Miata Mailing List: September 1999, Message #363

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Hi Nancy!
One month driving a stick and I feel really
comfortable now.  And BELIEVE me, I am just as much a
worrywart as you --- ask anyone here --- LOL!

Some advice from the new driver, cause it's fresh in
my mind --
- PRACTICE!  The first time you drive your stick, get
someone to bring it to a big empty parking lot for
you.  Don't do it for the first time out on a real
street or you'll be scared.

Drive (or try to) for a couple hours at least in the
parking lot.  I spent 1.5 hours the first time I ever
drove Spike just going in a big oval practicing taking
off.  Take off, stop, shift into neutral, put it back
in 1st, take off again, and so on.  DON'T be afraid
of:  Squealing the tires, stalling the engine,
forgetting what to do, etc.  It will feel really weird
to you, and you will think you'll never be able to do
it and look cool at the same time.  Trust me, you will
;) LOL....  I had a concept already on shifting,
having driven motorcycles, but it's totally different
with your foot on the clutch instead of your hand. 
Like learning to dance.  You will have to THINK about
every little thing you're doing for a while.  You'll
be annoyed.  You'll be frustrated.  Then when you
think you never should have tried it, you'll find
yourself doing things WITHOUT thinking about it.  It
will start to come very naturally.  

I practiced a total of about 8 hours in the parking
lot and in my low-traffic neighborhood before
venturing onto a real road.  Even in the neighborhood,
the first time someone was behind me at one of my
practice stop signs, I freaked.  I tried to wave them
around me.  They said "No, that's okay, give it a
shot!"  I was sure I would roll back into them.  I
didn't.  Your imagination is probably much worse than
your ability!  PRACTICE on a hill where there's no
traffic.  Do it over and over until you're not scared.

The first time I drove Spike to work I about got an
ulcer.  I was really terrified I'd freak out and
forget what to do and have an accident or something. 
I didn't.  Don't get flustered if you stall at a light
-- just start 'er back up and go on like it's all
cool.  If you like music, turn on a tape (not too loud
yet, so you can hear the engine) and sing along.  It
makes me not so nervous.

I was less and less afraid every time I drove to work
and back.  After a week, I was feeling almost normal. 
You'll start to do things automatically, and you'll
start to realize that nothing bad is *really* going to
happen just because it's a different kind of
transmission.  I had built it up in my mind (thanks,
MOM! haha) to be some horrible, difficult thing.  Try
not to go in with that mindset -- just be open to
learning and don't get too mad at yourself if (and
when) you mess up.

Practice the start-off, practice the shift, practice
the downshift, practice the hill, practice going in
reverse (it might go REALLY fast the first time you
try, so allow lots of room), practice going forward
just a foot, or just a few inches, like you're inching
up in heavy traffic.  Practice slowing down to turn.
Practice slowing down but not stopping, then putting
it back in gear while you're moving (like you were
about to stop at a light then traffic started to move
again before you stopped.) Remember if you have to
stop fast, you can always just hit the clutch and the
brake at the same time (be sure to hit the clutch
though or the car will die) -- ideally you'd want to
have time to throw it in neutral and then brake, but
know you have the ol' clutch-n-brake as an emergency
measure -- it'll make you feel better.

You'll get mad at people who get right on your a$$ at
stops, too.  And you'll probably not ever do that to
someone again, cause now you'll know how annoying it
is.

Wow -- there is probably a LOT of stuff I'm
forgetting.... I will send more if I think of it.
Don't worry about "power driving" right now -- just
take it easy, shift when you feel comfortable, and
worry about the nuances when you have the basics down.
 I get rubber on PURPOSE now instead of being
surprised by it.... ;)

Good luck, and let me know if I can help!  This list
is awesome, and VERY kind and patient with us
newbies...

Take care,
Lisa & Spike 95R BB
Team Not the Newest Kid on the Block Anymore! :)

--- Nancy Jerman <nnjerman@bellsouth.net> wrote:
> 
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> Hello everyone,  I am new to the list and am now in
> the process of
> buying my first Miata, after a couple years of
> watching them fly by my
> Honda Civic.  I am getting a '96 M-edition with
> 19,000 miles on it (must
> have belonged to a little old lady who only drove it
> to church),
> Twilight Blue Mica.  Yay!
> 
> I am learning  to drive stick to get this car (the
> things we do for
> love) and am picking up the car today.  I am quite
> nervous because I
> know I will need to develop an instinct for the
> clutch.  What if I have
> to stop on a hill, but I panic and roll back into a
> garbage truck?  Any
> helpful hints?  I read some helpful advice to Lisa
> S. about when to
> shift by the tach.  Knowing worrywort me, I will
> probably end up
> sticking up a bunch of post-it notes on the dash: 
> "FOOT OFF CLUTCH
> AFTER SHIFTING"   "YOU WILL ROLL BACK ON A HILL" 
> "DO NOT TRY TO DRAG
> RACE YET"  etc. etc.
> 
> I am also new to Atlanta;  anyone know of any big
> spacious flat areas I
> can practice?   And how is the Peachtree Miata Club
> here?
> 
> Thanks for the guidance... I feel like Daniel-san in
> Karate Kid.
> 
> Nancy Jerman
> nnjerman@bellsouth.net
> 
> 
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> 
> <HTML>
> Hello everyone,  I am new to the list and am
> now in the process of
> buying my first Miata, after a couple years of
> watching them fly by my
> Honda Civic.  I am getting a '96 M-edition with
> 19,000 miles on it
> (must have belonged to a little old lady who only
> drove it to church),
> Twilight Blue Mica.  Yay!
> 
> <P>I am learning  to drive stick to get this
> car (the things we do
> for love) and am picking up the car today.  I
> am quite nervous because
> I know I will need to develop an instinct for the
> clutch.  What if
> I have to stop on a hill, but I panic and roll back
> into a garbage truck? 
> Any helpful hints?  I read some helpful advice
> to Lisa S. about when
> to shift by the tach.  Knowing worrywort me, I
> will probably end up
> sticking up a bunch of post-it notes on the
> dash:  "FOOT OFF CLUTCH
> AFTER SHIFTING"   "YOU WILL ROLL BACK ON A
> HILL"  "DO NOT
> TRY TO DRAG RACE YET"  etc. etc.
> 
> <P>I am also new to Atlanta;  anyone know of
> any big spacious <I>flat
> areas I can practice?   And how is the
> Peachtree Miata Club here?
> 
> <P>Thanks for the guidance... I feel like Daniel-san
> in <I>Karate Kid.
> 
> <P>Nancy Jerman
> <BR>nnjerman@bellsouth.net
> <BR> 
> 
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> 
> 
> 

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