First stick shift...help please
 

I just bought a 2006 Saleen S281. It is beautiful. I've had the car for just over a week and I'm still having a little trouble taking off in first gear. I've never owned a stick before and I'm actually surprised how I can shift through all the gears pretty smoothly except taking off. Number one I'm too slow when taking off and two sometimes it's a little "jerky." It does have a lot of torque and I'm wondering if that's why I'm having trouble. It's almost like the gas is "touchy." I do "freak" out a little when the car starts to "roll" and I naturally slam on the clutch/break. When I'm by myself w/ no traffic I seem to take off pretty smooth, but still really slow. Once I'm in traffic I seem to forget all what I know and that's when it's more jerky. I hope someone can help me out here. I love my car and not being able to drive it like I want to is annoying me. I know I'm still new, but I just want to feel more confident when having to take off. I hope someone can help me out!!

Don't know what you're really expecting for help.....

So here are pictures to explain how I feel instead....

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...ZRUIYkf8YhF9zy

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...dig1jCtzF9uKiA

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...U3QDLAQMzWGbWA

Excuse me, I`m in Europe and find this a little amusing. BUT. You have to learn sometime so good move there for buying a `normal ` car. Everyone drives a manual car here. The only people that drive autos here are cripples and lunatics that can`t manage a proper license. Or bums like me with an American import :)
Anyways, If you`re not used to a manual but have driven one before then just take your time. Let the clutch out steady and feel the bite, you`ll hardly need to give it any throttle.
It`ll come in no time. Its simple enough affair. I reverse park artic trucks onboard ships for a living with `umpteen` gears and manual splitter boxes, everyone is different and first time the clutch bite or box is new or the gate can be awkward and it can sometimes be tricky. Its only becuase you`re not used to it. Everyone can make a mistake.

Relax. You`ll be fine.

Practice,
Practice,
Practice,
Practice,
Practice,
Practice,
Practice,
Practice,
Practice,
Practice,
Practice,
Practice,
Practice,
Then you'll be fine

who in there right mind buys a high dollar car like that and cant drive it? Who test drove the car...

I thought the same thing but figured he had a fat wallet,..... cause he got big balls!

"Spinz" might have gone the test drive

In first gear, try to let the clutch out slowly without ANY throttle until it engages. Feel where it "bites" and go from there. You can then blip the throttle once and try letting the clutch out slowly to see how its engagement reacts to torque. FWIW, I can go from 1st through 4th in my truck with zero throttle input. You need to train your left leg.

1. Find a big, empty parking lot.
2. Practice what everybody else said, over and over and over again, until you can accelerate briskly from a stop through 1st and second gears.
3. Rinse and repeat.
4. Find an empty road with a hill and do the same thing going uphill (you don't want to learn this in traffic).
5. On steep hills, you can cheat and hold the car from rolling back with the parking brake while just starting to slip the clutch.
6. Remember not to rest your foot on the clutch pedal once you are up to cruising speed or when stopped at a light, or you'll be replacing throwout bearings more than you would like.

this is how i taught my son. slight incline where car rolls back. let clutch out slow. as soon as car stops rolling, this is the point where u want to start applying gas. only practice will make it easier. just pay attention to what is going on and adjust what you are doing.

if you live close enough come by and u can watch me drive it ALL DAY LONG.

My best advice is don't be afraid that it will stall if you don't give it gas. My friend had a 5.0 who could drop the clutch on flat ground and his would take off, but he had 4.10's.

On second thought, it sounds like there may be something really wrong with your car. Better let me take it for awhile and make sure everything is okay :D

Rev to 5k rpms and release clutch. Promise you wont stall and enjoy the tire smoke! lol

My dad made my first vehicle a $600 bronco II, manual... good way to learn without worrying about being out a bunch of money. Echo here: practice the hill before traffic... I got bit on that on a 4 way stop and stalled in the middle of town :oops: