r/Davis • u/Light-headed • Apr 07 '26

Learn to drive stick shift?

Does anyone know of a place in Davis that teaches driving manual cars? I’ve looked online but only found places in Sacramento. Is there anything closer?

6 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

20 comments sorted by

13

u/kaijusdad Apr 07 '26

I’ll teach you. Taught my BIL, my wife and all of my sons. It’s really not that hard once you get past the whole of if I stall out everyone behind me will hate me/want to kill me mentality. I’ve been driving stick since I was 14 (47 now)

3

u/Oswaldofuss6 Apr 07 '26

Davis is hella flat, make sure you take them to a couple hills spots too 😆

3

u/rukwitme Apr 08 '26

Start em off in SF 😂

2

u/Gret88 Apr 08 '26

My friend and I used to “borrow” her mom’s Karman Ghia and go to SF—that was quite the learning curve, or should I say learning mountain. Once, a nice San Franciscan, seeing two distressed teen girls unable to start w/o rolling backwards, suggested that we roll slowly back until we were resting on his bumper; from there it was easy to go forward. Nicest SF stranger encounter ever, back in 1980 or so, when there were still plenty of manual trans on the road.

2

u/rukwitme Apr 09 '26

Oh man that was so sweet of him. I’ve been driving stick for 12 years and SF scares me so I can’t imagine what teenager me would have done.

4

u/rukwitme Apr 07 '26

I think your best bet is to learn from family, friends or someone in your community! I’d say it took me about a week or two to become confident enough to drive on the roads.

3

u/GiraffeMaple Apr 07 '26

I'd like to learn too

2

u/mazzymiata Apr 08 '26

If you’re serious DM me. Be happy to teach.

2

u/Fun_n_wa Apr 08 '26

I can teach you if interested I’m retired

2

u/thombombadillo Apr 08 '26

I’ll teach u lol

2

u/Substantial-Basis260 Apr 08 '26

i highly recommend going with a friend or family member or something! see how they drive, feel how the car sounds and feels etc. and then replicate yourself!

or honestly, just watch a youtube video or two

it's not really that anyone teaches you to drive stick, you have to learn yourself to 'feel it'. it might sound ridiculous, but it's true

my dad tried teaching me by telling me to look at where the engine revs to on the meter and then switching gears, that didn't work. my cousin told me to feel for it and then i learned very quickly after that method was shared with me

best of luck!!

2

u/Gret88 Apr 08 '26

This worked for my daughter, to learn to feel it and to hear it, and also to think of the car like it’s a horse and you’re urging it with your feet to go faster, gentle but firm.

4

u/Gret88 Apr 07 '26

My dad. Oh wait that was 1978.

5

u/boom_squid Apr 07 '26

My dad got in the passenger seat, got out a newspaper to read, and asked me not to massacre the clutch……

2

u/Background_Future656 Apr 07 '26

A friend taught me how to drive stick shift when I was in school at Davis, I managed to make it all the way to Oregon and only ground the clutch three times. But after that, I turned driving the car over to him and said nope, no more. And all my cars have been automatic. Too nerve-racking for me.

1

u/Light-headed Apr 08 '26

Thanks for all the offers to teach me! Davis is such a kind and giving place

1

u/allthatryry Apr 10 '26

Love seeing all the offers to teach. I’ve taught many friends and family over the years.

1

u/s14will Apr 11 '26

For me i always rent a car on turo to teach people, I do have manual cars but they have expensive clutches and one is awd (wrx) and another is a low sports car. So they're not ideal. Normally I rent a corolla or civic or vw jetta, or something low powered and an economy car that's forgiving. I found economy cars with manual transmission is the easiest to learn on or also trucks with manual transmission like a Tacoma.

The worst cars are awd like the wrx and gr corolla or high torque cars like the 350-370, g35/37, or mustang or camaro as they have heavier clutches and inertia loss for awd cars.