Good information and explanation behind those reasons.

dbaker

I also learned from "3 on the tree".My brothers '50 Ford and racing on one of the local dirt tracks.

I've never bought an AT for personal use.Many of my business,leased cars were.Since I can up thru kart racing,when I do drive an AT,I'm a left foot braker.

\db2

JJLAI724

I learned to drive a stick while in construction. All the work trucks wee manual. I never owned a stick until my first Vette. The 427 was a nice engine, it wouldn't stall when putting it into gear. I've stalled my C7 twice already.

z28lt1

The C7 is a dream car to learn to drive a manual on:

1 - The gobs of torque make starting from 1st gear easy and makes it no big deal if you up shift too early and simply doesn't require you to downshift very much unless you want to.
2 - The traction control makes allows you to give it "too much" throttle on take off, so there is little worry about spinning the wheels when trying to leave from a stop
3 - The rev match helps smooth out your down shifts
4 - The hill assist keeps you from rolling backwards when starting on a slope. This is probably the biggest one that us who learned long ago had to practice with. I remember learning and having the car on a steep hill and being told "we aren't leaving until you can make it up the hill with 5 stops without rolling backwards on the restart".

I learned on a 1982 Honda Civic (actually first drove an 80's diesel Rabbit). If you didn't downshift up a steep hill on that Civic you were going to slow to a crawl - I think it had 69 HP. Yes, that is with 2 digits. 2 digit torque as well, but once I could drive that, everything else was easy.

Good job to the OP who went for it and wasn't afraid....

dengelZ51

I didn't learn to drive stick on my C7, but my story is similar to yours. I learned to drive a stick when I bought my first manual trans car, a 2006 Pontiac Solstice convertible. When they were first introduced they were only available with manual trans, the autos came out later that model year. Since I wanted that car so badly, I ordered one months before they were even in production and waited about 8 months for delivery (missed getting a First 1000 due to a webpage glitch). I had a few minutes of practice prior to delivery generously provided by my ex-husband in his Toyota and then proceeded to pick the car up at dealer and "figure it out" as I drove it home and then to work. I live in a rather hilly area, so those first few hill starts were a bit scary, but you do what you have to do, right?

am so glad I took the chance and got the Solstice and now my Stingray exactly how I wanted them.

ProudZowner

My 14 year old daughter learned in my 2014 Z51 M7. She picked it up quickly and is now 18 y/o and one of the few her age to be able to use the third pedal. She can drive the C7 whenever she wants...

recentlydivorced

I learn how to shift gears in an old IH tractor in my early teens, then moved up to an old beat up farm truck with a 3 speed column shifter. My first 4 on the floor was my step brother's 68 camaro when I was 15.

My son learned in my 2009 C6 when he was 18.

cor28vettes

If you ever buy a used car w/manual...go through all the gears during the test drive. When I acquired my first Corvette I met the guy from VA on the side of the beltway on the MD side of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. I test drove his before purchase and went through the gears but I skipped 3rd for some reason and went straight to 4th. I was happy to let him have my 62 Bel Air Bubble top along with 1K as I remember. So we did the trade on the new Interstate and I went on my way on top of the world with a 63 SWC, just one year out of HS.

On the way home I finally decided to put it in 3rd gear after 2nd ran its course. IT REJECTED my attempt(s). Buddy of mine near home said 3rd gear synchronizer was bad.

Called the guy up & gave him my findings. He came back at me saying he found out the tires on the Bel Air were recaps which did not please him. So we kinda broke even although he got the better half of those issues.

Bought a used Muncie and replaced the early BorgWarner 4 spd. All was good till my gas tank leaked fuel some months later.

That 63 SWC is still alive in Toledo OH last I heard a few yrs ago. Wrong motor, trans, paint. And oh yeah... a fuel tank with screws and small rubber inner-tube portion to give it a good seal.

thrilled

I learned when I was 9 on A tractor.Then at 11 on A 53 ford 3 on the tree.I would have never bought A vette if it hadn't had an M7.When you get good you might want to practice no lift shift.It's nearly as quick as an automatic.

huge.eug

I had never drive a manual before, but when I bought my C6 back in ‘05, I got a crash course on an old Saturn coupe before I picked up the Vette. Heart was racing a bit driving it off the lot that day! Lol. Have never looked back. On my 4th manual Vette.

sechip

I learned to drive stick on a brand new C6!

tomtoro

My 28 year old son learned on my C7 Z06. In a parking lot and then on the road. He did great, but he has a race bike and understands the friction point of a clutch.

I re-learned on my Z. I haven't driven one since 1990.

Italianfox

in 1969 I bought my first new car as I was about to graduate from University. I bought a 1969 Dodge Charger Hemihead Super Bee, 4 speed manual. The day I drove it from the dealer was the first time I ever drove a stick, after a few miles I was good with it. Took me a little longer to get used to starting up on a hill.

flying_vette

449er

I totally agree

Michael A

Wow! I learned on an MG TD, too in my parents driveway, before I even had a driver's license.

Kudos to the OP for taking the plunge with manuals with his new C7. Life is all about adventure. Great story.

65fastback

DAMN! sure is a lot of grandpas in here remembering the good ole days!