I'm about to try driving stick for the first time in 2 years, and the first time I did it was for about an hour and a half, so I'm not very experience.

Does anyone have any pointers? Something they wish they had known when they tried to learn?

relax.

dont shift too soon.

never put it back into first gear when the car is moving.

don't ride the clutch after second gear.

drive in rush hour traffic. Youll stall a thousand times, but youll learn a lot faster, especially releasing the clutch slowly and letting it go at the right point where there is enough rpms.

practice practice practice

espescially on hills >>

lol hills.. i avoided all of them when i first got my car... now they're my favorite >> i drove a car today with a stage 3 race/street ACT clutch.. damn! lol didn't stall once, but it's fun especially since the car is turbocharged... mmm boost >>

dont let go of the clutch until you have it in gear!!! grinding sux

good point... DONT shift without the clutch.. especially not at lower rpms! lol

empty parking lots are your friends when learning. Also, make sure you are learning in an easy car to shift. A civic with power steering would be perfect: shifts easily and no big deal if you ruin it. >>

Patience.. if you're anything like I was.... I got so pissed I kept making mistakes and killing it.. and yes empty parking lots and unbusy hills are your biggest friends.. SCREW RUSH HOUR... stay simple at first. DOnt flip when you mess up and see someone laugh... they did the same thing.... MOST OF ALL (my best friend did this to my car while teaching her how to drive it) once you start to bog the engine a lil bit.. give it SOME gas.... don't drop the clutch or even worse pump the clutch.. that is KILLER on the car.

i had to learn how to drive stick on a car with a lighten flywheel.. it was no fun.. i had to be suuuuper gential on the clutch, cuz the revs droped quickly.

dont get concerend about doing bad... i bought my celica, it being a stick, having NEVER driven a stick before... I drove home in rush hour traffic for a good hour and a half after picking it up (for those in the Twin cities, 394 ALL the way back to highway 61 south, or about 35 miles of city rush hour), and needless to stay, it only died once. I was more concerned about learing to do good than worrying about doing bad, and seriously, it helped me 1000X better than having someone try and tell me how to do it while i drove >>

yeah i knew how to drive clutch on a maxima and a gsx, but when i got my car w/ the fidanza flywheel and spec stage 3 clutch, it took me a little getting used to. I don't have any problems now, and when i drive other mans they seem a lot easier

dont worry im 17 and both my cars so far have been stick. i hate auto now. and wont go back. it was easy for me to learn i jumped in for the first time and had it down in like 30 min. i was very suprised. and just remember if any one laughs at you for messing up (if you a kind in school and other make fun of u) jus remember most of them cnt drive stick and are worse then u if they tryed! lol just tell them there jelous cuz there cars not a stick celica thats a sexy beast