I just bought a 86 se 2.8L with a 4 speed. I am new at drivng a stick so does any one have any hints on driving it? Also What is the best way to get the car going when I am on a hill.

Thanks scott

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Let the clutch out AS you press the accellerator. First time I drove a stick I stalled the car four times because I couldn't figure that out Otherwise not too hard.

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1984 Fiero SE

Let the clutch work. It's ok to slip some on a hill. The other way takes a bit more finess but you can apply the ebrake and let it off as you let out the clutch. Personally, I don't do that one any more.

It also helps to have your idle up a little to help you with the torque. Try an idle 900+ for a while to help on the hills.

You should get on to it with some practice and you can then set your idle back a little lower.

Having fun?

Arn

i don't know about the 86's but my 84's 4 speed is kinda tricky. the first and 3rd gears are really close. i always drop it into 2nd then go straight up to first. it took me ahile to get it down and i drove manual trannys for years.

other than that, try to let off the clutch as you press the gas. you will get used to it with enough practice. on steep hills i give it a little more gas, better than killing the engine. also when i park i put it in 2nd. i've always worried that if the car was in 1st or third and got "bumped" or something that the car might come out of gear. if i'm on any kind of hill i use the e brake also. good luck and enjoy.

I find that if I leave mine in second it will roll away, If anything leave it in first and you don't have to use the e-brake unless you really want to be safe about it, or your on a hill but on the street or whatever I leave mine in gear ( mind you I use my e-brake but it's disconnected right now:P)

CONGRADULATIONS!!! I was hoping that you'd find a good one. Yep it all just takes practice, and going to second to find first is what I used to do when driving my friends 85 GT, first is kinda hard to hit without going straight to reverse. But it's all cordinated moves with the foot and your muscles wil get the feel for it soon.

A funny storry: Everytime I change the master/slave the pedal disengagement point shifts so it even takes about a week to relearn where to push to and then disengage. I like fast shifting so i have to be quick about finding the gear and then punching the clutch pedal.

Scott,
Congrats! I'm happy that you liked the car. Don is one of those people I'd deal with, without hesitation.
Good pointers, above. Can't realy add anything.
You'll get used to it, though. Just takes practice.

Your in for a real treat. Find a large parking lot to practice in. ., then find a suitable hill to practice on. Then go out into the real world. When you think you got it all figured out I gaurantee some idiot will have his nose up your rear when your on the steepest grade in town. You'll know, that when you let off the brake your gona drift back into them which is only inches away.
I've had this happen to me & I been around the block for a lot of years. So just for spite I will set the park brake , shut the engine down and put on the flashers which they probably cant even see since there so close. They will figure I'm broke down which means they took the bait. They will then attemp to back up to go around. as there backing I'll start up and drive away. Then maybe give them the bird.
On the other hand I give people room for drifting back. If I can't see the rear axle under their car, that means I'm too close. And if they are really broke down I can pull around without having to back up.

Good luck.

hmmm, that's slick. i'll remember that one, especially when the snow and ice comes..

You will catch on quick and soon see why most seem to prefer a stick. I recommend learning in an empty parking lot and then driving it on back roads at a time of day when others aren't on the road.

Brings back memories of teaching both my kids to drive a stick. First time I taught my daughter to start up on a hill LOL. Remember, you can always cheat with the e-brake to keep it from rolling backwards while you are learning. You will get the coordination pretty quickly. Good luck & glad you got another!

Ok, I had to take the car over to a my Grandmother house. And On the way I got on a hill and a car pulled up behind me. I don't have a ebrake that works right now so I was freaked out. I stalled the car 3 times then I just got my RPM up tp about 3,000 and then I let the car go. It did make my tires spin but hey I am getting a hang of it. I will get some photos of the car this weekend.

Scott

don't freak out. like others have said find a secluded place and practice. if you're on a steep enough grade and some dill weed is on you butt even an experienced driver can have problems. you'll get to a point where you can let off the brake, press the gas and let off the clutch and won't roll back. some people call it "riding" the clutch. its not good on it but compared to all the shifts that you'll make in a day its not that bad. just be careful, if you smell something burning you need a little more finess.

Here's something that I've done that has helped both of my kids drive stick. They both learned on a 4 speed 4 cyl Fiero in about 10 minutes. A year later, their transition to the 6 cyl Fiero was no problem at all.

So, when beginning to learn, just don't use the accelerator pedal. Only use the clutch pedal. Just learn to do one thing at a time.

Go to a deserted parking lot and just work on getting the feel for the clutch. If you can learn where that point of engagement is and then learn how to fully engage right after just a little movement of the car, then you will be all set. You can add the gas pedal later. And you will probably never ever stall the car.

if you're already driving it a little it's just a matter of using up some gas and driving more while you naturally get a feel for it. maybe look for an intentional hill to practise on (maybe a loading dock incline if there one close that you won't get in trouble for rolling up and down. or a driveway).

i switched over to driving mainly stick about 12 years ago and now almost have a harder time driving an auto (i occassionally stomp an imaginary clutch and push the shifter into neutral).

when you are in doubt just push in the clutch and rev the motor to about 3500 rpms and hold it there then let the clutch out very fast. ENJOY. Seriously what everybody else said.

quote Originally posted by atjxl: Here's something that I've done that has helped both of my kids drive stick. They both learned on a 4 speed 4 cyl Fiero in about 10 minutes. A year later, their transition to the 6 cyl Fiero was no problem at all. So, when beginning to learn, just don't use the accelerator pedal. Only use the clutch pedal. Just learn to do one thing at a time. Go to a deserted parking lot and just work on getting the feel for the clutch. If you can learn where that point of engagement is and then learn how to fully engage right after just a little movement of the car, then you will be all set. You can add the gas pedal later. And you will probably never ever stall the car.

That's how I've taught quite a few people to drive stick. The hardest part is learning to move from a dead stop, either forward or backward. Once you're moving, shifting is easy. It may take a bit of practice to figure when the best time to upshift/downshift is, but it's easy compared to learning to move from a stop.

Don't worry about the accelerator, just put the car in gear and let up on the clutch pedal slowly. You'll quickly learn the feel of the clutch. The downside is that you'll get moving from a stop very slowly, so it's best to practice in a flat, empty lot. Once you're used to the clutch, rev up your RPMs a bit and hold it there, then slowly let up on the clutch pedal. This will get you moving from a stop more quickly. You only need to rev to 1500 rpms or so, you don't want the clutch to burn. Once you're comfortable with that, the next step is to let up on the clutch while pressing the accelerator at the same time. This will get you moving from a stop quickly and smoothly, which is what you want when you're out in traffic. For most of the people I've taught, it's only taken them about 10 minutes of practice to get the hang of it.

When you've gotten confident with level ground, it's time to practice on a hill. The car will want to roll backward as you're moving your foot from the brake to the gas, so you have to be quick. You'll generally want to give the car a bit more gas, since not only are you trying to get that weight moving, you're trying to move it against gravity. Giving it more gas and letting up on the clutch a bit quicker will overcome the tendency to stall.

You'll very quickly get to the point where you're not even thinking about what you're doing, it'll just happen on it's own. Kind of like putting your turn signal on, you generally don't think about, you just do it.

This is also a good way to learn a different car. All manual cars, even the same make/model, have different feel to their clutches, depending on the state of the clutch, adjustment, etc. When you get into a different car, be aware it most likely won't feel the same as the one you're used to.

Thanks every one. I am getting better at it. the first time I was driving I did smell the cluch SP but I don't smell it any more.

Scott

Hah Scott, good to see you learning the stick . Funny, we're both learning it at the same time. The day after I got back from Switzerland my Dad took me out in my new Fiero and showed me the ropes. I learned around my neighborhood with a couple of stopsigns, one STEEP hill and some speedhumps.

I've been driving it a little over a week now and I haven't stalled since you were over here a couple of days ago (busy talking to you, couldn't concentrate). Although I almost did going to Kroger (let out the clutch too fast, car "bucked" around a bit) but I think I'm getting some instinct and I remembered to push the clutch in to keep it from stalling. 1st gear is hard to get in to and the way my Dad taught me I don't go for 1st unless I'm completely stopped. Now I can tell what gear its in by looking at the shifter from the driver's perspective, I can notice if its in 1st or 3rd or 2nd or 4th. When I was first learning I stalled it a couple of times because I had put it into 3rd instead of 1st.

I can feel the clutch easily now and I know by feel where it engages and disengages, but I still don't have the balls to try a couple of hills around here. Lucky there are some detours that I can take with gentler slopes.

And oh yeah, don't worry about accidentally putting it into Reverse instead of 1st. From what I've heard R isn't synchroed and you have to be completely stopped with the clutch all the way in to go into Reverse. Even then I've grinded it a little into reverse.

Best advice I can give, me being a novice stick-shifter like yourself? Don't get nervous while driving. You stall it, who cares, no one really knows you.

Now I have a question. How can I make my 1st-2nd-3rd shifts smoother? I shift by letting off the gas, pushing in the clutch, shifting, then letting out the clutch and pushing the gas. I find that it makes the car "buck" a little (or a lot ). Also if I give it a little gas as I'm letting the clutch back out it doesn't buck as much (or at all).

Oh and BTW, me and Scott (sonic50) both have '86 SE V6's with 4speeds.

I guess im the third Stick shift nubie, I've been drivin my 5-speed feiro for a grand total of a week now and i can already tell im getting better! Let your cluch up slower when you shifting through those first few gears and it shouldnt jurk. A couple of days ago some guy was reall close to me on a hill, I just got out of the car and told him to back up. He did. ha ha but now i know how to do the e-brake thing reall good.

The best way to do this is to trade it for my auto! Let me know when I can pick it up.

I liked the "do it without the gas". My dad did not teach me that way and it took weeks to get smooth at it. I did figure it out though.

As evidence things become reflex... I had a Geo Storm and after two years stalled it a few times. Got to looking at the tach when I started, The needle only moved about a 100 rpm sometimes as I engaged the clutch.. I symphasize with the imaginary clutch problem, I have 1 fun stick and two auto transmissions.

Brian

My first car was an 86 Ram 50 5sp. I did like everyone said and learned in a parking lot then in a parking lot on a hill. As far as someone rolling up behind you right on your butt on a hill you have two options.

1. Hang a sing that says, driving stick please keep assured distance.

2. Slowly roll back until you are on their bumper then get going. They learn real quick not to be on your butt. Then once you get the hang of it and you have that problem you can just start rolling backwards and take off right before you hit them.

Maybe it's not nice, maybe it's the Jersey in me

ah the good ol days, my first time driving was a stick only it was much harder to drive moer power, 200 stang gt conv 5spd man, yeha but good luck hope you get it down quickly, changing clutch can be a ......

I'm back here, does anyone have any advice for prolonging the life of the clutch? I'm worried that I've probably damaged it from learning on it, and my technique might be causing more damage.

quote Originally posted by Silver88GTfastback: I guess im the third Stick shift nubie, I've been drivin my 5-speed feiro for a grand total of a week now and i can already tell im getting better! Let your cluch up slower when you shifting through those first few gears and it shouldnt jurk.

Though that will work its not the ideal way of avoid the "jerk" when changing gears because it increase clutch wear. The ideal way is, before you release the clutch, give the engine some gas and place it at the rpm (as close as you can) it need to be for the gear your in and the speed your going. Then release the clutch and it will smoothly catch. This may sound impossible to do but in fact its just difficult (IMO) and takes lots of practice. When you perfect this technique you'll find that you can sometime shift gears with out using the clutch, but it will probably take a long while to get that good.

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Low 14 sec 99 Pontiac GTP, 3.2L V6 4 sp 86 Fiero GT

My '84 4 speed has lousy shift cables. Makes it a pain to drive.
Not that I ever got to drive it more than from one driveway to another...
But eather way it takes some serious force to move the shifter. Both hands to get into reverse. In that regard I suppose it's nice, I wont ever end up in reverse when shooting for first.
But for a time I couldnt get to first/second, only 3rd/4th. I was able to sucessfully, first try, get moving from a dead stop in third gear with a half dead Iron Duke...
This is almost impressive when you realise I'd never really driven a car before, nevermind a stick...
Hurrah.

Its not over yet,,, Dont know why I didn't think of this earlier. Go around your neighborhood and offer to cut grass for free for anyone with a stick shift tractor. Once you get the hang of it, move on to the blacktop.

quote Originally posted by Spoon: Its not over yet,,, Dont know why I didn't think of this earlier. Go around your neighborhood and offer to cut grass for free for anyone with a stick shift tractor. Once you get the hang of it, move on to the blacktop.

I doubt anyone around here has 1 of those. Most people in my neighborhood just hire people to come in and do their landscaping for them. Or else they use a push mower. But that's a great idea! You can learn stickshift and if you stall it, there's no one behind you to honk and embarass you .

I learned the "hardest" way. My mom (of all people) taught me to drive and she didn't know the "don't use the gas pedal" trick to learning. Luckily it was a light car (Honda Accord) so it wasn't too tough, but the main problem I've seen for people, including myself, that were trying to drive stick was the effect lurching the car has on the passengers. That's the biggest issue. When you're learning your going stall the car and you're going to do those annoying lurching starts. Bouncing your mom around inside the car is very nerve wracking as her patience quickly ebbs.

The first stick shift I personally owned was a 4cyl Nissan pick-up that I'd "tweaked" a bit. My first student (a girlfriend I had at that time) learned to drive on that thing. It was rock-solid, so I told her right off the bat that she didn't have to worry about me or the truck - as long as she didn't somehow teleport us from the parking lot directly in front of a semi on the highway she wasn't going to hurt anyone or anything. She did okay, but I could tell that she was getting flustered watching me bounce around when she lurched the truck. So then I got out and told her to drive around the parking lot, stopping and starting. About 5-10 minutes later she pulled up and said she'd had enough (but was getting the hang of it).

About a week later she wanted to get something from the store and I wasn't in the mood to drive her so I just tossed her the keys. "What? I can't drive in this traffic!" she complained. I told her she could drive plenty well and the truck wasn't going to mind in the least. "What if I stall it at a light?" "Simple. Start the truck back up, floor it, and pop the clutch. You'll tear off like a demon and there's no way in hell that truck will stall on you." (I'd made her do that once in the parking lot just so she knew what would happen.)

Yeah, it's not great for the clutch, but I drove the crap out of that truck (and street raced it without being remotely nice to it) and it never complained in the slightest. Thirty minutes later she returned from the store, all smiles, and never had a problem with stick shifts again. In fact, when she bought her own car a few months later she got a stick-shift 323 Mazda. Good luck catching her in that thing, btw... she's made a 3 hour drive in less than 2, cruising at 120mph. Total psycho. But fun.

So yeah, advice... learn stick without anyone else in the car. There isn't anyone that's going to help you learn, not really. Best to just get out in a parking lot and flop around until you get the hang of it. When in doubt, rev it up and pop the clutch (but just realize this isn't a viable long-term solution). Practicing on an incline is a good thing to do - if you don't you'll get to "practice" in the real world under hair-raising conditions. I guarantee it. Just relax, take it easy, and practice a lot by yourself where it isn't important (a parking lot). The not using the gas pedal advice sounds good, too.

I was just on an incline like this yesterday:

With a Mercedes up my ass and I managed to get it going with minimal rollback and without stalling!

Edit, to get rid of archaic incline, replacing with paint art!!!! .

But it was hardcore. I had my Dad in the car, by now I was used to driving stick and I wasn't thinking about hills, then I came up to a stop and realized where I was . First try (no one behind me) I nearly got it going, but it was in 3rd gear in the rain on that incline. My Dad said it was in 3rd, I let it stall, stopped again, and put it in first. Then that Mercedes came up on me . Dad in the car, raining, steepest incline I've ever been on, even in an automatic I would have rolled back a bit, and I have a Mercedes about 3' off my rear. I got it going .

My leg is starting to wear out though (driven it about 10 hours in the past 3 days), I'll give it a rest. Honestly it is much more fun than my '88 GT. I've driven the '88 about once in the past 2 weeks. Now that I'm used to the '86, anyone able to make a new sig for me?

[This message has been edited by Tinton (edited 12-09-2005).]

Scott. Check your PMs.