williamngRX8

I am wondering how many in this forum learnt stick thru the 8.

i am certainly one of them. traded in my auto to a brand new white stick and loving every second of it. felt like hell for the first few days but now i have more confidence and driving has become more exciting. life is better :D

please post your name below if u have similar experience :

1.williamngrx8
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
.
.
.

Astral

first stick here as well! I've driven maybe 2-3 hrs worth of stick before, but I was pretty rough on first starts. Stalled today on an uphill (no cars behind, thankfully).

But I'm getting smoother! Give it a week or three and I'll be as good as your average stick driver,... and then, watch out!

1.williamngrx8
2.astral
3.
4.
5.
6.
.
.
.

Raptor2k

3. Raptor2k

Bought mine a week ago, took me a few days around the neighborhood, now after about 6 days it's a piece of cake. The stalling and bumpy 1st gear is gone, thank god :D

Captain Amazing

4. Captain Amazing

Bought it almost a year ago and now I can drive it like a pro...almost.

quack_p

1.williamngrx8
2.
3.
4.
5. quack_p
6.

Brian_RX

1.williamngrx8
2.
3.
4.
5. quack_p
6. Brian _RX

BlueFrenzy

1.williamngrx8
2.astral
3.raptor2k
4.Captain Amazing
5. quack_p
6. Brian _RX
7. BlueFrenzy

MatRiX-8

All, Just a bit of advice. To improve the gas milage of your new 8's, don't shift until around 5K rpm and cruise at about 3.5K. This helped me go up a couple of MPG.

Raptor2k

What if we shift lower than that on a daily drive?

williamngRX8

advised apprecitated.
but wondering if u responsed to the wrong thread :D

jmlee

Got mine back in may, had never driven a stick. Me and my sister in-law met the guy I bought it from at a gas station 45 minutes away, and i had to follow her home. she called me to let me know it still had the new car smell.

blackcherryrx8

still having trouble shifting from 1st to 2nd...
i make every passanger carsick.... :p

1.williamngrx8
2.astral
3.raptor2k
4.Captain Amazing
5. quack_p
6. Brian _RX
7. BlueFrenzy
8.blackcherryrx8

QBallz

First MT car, but I had driving tractors and forklifts in the past so wasn't a whole lot different.

1.williamngrx8
2.astral
3.raptor2k
4.Captain Amazing
5. quack_p
6. Brian _RX
7. BlueFrenzy
8.blackcherryrx8
9. QBallz

williamngRX8

practically only 2 weeks into MT driving, and still figuring it out how to smooth shift the car. i think its normal. practise makes perfect. don let it stress ourselves out too much.

have a question though, can anyone share why shifting sometimes make a clank noise in the transmission eventhough the clutch is fully depressed ? i find it especially audible on 2nd or 3rd gear.

fenderlover

did u guys just decide i want an rx8, although i have never driven a stick, but i will learn how after i get it?

black-rx8-msbodykit

iTrader: (-1)

well it was my first guy and learn stick on, it took me a week lol. 2-3 hours a day don't want to burn the clutch too much

~)(

1.williamngrx8
2.astral
3.raptor2k
4.Captain Amazing
5. quack_p
6. Brian _RX
7. BlueFrenzy
8.blackcherryrx8
9. QBallz
10. ~)(

This is my first manual transmission, but I knew how to drive a stick before. This reminds me when I was first learning how to drive a stick -- oh the memories! The one advice that made it for me was to give it gas when you feel like the car is about to turn off. After that one, I rarely ever stalled. I've stalled the most when I'm distracted; I stop, and I forget the car is in gear, or in the mornings, when I start the car and forget that for some reason, I decided to leave the car in gear the night before! (I use the e-brake.)

I abso-f***ing*-lutely hate hills! Especially in Seattle (near where I live)! Traffic is bumber to bumper on near-45 degree hills! These things are monsters; it feels like the car rolls back more than what I travel forward -- and then everyone is riding you a$$! I usually let my car roll back a bit as someone approaches me so they know to back off. It works like a charm. So what's worse than a hill? A wet hill! Roll, ... roll, skid, skid, skid, ..., skid, <let go of gas to stop skidding>, stall. Rinse, lather, and repeat. Use the e-brake; it makes it easier, and you won't burn the clutch.

My stories may make it seem that I'm a shitty driver, but I'm quite the opposite now, and I haven't had my car for that long. Learn the techniques once you get shifting down; like rev-matching for down shifting; heel-and-toe.

Also, getting a short-shifter helps shift way smoothly, and if you don't have one, consider getting one as they are reasonable in price ~$250 and install is a piece of cake.

-jc

crisis

1.williamngrx8
2.astral
3.raptor2k
4.Captain Amazing
5. quack_p
6. Brian _RX
7. BlueFrenzy
8.blackcherryrx8
9. QBallz
10. Crisis

I had driven a manual for about 2-3 hours about 4 years ago. I bought my 8 a little over a week ago and definitely feel comfortable getting around now. I also need more practice to shift smoothly (especially from 1st to 2nd), but I can tell I'm getting better everyday.

RX8rider

[QUOTE=crisis]1.williamngrx8
2.astral
3.raptor2k
4.Captain Amazing
5. quack_p
6. Brian _RX
7. BlueFrenzy
8.blackcherryrx8
9. QBallz
10. Crisis
11. RX8rider
QUOTE]

Like the original thread, I too had the auto and traded it in for the 6 speed. Absolutely no regrets. Enjoying everyday driving the 8 :D

Luftwaffle

Yep.

deee

1.williamngrx8
2.astral
3.raptor2k
4.Captain Amazing
5. quack_p
6. Brian _RX
7. BlueFrenzy
8.blackcherryrx8
9. QBallz
10. Crisis
11. RX8rider
12. Luftwaffle
13. deee

Add me to the list. I had to drive my 8 home from the dealer and I didn't know how to drive a manual yet. I had the basic concepts in my mind of driving a manual but never really driven a manual before. I had problems the most with the first gear driving home. I would either peel out or stall.

StealthFox

yeah haha, either way you cant please anyone as a newbie, i just let gas on a little early because that seems to **** people off less than stalling and having to re start your car hehe

EsCoBaR1

15. EsCoBaR1

My Dad drove my brand new car out the lot cuz i didnt know how to drive manual at the time lol :D . I HAD NO IDEA how to drive manual, it was like learning a new language to me. Ive stalled out about 2 or 3 time total, I was taught as soon as you think your gon stall out push the clutch in or push the gas, that was my FIRST rule. Lol I am still horrible parking up on my driveway I literally haul *** going up my drive way haha so I wont stall out. I wish my driveway isnt such a horrible hill....this is where ive stalled out both times. Ive had the car for about a month and I can drive just "fine", its not smooth yet but im getting there. Everyone tells me I drive my car too slow i still havent gotten use to pushing the gas down to accelerate as soon as i let the clutch go, but hey practice makes perfect. BTW i use to crap on my pants everytime i had to get on a bridge with a red light, I would always hope the light was green on this hill b/c when your on a hill and your barely beginning to learn manual and you have cars on your ***....oohhh man i would freak out . Talk about being tense lol.

Johnnyma45

1.williamngrx8
2.astral
3.raptor2k
4.Captain Amazing
5. quack_p
6. Brian _RX
7. BlueFrenzy
8.blackcherryrx8
9. QBallz
10. Crisis
11. RX8rider
12. Luftwaffle
13. deee
14. Johnnyma45

It took me a good 9 months (!) to learn how to shift to my satisfaction. Yea, I could get goin after 30 min or so but to shift smoothly on this car takes a lot of hard work. I drove my friend's NSX and it shifts much easier than the 8. Those first few months leading into the wintertime, I second doubted my purchase many times. Now, of course it is like second nature...snick snick...

psbjames1970

This is my 6th auto with shift (driving stick for 15+ years)

The stick on the RX-8 is much more sensitive and thus harder to change smoothly. Took me a couple of weeks before others didn't notice my shift changes again.

Finally broke down and learned the heel toe method which really helps with the RX-8. I used both the standard heel-toe (where you simultaneously hold the brake and tap the throttle before going into a lower gear) and a modified heel toe (easier for me since my feet are small - still achieves the result but requires to be in neutral for a split second without foot on brake). Heel toe works quite nicely with the RX-8 (can now do standard heel toe pretty well).

I think it is due to the fact the engine doesn't hold RPM when clutch is out (foot pressed on the clutch to disenage) during shift changes. More noticeable in downshifts (which is harder to master than up shifts). Thus when you engage a gear, you have to give it gas very quickly if you don't heel toe in downshift.

For the driveway issue, you may find it easier to pull into the driveway at a low speed in 2nd rather than in 1st. 1st seems to be overpowered (high gear ratio) a bit on the RX-8 and I only employ first after a complete stop. I have a steep driveway myself and had to jump the car into the garage the first couple of times. Using second creates a much more smooth entry at a low speed (about 5 MPH) into the drive way. 2nd on almost any MT is designed to work at any low speed about 2 MPH and works quite well (even uphill) for the RX-8. However, you may need first if your driveway is over 7% grade (very steep).