New Z owner in the area. Require assistance
 

Hey all,

I must say i LUV this new Z. However, I am struggling to learn how to drive stick. i can keep it from stalling most of the time but i bog and jerk off the line quite heavily. Anyone in the area care to show me the ropes?

*Edit* I'm in Manassas, VA (Northern Virginia). Is anyone nearby?

basically just learn where the engagement point is ( where the car starts to roll forward by its self) and then give it a little gas and go and you'll be fine.

Yep, thats basically what I told 'em, too. My grandfather had me stop on a hill and said, ok, now ya learn! And eventually after several attempts I got it. And everytime we got to that hill he'd have me stop again and if I stalled, oh well....it def takes a little time to get used to it.

If you're in Manasass I suggest going to the big Mall when nobody is there like an early Sunday morning before the stores open behind J.C. Penneys and just practice like it has been said above. Start with clutch all the way depressed, and gently begin to ease off and as you begin to feel the car move forward, start gently giving gas. Its a balancing act between the clutch and the gas just remember, if you start to jerk back and forth, simply press the clutch in all the way and let off the gas. Just practice the starting off first. When you've got that down, move on to shifting up to the next gear. In no time you'll have this down.

The one piece of advice that helped me learn to drive stick:

go to an empty parking lot and learn to get the car moving without touching the gas pedal. When you learn where the engagement point is, then you can start adding gas to the equation.

Or...screw learning.


Rev to 5k RPM and dump the clutch. That'll get'er done. No stalling issues there.

:tup:










More serious note: Parking lot is a good idea.

Also, I've been driving manuals for about 16 years and the 370 was probably the hardest I've had to learn to be really really smooth on. Going from 1st to second is still terrible for me on this car and I've been driving sticks for YEARS.

So your learning curve is a little steeper. Learning on some little 4 banger Ford Ranger would be cake.

Ride your clutch like a mofo- think of the clutch like the ONE thing you can easily vary - dont come off it quick - you will stall - just take your time riding the clutch and you will learn soon...

Learning to drive stick with 370z = Bad Idea...

1. Your favorite sneakers or casual shoes
2. RADIO OFF
3. Depress the clutch
4. Lift off the clutch slowly and listen for the change in the idle noise of the car, it's a very small change. If you miss it and stall try again. After you know the sound and can recognize it (you should be able to hear it and it get back on the clutch before the car stalls consistently)
5. You should notice while you are learning to 'hear' the car that the friction point (when the car feels like it wants to move forward with no gas as you're coming off the clutch) and the change in sound happen at approximately the same time.
6. Now it's just a matter of knowing how to 'dance'; when the 'music' changes you move your feet. At the friction point and when the car's idle noise changes is when you depress the gas evenly. Don't baby it, don't jump on it, Make love with it with your foot, you don't jam it in, but you don't want her asking if it's in yet either. As you give the gas your love, you continue to take your love away from the clutch, gently but like you mean it. Understanding the sounds and the feeling together will make for smooth take off's on uphills and flat surfaces alike. Never let a stall be for nothing, learn something from every stall you make, understand why you stalled so you don't repeat your mistake. I stalled in June because I forgot that I had to press the button to turn the car off, sitting in a parking lot, I didn't see any keys and thought I could just jump off the clutch, had a friend in the car, had been showing off on the highway............ little embarrasing.

I think the biggest mistake for people learning to drive a manual is not wearing the proper footwear. The thinner the sole of your shoe the better, you want to feel the pedal. You don't want to be barefoot because you want uniformity and you don't want to be driving with your toes. I live in Alexandria, VA right behind Landmark Mall, if you are still struggling, I'd be happy to help.

I must be thinking about it too hard lol. I managed to go the whole day without stalling. THIS IS A FIRST!!!! I'll post more later...food burning..

Wow....you live only a few miles down the road from me! Surprised I havent seen any other 370's on the road yet in Alexandria! :tup: Is yours Platinum Graphite? I did see one weeks ago on 295 one morning around 5:15 AM.

I'm blue like you (well not exactly like you since you've turned yours into the Megatron of all Z's, but you get what I'm sayin. Yea, if you aren't out and about on 395 Saturdays and Sundays you probably won't see me, it stays parked all week. 30 Thousand Dollar parking lot ornament. I keep my eye open for your car but I haven't been able to catch you out yet. We'll have to get together some time and grab some drinks locally.

Just go easy on the throttle, and let your foot off the clutch smooth and slowly. The activation point is a little hard to get used to (I began driving a manual, and the Z is my third car, there was a 6 year gap of me driving anything with a stick). When my Dad came to town, he too had the same issue. Just release your foot off the clutch a little slower, it should smooth it out!