Teaching my girl how to drive a manual .

Morgan1986 · February 10, 2012

Long story short she cried lol . Try again some other time . Was going as slow as I could with her to . Was learning on a big open stretch of road with no cars .

Stevens03 · February 10, 2012

Yeah, it's tough for some people at first. I personally think it's important for everyone to learn how to drive a manual even if they aren't doing it everyday.

Good luck

8.1HD/ALLISON · February 10, 2012

Don't feel bad, I tried to teach my wife, but she has no concept of doing opposites with her feet. lol

2010LTZ4x4 · February 10, 2012

It usaully works better if you can get someone else to teach her. That was the only way my wife was able to learn, she wanted to learn so she could drive my 95 6spd T/A.

Patch6713 · February 10, 2012

I second having someone else teach her. When I learned to drive a manual I had someone else teach me the basics and then once I got that down I went out by myself in the neighborhood until I felt comfortable enough to travel around on the main roads.

So glad I learned how to do it because now I can get into any vehicle and I know I can drive it.

00Silverado4x4 · February 11, 2012

Long story short she cried lol . Try again some other time . Was going as slow as I could with her to . Was learning on a big open stretch of road with no cars .

When I first met my wife I was still driving around my 76 Chevy pickup with 3 speed manual, on the column. She can drive manual but the first time she attempted to drove that thing was the last. That was 10+ years ago...

Be patient..she'll get it. Heck I'd probably stall the crap out of a manual myself it's been quite awhile since I drove a manual trans.

Morgan1986 · February 11, 2012

she did not stall at all . Just was having a harder time coming to a smooth stop . she likes to push the break all the way down as hard as she pushes the clutch in . We got up to 2nd gear did not want to go any faster than that with out her being confindent in what she is doing . Pedal thing is hard for her . using her right hand to change gears his hard for her . ummm i guess it takes a while . have to learn to be really smooth with pedals and gas and breaks and clutch . she will get the hang out of it i guess.

doverarjim · February 11, 2012

When I taught a girlfriend (years ago) the first thing we did was sit on the floor foot to foot and worked the gas and clutch. Made her ride shot gun and shift with her left hand, which suprised me at how it translated to the right hand when she got behind the wheel. I have written the loooong story of her first attempt here before so I will not bore all of you with it again. But not getting up set with her is the key, if you can't do it let someone else even if you need to pay them to do. I taught my kids on a tractor so it was a little easier to move to the truck.

Morgan1986 · February 11, 2012

When I taught a girlfriend (years ago) the first thing we did was sit on the floor foot to foot and worked the gas and clutch. Made her ride shot gun and shift with her left hand, which suprised me at how it translated to the right hand when she got behind the wheel. I have written the loooong story of her first attempt here before so I will not bore all of you with it again. But not getting up set with her is the key, if you can't do it let someone else even if you need to pay them to do. I taught my kids on a tractor so it was a little easier to move to the truck.

I learned on a tractor after a truck . Dad has this old ford tractor and man that is alot harder then any truck or car manual tranny ive ever driven . way harder than a f350 manual . The tractor I almost have to stand up to push the clutch all the way down along with the brake or i dont put enough force on it . I am 5 11 . 147 pounds . and have to match the revs just perfect on that tractor . Its only like a 55 hp tractor but its geared really low and probely could right its self up side down on a steep hill. use the tractor for wood . the front bucket holds alot of wood and driving it in the bush is no prob or to pull out a tree . alot better than scratching the paint to hell on a brand new truck.

limpalong · February 17, 2012

_{Been there... done that!!! 1974... Sister-in-law bought a new Ford Maverick, stick shift, at a Ford dealer 100 miles away. Called me at 6 p.m., asking me to come help her drive it home. Told her she was on her own! She made home... and drove that car for quite a few years. However, she still will remind me how much she hates me simply because I wouldn't assist her! :>)}

_{1995... Oldest daughter traded her Accord automatic for an Accura stick. She'd never driven a stick. It was a new Accura and under warranty. I felt sure, she would need a cluthc or two. She drove that car for 3 years. Lots of tears, that first day, trying to get the hang of a stick.}

_{Our driver's ed car, in high school, was a stick shift. Of course, tt was a 1963 Ford. Growing up on a farm and working in the construction industry for a number of years, driving a stick shift is second nature. To many of today's drivers, they would be lost trying to drive one. Everyone should have some experience behind the wheel of a stick shift. If a person needed to transport an injured party to a hospital and the only available vehicle was a stick... If a person needed to escape a fire, etc., and the only available vehicle was a stick shift.... I'd vote to have all teens taking driver's ed classes take those courses driving a stick.}

Morgan1986 · February 17, 2012

_{Been there... done that!!! 1974... Sister-in-law bought a new Ford Maverick, stick shift, at a Ford dealer 100 miles away. Called me at 6 p.m., asking me to come help her drive it home. Told her she was on her own! She made home... and drove that car for quite a few years. However, she still will remind me how much she hates me simply because I wouldn't assist her! :>)}

_{1995... Oldest daughter traded her Accord automatic for an Accura stick. She'd never driven a stick. It was a new Accura and under warranty. I felt sure, she would need a cluthc or two. She drove that car for 3 years. Lots of tears, that first day, trying to get the hang of a stick.}

_{Our driver's ed car, in high school, was a stick shift. Of course, tt was a 1963 Ford. Growing up on a farm and working in the construction industry for a number of years, driving a stick shift is second nature. To many of today's drivers, they would be lost trying to drive one. Everyone should have some experience behind the wheel of a stick shift. If a person needed to transport an injured party to a hospital and the only available vehicle was a stick... If a person needed to escape a fire, etc., and the only available vehicle was a stick shift.... I'd vote to have all teens taking driver's ed classes take those courses driving a stick.}

LOL tough love but they did learn with motivation. Easy when its there only vehicle to drive but she has a auto . So i have her to get her to drive my truck .

kstruckcountry · February 18, 2012

Learned on a tractor myself... well the clutch anyways, that's pretty much the only hard part at first. It's all about the feel

First truck I drove stick on was our 1997 F-350, with a 460... Hated it. A big block, and you still had to feather it to keep it from stalling? Not near as easy as the tractor was

Learned how to drive, drive on a 1989 F-150 Auto, with a straight 6. Buddy bought it and it's running fine to this day.

Morgan1986 · February 18, 2012

Learned on a tractor myself... well the clutch anyways, that's pretty much the only hard part at first. It's all about the feel

First truck I drove stick on was our 1997 F-350, with a 460... Hated it. A big block, and you still had to feather it to keep it from stalling? Not near as easy as the tractor was

Learned how to drive, drive on a 1989 F-150 Auto, with a straight 6. Buddy bought it and it's running fine to this day.

I learned on my dads 91 F250 those where great manual tranny . They used the same one for there diesel for that year. Then I learned on a tractor . Then on my 2005 silverado and my dads 2000 Ford f350 diesel .

Every-time I step into a manual vehicle its a learning experiences because there is always room for improvement . I have not driven a manual where you dont have to feather the clutch besides a tractor.

If you count the two fordes in low range and shifted into 4L then you dont have to feather them .

z71MudDog · February 19, 2012

good lord...im supposed to learn my girlfriend how to soon..

nht mike · February 19, 2012

Hello! I tought my two daughers in my '94 GMC c1500 with a NV4500 HD (a $63 option) trans. The first thing I told them is "don't touch the gas pedal"! Once they get the feel of the clutch then work on the gas.