[AFAMack]

So here is a dillema:thud: :

The '07 Coupe my father and I just ordered is a standard transmission (only way to go, right?), but only dad and I can drive a stick...

Now my mother loves Corvettes - the only reason she married my dad was because he picked her up for their first date in a '74 - but she only knows how to drive an automatic.

Now, she has been begging me to get an automatic so she can drive it... but this is my first Corvette, and I'm young, so I want the manual

Which leads me to my question - would any of you ever teach anyone how to drive stick on your brand new Vette? What if it was your own dear old mama? Right now she drives an automatic 350Z, so she knows how to handle the performance, just not the clutch...

So my friends, what would you do? Change the order to get an automatic just so mom can go to Wal-Mart in the Vette? or teach her how to drive the six speed?

 

[Luke303rd]

Find one of your buddies that has a beater 5-speed and give him case of beer in exchange for a few hours teaching-time with your mom. Learning stick is one thing, learning it in a 400 hp corvette is another. Good luck with that. :thumbsup:

 

[AFAMack]

Thats a good idea, but my parents just moved to Ohio and the Corvette will be out there with them before I go to my first base (Charleston AFB) and i don't know anyone out there...

 

[Patrick]

Six speed dude. Do what ya gotta do, but get the 6-speed. Row them gears!

 

[rdevaux2007]

I was teaching my wife how to drive a stick in my 07 vette last weekend. She was doing OK until a hill in the neighborhood. She kept rolling back, not letting out the clutch quick enough. i told her to give a little more gas, and let the clutch out a little faster. She did, AND LIT UP THE REAR TIRES!!! i was laughing my ass off! I yelled to her (above the screeching tires) "you're doing a burnout" with smoke behind us.
A few moments later, I asked her,
"see how easy it is to lay a wheel in this car?"
-"yea, that was fun"
Then I told her, "GOOD, I'm glad you feel that way, cuz now when it's time to replace the tires, you can't bitch about the cost, because now you are part of the problem!"

:cheers:

 

[AFAMack]

:laughing: :rolling: :laughing:

I can just picture my mom doing that same thing!

 

[extanker]

i hope you aint asking which is better your mother or a corvette.look at it this way its her car cuz you owe her your LIFE .i would burn every thing i have to talk to my mother alas she passed away

 

[vettekid00]

id say teach her on the vette. That was my first stick. I learned to drive manual on my 2000. artyon:

 

[1N189]

Bro...looks like you have to use the Vette, if you don't have any buddies around with a stick that you can borrow. I can relate to a lot of what everyone is saying. My Dad bought a brand new '02 back in the same year and my Dad wanted a stick, but since my Mom did all the leg work with the paper work and finance, my Dad let her get the auto. That was huge considering that my Dad at one time had a bad @$$ '67 Chevelle with a 396, Hurst 4 speed, Hooker headers, 4-bolt mufflers ("Just throw her up on a rack, take 'em off and throw them in the trunk and wake up the neighbors! Pass everything but a gas station!")
Now my Vette is a M6 and my wife can't drive a stick either...so the first night that I had it I took her to a huge parking lot....she's really short (5'1" and I had the seat ALL the way forward and she STILL couldn't get the clutch in ALL the way! She did ok for her first time, only stalled it twice, but she never got past 2nd either, and no hills rolling: -remembering early posted comment-:rolling: )either!
My brother has a '03 Mazda 3s with a 5 speed...I think I'll let HIM show her how to drive a stick on HIS car...then we will see if she can handle the Vette.

Good luck!

James 1N189

 

[Stevo82xfire]

Go with the stick.

i learned to drive stick on a 95 z28 with a h/c package that brother used to own,it was fun . I say go with the stick and teach your mother. just tell her that the clutch is her best friend.
but hey what do i know i taught my mom on a 70's bmw, and she was still scared... at first.

 

[lsejlowe]

id say teach her on the vette. That was my first stick. I learned to drive manual on my 2000. artyon:

what's the harm in learning on the 'vette? I'd be surprised if your mother's learning process would be any harder on the clutch than your "spirited" driving. It might be a little harder to learn on, but she'll have to get used to the power regardless of what she learns on.

Order the 6 speed and teach her how to drive :thumbsup:

 

[FireLikeIya]

Rental car?

 

[Dan85Vette]

The newer clutches are great. Just leave the traction control on, so at the most all you get is a brief tire-chirp. That's what I had to do anyways. Heck I had more feel for the clutch/gears in a C5 Z than the civics and VW manuals that I've driven.

Be that as it may... I'd still lean towards Luke303rd's advice by borrowing an old beater for initial "how to" lessons.

 

[AFAMack]

Rental car?

Thats not a bad idea... Hertz rents that new Mustang Cobra, don't they?

 

[KMK454]

I taught my friend on his brand new 2005 GTO. I drove it off the lot for him and we found an empty lot where I taught him everything in 3 hours. He wasn't terribly quick but I got him competent enough to drive on his own. A month later and he's good, clutch still intact.

 

[SS/SC]

Thats not a bad idea... Hertz rents that new Mustang Cobra, don't they?

no, they rent a the GT-H, and im 99% sure they are all autos

 

[FireLikeIya]

no, they rent a the GT-H, and im 99% sure they are all autos

I believe the GT-H is an auto. A few places have a limited selection of sports cars that can be rented. I know Alamo has the 350Z, vette, etc. They are not cheap and may not be manuals. There are some rental car companies that rent previously salvaged title cars.... Ok, Ok, not the best way to treat your mom, I know, BUT, It might be worth looking around for something like that just for the first days worth. Have you seen the clip of the 18 year old who wrecked her boyfriends modded vette? Anything can happen. I have always had a manual and have driven some so called sports cars (the 4 cyl high RPM type) but a vette has a lot of torque and a backend that can swing out if not treated with respect.

 

[baierman]

no, they rent a the GT-H, and im 99% sure they are all autos

I'll add that extra 1% not a single gt-h has a stick they are all auto. And i dont know of many rentals that you can get with a stick.

Find a big open lot and let her in the vette, small block are great to learn on, my first manual experience was in a 2002 trans am, it was easy to learn on.

 

[AFAMack]

Great Advice from everyone! Thank you so much... :thumbsup:

So I talked to the mama today, and she reluctantly agreed to try and learn on the Vette. So I think I'll find some big ol' parking lot on a weekend and let her test it out.

I think i'll end up posting a video of her first few attempts... this could be entertaining :laughing:

 

[StillCrazy]

I have been teaching my friend to drive trhe manual she already has the auto,so far so good,give Mamma a go.