Old Geezer needs to refresh standard transmission skills

Within the next two weeks I hopefully will be pulling the trigger on a 2001 996 Porsche. But I have a problem, I have not driven a standard transmission in 30 years. If anyone on the Rennlist forum can tell me where on Long Island NY I can go to brush up my driving skills I would be very thankful. None of the driving schools I contacted has cars with a stick. My last experience driving a stick was my 1981 BMW 320i, which was a blast. Thank you for any information you can provide. RagtopSL

The best school for practicing a standard transmission is to just drive it around town. You'll figure it out.

I don't think I would advice him to drive it rather than trying to find a safer way. What about when he stops at lights on a steep hill? Burning clutch plates out or running back into the vehicle behind him? Shooting forward and hitting the car in front of him. OK to drive around empty car parks but not many of those around. You can always blame the jumping and jerking on that Kangaroo Gas you are using hahaha. Anyway I hope you figure things out one way or another.

When I bought my first car (1985 Fiero) I had no idea how to drive a manual. While no driving school had a car for me to learn on, I did get a driving instructor to ride shotgun in my car and give me instruction. Perhaps that is the happy medium.

should be akin to "riding a bicycle" ........albeit you may have not ridden one in ages, it all comes back to you after you get on one

Quotes source post: 11533583

I will go out on a limb here and assume you meant "should be just LIKE riding a bicycle". And I'd agree, these cars are not like the beasts of old and if one successfully drove a manual transmission car me thinks one can handle a 996. Starting and stopping is just standard fare - shifting could take a little experience in learning that one doesn't "bang" gears. Nice and easy, slow row, a tad of rev match on upshift and your passenger will think your driving an automatic.

I would purchase an old pickup/SUV with a manual trany. They are tough and can take the punishment of relearning the skill of a manual. After you are done, you can sell it or donate it to a good cause. Little story...I told my daughter she had to learn a manual before she could get her licence. She put up a fuss saying drivers ed said they only needed to learn on a auto. She lost the argument and learned on my truck. She was a fast learner and proceeded to teach all her girl friends using my truck on our long driveway. I remember hearing lots of laughs from the girls as the jerked the car into action or a complete stop...never hurt the truck in any way. She now drives a manual BTW.

I ran into the same issue a couple of years ago when I picked up my 996 turbo. I presumed (wrongly) that it would be easy to find a place that teaches manual. You can't rent cheap manuals anymore. And the few places that still teach manual require you to supply the car. I ended up searching on craigslist and found someone who was giving lessons on a Toyota pickup. I ended up taking a two hour lessons, which was very useful. For the next few months I would get up early on the weekends and drive with no traffic around. The one thing I had a horrid time with was getting used to the clutch feel due to the clutch assist spring. Much harder to feel the bite then on that old Toyota pickup. I took the spring out and immediately stopped stalling. For me it was very useful. Good luck!

Quotes source post: 11533378

Agree. If the OP was any good at driving a manual 30 years ago he'll be ok now. To the OP, avoid stop/go traffic and hills for a while if you can. No reason to dive into the deep end of the pool right off the bat.

It'll come back to you as soon as you fire it up. Back in 1975 I bought my first new car, a Plymouth Valiant, with a 3 on the tree. At the time, my dad had not driven a stick in 30 years, and he got in it and drove it smoother than I did. In fact he only used the clutch to start in 1st, which freaked me out. Thankfully for my synchros he only drove it that once

Plus the 996 has the emergency brake in the right place, can be used to hold the car still when starting on an incline

Well, I was 17 when I used the $$$ from my first job to buy this 1993 Mazda 323 with manual transmission. Keep in mind, the setting is San Francisco. I had some idea how to drive manual from when my mom taught me when I was 13 or 14, but haven't mastered it. I picked up the Mazda and promptly stalled with previous lady owner smiling at my ineptitude. Took me maybe a week to master the driving. I had no problem shifting, starting was the only "tough" thing to do. But with hills everywhere and me constantly driving it, the whole process was a breeze.

Post an ad in Craigs List... ask someone to teach you how to drive... you can offer $ or maybe even offer them a ride in your P-car when you get it! Large empty parking lots are the best starting places, but I agree with the others, you'll probably pick it up again pretty quickly and there's nothing to be worried about - the 996 is pretty friendly to shift - not a track only beast!

Ragtop....Remember this. EVERYTIME you come to a complete halt or stop. Apply hand break and keep that left leg away from that clutch pedal. Never rest your left foot on that clutch pedal if not using it. When ready to go, clutch fully in, first gear, apply slight gas as you slowly start to release your clutch, listen for engine slight drop in revs (thats the clutch biting) , slightly more gas as you slowly complete the clutch movement whilst fully releasing the hand/emergency brake and you are smoothly on your way. You will probably not engage your 5th or 6th gear unless you are at 55mph onwards. The first 4 gears are in the H positions like any old manual car. Once you get used to using those you are in the clear. Good luck. A further note is the gear level naturally wants to sit between 3rdand 4th gear when in neutral. Dont get too pushy trying to get back in first gear when the car is rolling. Slight pressure and it WILL go in if needed. Good luck.

Here's a few pointers that might help you out. First find a quiet area where you can practice without other traffic or distractions. Turn the A/C on... it will bump your idle a couple hundred rpm's. From a standing start, practice releasing the clutch without adding throttle. The gear shift knows where to go next, no need to force it. Remember, slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

Hello sir. If you drove a stick before you will love the way a 996 shifts! I had not driven a stick in over 20 years when I picked up my new baby on this past 4th of July... first time in the drivers seat I drove her back from Greensboro NC to Naperville IL (13hours) in one sitting! She was absolutely AMAZING!!! Now as far as tips... they love it when you are smoooooth! No need to bang the gears your not on the track. Take your time and "feel" for the friction point. When you find it just ease off the clutch and feather the gas. That's all you need to figure out! I'm serious... once you understand how much holding power your clutch has and how little it takes to "hold" you on a hill or incline as you take off is child's play! But make sure you don't spin that clutch! You only need to use it to start from first and to ease shift changes... up or down... I would bet you a beer that within the first 5 minutes you will be smiling from ear to ear... just like I did!!

My 996 was the first manual I drove since my 78 Mustang II King Cobra back in the early 80's. I was a little tentative on the test drive...for the first 45 seconds. It all comes back to you really quickly! Good luck!

I don't even think they call it a "standard" anymore, do they!? It WILL be like riding a bike - once you know how to shift, you don't forget it. The learning curve is getting used to the clutch and where it bites. The concept of shifting has already been seared in your brain!