Miata Mailing List: September 1999, Message #441

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Wow, Lisa.  That was great.  I don't think there's anything I would care to
add to that.

Nancy, I hope you were listening, 'cause the best advice sometimes comes
from those who've just gone through it themselves.  Don't be shy, now.
Please share your experiences (good or bad) with us.

Geo. Crawford
RAGS004
92 White B - "Mjolnir"

----- Original Message -----
From: Lisa S. <clash_girl@yahoo.com>
To: Multiple recipients of list <miata@list.miata.net>
Sent: Friday, September 03, 1999 9:59 AM
Subject: Re: Stick shift Cliffs Notes? (LONG!) (NMC, really)


> 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:
> >
> > --------------BBFF10F68D5CA71334C9D1D9
> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
> > Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
> >
> > 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
> >
> >
> > --------------BBFF10F68D5CA71334C9D1D9
> > Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii
> > Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
> >
> > <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> 
> >
> > --------------BBFF10F68D5CA71334C9D1D9--
> >
> >
> >
>
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