Javane

So hey guys, not sure if this is the right place to ask but I'm looking for some advice in terms of stick shift.

I don't know how to drive stick (yeah I know, horrible) anyways I really want to. I almost bought this 97 civic that was stick...

Anyways, I wanna buy an Integra and I'll eventually modify it. My friend was telling me I could always change it to stick in the future should I buy anew auto, which are the more abundant in terms of availabilityin sales. Sounds like a good idea, get an auto, learn stick then change... but is it more beneficial to just learn stick before buying it? how do these options compare to each other?

this noob needs help 😂

Javane

You would think someone would tell me why my post got closed and moved to the integra section of the forum.

I had some decent responsesized for those guys too.
One dude got the troll part right though, even if it wasn't my first intention of making this post. and of course there are no manual cars in the wild...

thanks to those with the civil responses though 👌

TheShodan

iTrader: (14)

Your friend is making an idiot of himself. Changing a full transmission and pedal set from auto to manual is a huge endeavour and major pain in the ***.

Buy a stock and learn in the parking lot like the rest of us. There's no short cuts to learning it by "easing into it".

As Yoda says ... "do, or do not. There is no try ."

Javane

I looked up the process and I agree, seems like a huge pain.

the reason I was asking was because the answer to this question would help me decide on when to get myself anot her car. I'm getting a stock stick when I save enough money again.

I was just looking at the difficulties experienced with this option.

tony_2018

Do as you please. this isn't even a technical question, its an opinion.

Javane

I should really learn how to proofread my work. thank you though.

Chance EG

Just buy the standard Integra. You'll have some growing pains, you'll stall out a few times, and you'll grind a few gears, but at the end of it you will be WAY happier with the manual Integra than you would be with an auto. You'd be bored with the auto after a few weeks, and it would take a lot of the excitement out of the overall build/car.

Also, the cost of doing an auto-manual swap and all the added work makes it even more of a good idea to just get the car you actually want the first time. Save up, and buy a clean manual teggy.

Edit: Some advice for actually learning stick - Go to a big/empty parking lot,and just practice rolling off into 1st gear over and over again. That's the hardest part of learning standard, is just dead starts (especially when you're on a hill and can't roll into the car behind you). It's really not that hard/bad, just spend a few hours practicing and after a couple weeks of daily driving the car it'll already be second nature.

Javane

Thanks for the advice. I would've already bought one if I didn't have so much to do. I drive a lot with work and school so I wouldn't have time to learn if I had to sell my auto civic to get one. so I'm saving to get one while keeping my car so I can learn.

TheShodan

iTrader: (14)

You can try, but it doesn't work that way. You don't master it getting into it once in a while as you drive the automatic. You'll actually make your learning curve even flatter going to work everyday in it. Take that 1st weekend you have the car and start learning. Like I said. There's no "easy way" getting into it with two cars and all that jazz.

If anything, with two cars it takes a much longer time period to learn.

Javane

I understood what you said, I live 10 minutes from my job but always seem to be running late. I didn't want to be running late with a stick and keep stalling on the numerous lights on the way there. Being that my semester ends soon, I'll have time to spend most of the day practicing. Plus I drive out of state occasionally and didn't want one of those moments to come when I just started learning, I might never get there xD

But I will definitely get a stick soon (a car that comes that way) just saving up so I don't have to sell my car in order to buy it. I do get your points though.

grampswrx

If you bought a stick on a friday night and drove over the weekend, you would be fine going into work on monday. It's not that difficult to learn, and once you have a basic grasp of it, you may only stall a couple times a week.

Stop worrying and get one!

Javane

Way ahead of you! Already got a list of potential Integras I wanna buy, currently taking the automatics of the list.

As I said, now I just have to save my money.

Klasse

Javane

LOL funny... I watched this exact video about a week or so ago. I do watch tutorials but have no actual car to practice in, yet...

Caoboy

It's seriously not hard to learn how to drive manual.

Clutch in, First gear, roll onto the throttle to 1500rpm, roll off the clutch, off you go.

I literally did not stall at all my first time learning how to drive manual, around the neighborhood, at night with no other cars on the road.

The first time I stalled was driving by myself and it was in the middle of traffic at a light. You learn real quick how not to stall out.

Javane

I know its not hard. Just that it takes practice, which I don't get a lot of. Last time (and only time) I tried, I managed to get a jeep wrangler up to 3rd gear if I'm not mistaken. From start to third within a couple tries. I did stall out a couple times and lost patience and my cool. But I should be good once I get my own car.

tony_2018

don't practice on inclines/declines. car will roll.

TheShodan

iTrader: (14)

He's gotta learn somehow. Once he gets the basics the first few days, then he can practice on smaller hills and go from there. But he's gotta learn by way of trial-by fire

Javane

Rolling down a hill is probably the biggest fear I have. Luckily (or maybe not so lucky) is that my route from work-school-home has no significant hills.

TheShodan

iTrader: (14)

Umm. that's what the brakes are for. you can be in neutral and use the brakes down-hill or (when you finally start understanding by doing) match the gear to the driveline as you go downhill.

You can't guess anymore about "what if" situations. You have to DO.. Your brain and your body will help you dictate what to do as you're in the situation. But you have to DO IT. Can't just think of reasons NOT to do it, or you'll just get frustrated and walk away.

Chance EG

I'm pretty sure he means stopping and starting on a hill, which is what a lot of people are most intimidated about.

Handbrake start/stops with the clutch rolling off are really easy once you get used to it.

thewrai6th

You guys had it easy, my dad took me into the hills in a Subaru station wagon and made me stop and start on the steep hills, no ebrake allowed. Next day, I was driving us to work across the GG bridge all the way down to Stanford. It literally takes less than a day to learn stick. Just get the stick.

Geis

Yeah man, I practiced driving my car the night I got it, stalled once in the parking lot, and then drove it to school the next day no problem. There was a few pretty steep inclines too, though I probably only started from a stop on one of them. These cars are really easy to learn manual on.

TheShodan

iTrader: (14)

That's how most of us did this., You considered that "abusive" learning? *snicker* My mom is the one that taught my brother how to drive a stick. My father taught me in about a day.. same method. "You wanna get around, get in there and do it!!" No manual, no book, just trial-by-fire.

Chance EG

One thing my dad did when teaching me to drive which I think was very smart was he took me out into a large parking lot, and actually told me to get up to speed and SLAM on the brakes a couple of times, turn HARD on the wheel and suddenly, at various speeds. This was in like a 5000+lb Tahoe at the time too lol.

He wanted me to understand and know what it feels like to lose control or have sudden events occur in a car, and correct them/recover. Definitely a good idea I think, because now when I'm dicking around in a car that has 1/2 that weight and way more responsive brakes/suspension, I'm very acutely aware of where the limits and lines are of the vehicle.