Hi cooper folks, my name's Tristan. I'm new to this forum, and coopers too! After the Big MINI Day I saw how amazing these cars really are (not that I hadn't before, but they sure do shine on the track). I've made the horrible realization that an automatic was NOT a good choice for me. I'm interested now in trading in my auto for a manual but unfortunately never driven one in my life and I'd like to do a test drive with a manual cooper S and cooper S w/ JCW at the dealer after I'm confident enough to drive one without griding the gears, etc.

Now I'm not a hopeless cause, I've been driving my auto cooper s in manual mode for nearly 3 months! I'm confident I have the "knowing when to shift" thing down since I pretty much control that on my auto now, but I don't know jack about the clutch/brake/gas coordination, yet. I should be a quick learner but I don't want someone on this forum to offer to help if they have a brand new modded out cooper S with thousands of aftermarket stuff in it unless they are crazy enough to let a beginner try out on one

So there's my plee, please help! I live in the bay area and would be willing to meet up anywhere in the bay with someone who could give me a hand. Alternately if you think I should be posting this question somewhere else, do tell

 

Welcome to NAM and the MINI community. Here's a great article on how to drive stick.

http://www.10w40.com/individual/100186.asp

And as you get a little more advanced and wonder about Heel and Toe
http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/how...2/article.html

Good luck

 

I think most of us would prefer that you hone your gear grinding skills on the dealer cars first.

 

Mini clutches are very easy to work. Other than being a bit touchy in 1st gear my Mini is the easiest clutch I have ever had on a car. I doubt you will find many who will let you practice on their clutch though as they cost around $1600 to replace

 

Go find your self a beater $100 dollar pile of rust with a manual. Learn on that and then go for a manual Mini

 

I once let a CVT owner try to practice stick on my MINI because I owed him a favor. NEVER AGAIN. It was the most painful agony I had every sat through because he just couldn't understand the concept of driving stick--uhm you press the clutch, give it some gas, let out the clutch till it engages, and give more gas. Fortunately for me, 5,000 miles later, my tranny and clutch completely failed and I got a new one put in. I don't think he was the direct cause of it, but I don't think he helped it either.

 

How about a stick shift rental?

 

Very Risky. You (or your insurance company) might be liable for the dammage to the clutch. But a better option than learning to drive a manual on your new car or a friend's car..

Just a good reason to have a federalized licensing program that makes learning to drive a manual manditory.

Besides how many rental companies out there have MINIs?

 

yes, I'd say a DEMO would be perfect!

 

in bay area, you cant find a stick shift rental easily.
the cheapest you can get is almost $300 per day with
limited milage!!

 

$300 a day?? yikes!! I've heard some recommend I do a manual driving school session, but I suppose the whole goal of this is to try and find someone willing to do it for free since I'm strapped for cash. (especially if i want to trade my current cooper in!)

 

I think we are on similar situation. I had ordered a manual mcs, but I have not driven a stick shift for a long long time. I am looking for a cheap way to practice a stick shift too. Let' s share some ideas here.
One possible way someone sugguest is rent a u-hual with manual shift.
What do you think?

 

I didn't think they made u-haul trucks in manual I'm going to ask around the office to see if I can find anyone willing. I was hoping I might find a brave soul on the forums to offer for free I'll let you know if i can find someone willing to help both of us.

 

Get a friend with an older manual that's got a well-used transmission. They won't care about you grinding their gears!

Bonus if they'll actually come out driving with you and explain what you're doing wrong (and right!) while you're learning.

It's next to impossible to find rental cars in the states that are manuals, so ask around or think of any friends you have who drive stick. Promise them some rides in your new MINI if they let you learn stick in their car!

A friend let me drive his car around in a deserted parking lot with some less-travelled roads nearby, which worked well. My only problem was stalling at stop lights (got to get the right balance of clutch and accellerator when you're taking off!). My second time driving stick was at the MINI dealership, which didn't scare the MA too badly

I ordered my manual MINI Cooper S about a month ago and I'm currently waiting for it to get put on a ship to the US! I'm not the best at driving stick, but if driving my car from Salt Lake City to Seattle doesn't improve my driving skills, nothing will! 800 miles of learning

 

Driving a manual really isn't hard. Just practice in your new Mini. You should have it down pat in about an hour or so. It's really pretty difficult to grind gears unless you try to (like if you change gear without the clutch depressed which is pretty hard to do unless your mind is really elsewhere ). The biggest hurdle is learning to let the clutch out at the right speed so that the engine doesn't jerk &/or stop. It took me about an hour to learn a clutch when I was 16. It took me a few months to master the clutch (like when starting out in 1st on a hill ) but I promise you guys it's really easy. Don't be so worried about it, just get in & start driving. You'll have it in no time

 

But hill as an entirely new meaning in the bay area.

I second the go find a beater car (real cheap on its way to the junk yard kind of thing) and practice on that if your really concerned about burning up a clutch. Otherwise you can learn on your new car, also some dealers have cars they keep around for a while (several thousand miles, then sell as used MINIs) might see if you could learn on one of those.

 

go get a job at jiffy lube for a week. When I was 17, I didnt know how to drive a manual, but I started working there, and because its best to baby the customers cars and you dont want to look like a fool in front of your co workers, you learn how to gracefully get into 1st and go.

-or-

Do a 1 day racing program at Skip Barber @ Laguna or Russell @ infineon. I swear, 1 day in a racecar will get you all the training you need. They allow newb's in those cars and will teach you what it takes to get the car in action. Plus, they will teach you how to take advantage of a cars power band, proper shift points, etc etc. You really cant go wrong, especially if you are coming to your realization after the Thunderhill track day.

Manuals are not hard, just takes a little practice. And the MINI transmission is good and easy. Hondas too are pretty damn simple. Just dont be agressive. Lastly, research and learn how a manual transmission works. If you can visuallize what you are doing with/to the car, then it makes more sense and you can get your mind and body in sync with the car .

 

Years ago, I read an article by one of the automotive columnists that suggested the proper way to learn to drive stick is to go to a large deserted parking lot and practice pulling out from a dead stop without using the gas pedal. Once you master the feel of clutch doing that repeatedly for about an hour, the rest of the process will be a piece of cake. I taught both my daughters using this method and now, both are adults and continue to drive manual shift cars.

 

Before we ordered MIB we test drove a '04 MC. This was after 5 years of owning automatics, but I had learned to drive on a manual. I fudged a few times. Stalled it twice on the test drive. But it all came back to me. We did not buy that car, but came back to order MIB 2 moths later

 

I too second getting a beater car... my friend gave me a crash course in driving stick (in his '87 325 no less). I just needed two 1-hr lessons, to practice how to get going from a standing start, finding the friction point, handbrake hold, and some basics of when not to use the clutch (ie, disengage while turning). Few weeks later I got my 9yo beater Accord, and went loose in SF. Actually, the night I picked up the Accord, I couldn't find 3rd, so here I was at 10pm driving through Market St in 2nd gear at ~5-6000rpm (near redline). Next morning I took the car out and 'saw' where third was, then began my journey from SF to Santa Clara for day 1 of my internship. The first week driving back home to SF, going uphill on Fell St was memorable. At a stoplight, top of the crest, bumper to bumper traffic, I didnt realize I had rev'd the engine so much that when I dropped the clutch, I spun the tires and squeeled the tires that I heard someone in another car yell "whoaaa". Needless to say, I had that Accord for 7 years until I got the MCS.

 

I have had great luck with my patented method, but I now have a light flywheel and heavier clutch so it won't work. If you can find a car, I'd be happy to show you. If you are sure you want a manual, just get it and it will all work out. The new mini clutches are extreamly easy to drive.

I also know some people at concord BMW/MINI if you want to test drive (not learn) and compare to my aftermarket tuned MCS.

 

I'll be the first heretic to ask why you suddenly want to drive a manual.

For the price of a track day you can get beater to practice on, and if you're strapped for cash, don't forget the $2K you get to pay Arnie for the privilege of buying another new car...

I've got an old Honda, but I generally save the clutch flagelations for family and close friends.

 

I'd suggest posting an ad on Craigslist. Say something like, "I will give some locally $20 bucks who will lend me their manual transmission vehicle for an hour".