Very nice sir! Makes me wish I had kept my 67 Camaro. That was an awesome car.

I put the redline tranny fluid in mine and it didnt make a lick a diff.

:iagree: Thank you!

driving a standard transmission is a lost art... well at least here in the US.

TOTALLY AGREE. I've been teaching myself from reading and watching videos online, so when I went to the dealership for a test drive I was shocked at how long it takes to find the engagement point and right RPM compared to what most people preach.

yes... the Z is a bit less forgiving when it comes to the standard transmission, but I have never had a problem adapting to it... or to other cars at that...

I would totally take that deal from Mom! I explored being an x-ray tech after working as an assistant for a couple years. X-ray school has a waiting list usually a couple years long, then when you're in the program, you have a full year of full time internship(unpaid) so looks like Mom will be paying for most of the car lol

MT is totally the way to go and it's not that hard to drive! It will take a couple weeks to get the hang of it, but you will enjoy it regardless. MT keeps the car fresh and exciting by always improving and exploring the different ways to drive it.

*The GI Bill*??
I get 2100 a month just from going to college because my mom never used it while she was in the military.

Get the manual. You'll learn it quickly at your age. Trust me you won't regret it. Good luck and enjoy it!

It took me about a week to get the shifting down to where i wasnt riding a bucking horse. It took about 2 months for me to get really good at it.
I have the touring not sport package, so i didnt have the rev match system.

If you can drive a Z manual, you'll get in about any other manual and do great. It is definitely a little trickier than a lot of manuals, but rewarding to drive in any case.

As far as automatic vs. manual, I prefer an automatic in commuter/beater/grocery-getter, etc. When I have a car that's supposed to be an appliance that gets me from point A to point B, I want an automatic and a decent stereo, I don't want to feel a lot of bumps from stiff suspension, etc.

I wouldn't buy an automatic in a car like the Z, which I'd drive for fun. That said, the Z automatic is pretty nice as automatics go, and I certainly won't fault anyone for not wanting to shift themselves, but IMO the manual trans Z is a blast to drive for fun.

I purchased my first 370z (bare bones - no options) when I was 19. After a few years, I traded it in for the 40th anniversary. Both MT. Aside from the Z, the only other manual car I've driven was a long bed '99 Dodge Dakota pick up. I had 2 jobs at the time. One was paying $15/hr while the other $9/hr. I was also paying for college fees, books and rent. I had barely any money to spare for food as I had cell phone bills and car insurance to pay.

I understand that you will be supported by your parents, but please do understand there's a lot more to just paying the monthly on a sports car. Gas and maintenance will be expensive. I wouldn't want for you to suffer through what I have gone through (although circumstances are different). Theoritacally speaking, with current income I can purchase a Porsche Turbo 911. Can I afford to keep it? Absolutely not. Why? Because maintenance will be hell and it would be highly impractical for what I need daily. Do I enjoy driving my Z? Hell yes. It's what my budget can comfortably afford without getting myself in a hole incase of an emergency. You'll be going to college. Honestly, as much as I would like to tell you "HELL YES GET Z ITS KICKAZZ".. Get a more practical car for your purpose. Maybe a 4 seater (good on carrying books, dirty clothes and all other crap you'll have while in hs/college)and very good on gas?

Anyways.. back to topic

If you pay attention to the engagement point of your clutch everytime while taking off (that's where it matters anyways since manual cars are harder to stall while already in motion), you shouldn't have any problem. This car has a very "savage" clutch engagement point. It's never on the same spot. There will be times where its pretty darn high, then there will be times where engagement point is very close to the floor.

Remember to use your hand brake if moving from a stop going uphill. Our cars do not have hill assist like others. Hell.. even my girls prius has hill assist. lol. Anyways, keep the hand brake engaged until you feel the car starts moving forwards then you can just immediately disengage it. Does no hard if done properly.

Soon you won't need any of these little tricks because you'll be good enough to drive a manual car and think you're a pro. ;)

I apologize for the long write up but whichever path you may choose to go, please do understand what you're in for.

Best of luck and appreciate what you have.

^^^what the hell is hill assist? Never heard of it.

no, no, no.....be better and quick going from brake to throttle while feathering clutch.....friends don't let friends handbrake om hills. Practice and use it with confidence.

I just open my door and stick my left foot onto the ground Fred Flintstone style and spread my right foot across all 3 pedals.:happydance:

I do have the rev match and it scared the crap outta me the first time I heard it (during the test drive-OMG!)

I also took about two months to get the shifting down-somebody on here suggested higher revs between 1st and 2nd and that works like a charm...love my Z-:yum: