Hi team
Can anyone recommend a manual driving instructor in Western Sydney? I already have my automatic licence but I'm hoping to pick up a manual car pretty soon and think I should probably learn how to drive one before I do so
How much time would you recommend with an instructor vs real world experience with a rental car?
Cheers all
just avoid stopping at hills and start-stop traffics , you'll be fine
Use car next door, use a referral from ozbargain community, hire a manual, get a friend and teach you. Cost less than $50 a day if you’re not going far!! No sales rep is there to check you or judge you either !
That would be a good idea but I have no friends. Feasible to do it myself?
"but I have no friends…"
Hugs
I know what you mean, if a 'friend' doesn't know how to drive manual, they should not be considered 'friend'.
I watched youtube videos before hand and also have a basic sim racing set. Then I practiced myself. "just like the simulations"!
Just becareful if the car is parallel parked or parked on a incline. It could be difficult if you have no experience.
I live in north west Sydney, if you hire the car I would be happy to teach you. PM me if you are interested.
Mr. youtube
I actually found youtube and Google, to be more helpful then asking friends who had driven manual.
Just because someone can do something, does not automatically mean they are good at explaining it or teaching it .
As someone mentioned, avoid stopping hills (Starting uphill is a bit tricky) and sudden stopping to begin with (if possible) .
After extensive experience already with auto (about 3 years driving/owning my own car and driving daily) I was confident with knowing how to drive properly and safely. So it was just a matter of doing the gear change thing… I found it best late at night, with no other cars around. Partly because I felt bad holding up busy traffic behind me.
Probably a few hours experience with a professional instructor would be good. But I don't think it is absolutely necessary, as long as you pick a very quiet road at a very quiet time etc.
Watch plenty of youtube and/or read plenty of googled tutorials, and most of all follow all the road safety rules and common sense, which you should already know as an automatic driver (hopefully)
Good advice above, manual isn’t hard to learn. Getting on YouTube plus a few hours with an instructor will boost your confidence shouldn’t need more than that.
It’s a more engaging / fun experience and you feel more in control of the car but there are minor downsides which bother some people - hill starts in heavy traffic and parking in reverse uphill take a tiny bit of getting used to.
I'd agree learning manual isn't too hard if you already know how to drive auto.
Got my 1st manual 10 years ago… I probably had a total 4-6 hours of instruction from my dad over a 2 year period (I was living away from home, so this was during my holidays). Then took a leap and bought a manual… picked it up in Sydney CBD during peak hour, then drove it to Newcastle 3 days later for a new job.
Not the most relaxing experience, but I'm still alive to tell the tale :)
I'd agree learning manual isn't too hard if you already know how to drive auto
But it really helps to be modestly coordinated. If you have no idea how a car works, and no idea of what the engine or gearbox does it'll be more difficult until you get 'in tune' with the car. If you are well coordinated and have sound machinery operating aptitude it will be a doddle.
A lot of it is just muscle memory for the clutch pedal foot too, so… practice and practice and more practice.
Yes, it took a few drives for my left foot to get used to the new clutch that was installed recently. Stalled it twice before I got out of the mechanics yard!
@Euphemistic: Oh sweet. My clutch is probably good for another few years but it's a little mushy to the point I want to replace it (but $$$$…). Did you yell out the window "It's the new clutch I swear!" too?
@HighAndDry: didn’t shout out, but I reckon the mechanic probably had a bit of a chuckle as I tried to leave.
I think already being used to other aspects of driving lets you concentrate on the clutch and shift… like not accidentally trying to engage reverse while going forwards… not something I've got any personal experience of, obviously <_<
Of course this is true, once you've got the hang of driving in traffic adding changing gears will be easier. My point was that SOME drivers really struggle to drive an auto properly and have no concept of engine revs or what gear to use. For them adding in a clutch could be a long process.
Bit late to the party but I don't actually blame you. It's actually crazy there's no standard reverse gear position in manual cars - some have it left/up, others left/down, others have it down/right (where 6th gear would go), etc. It's madness really.
I was in the same boat. In the end I only had three hours and got a car. It was scary driving home.
Might be best to find a friend with one that you can borrow to learn.