Learning to Drive Stick on New Mini

[X-Man]

Our Mini is slowly but surely making its way through the process of being built. This car will be driven by my teenage son who is already driving but does not know how to drive a manual yet. I know there is a break in period for the car of about 1,250 miles. I don't want to deprive him of driving it until I reach that mileage, but I also don't want there to be long term consequences on the engine and transmission. I guess I was just wondering if there is really that much harm in having him learn to drive it during the break in period?

[Johnny225]

Hmmm, that depends on the driver. Try it out for about one run. If he keeps stalling the engine, then no, I suggest you break it in yourself and then give it to him, but stalling the engine is bad anyday! However, it is ok to be jerky, but the main thing about break in is over revving the engine. That is a definate No no. However, I seriously doubt that'll happen. Give it a shot, everyone deserves that, and see how it goes.

[SteveM3]

What? Don't be so soft on the kid. Send him down the mines to earn
some money to pay back all you've spent on him. After he has broken
in a few pit ponies he may be ready to practise stick shifting in an old
Camaro. Then and only then if he worships the ground the Mini is parked
on can he be allowed the privilege of pushing the Mini. Hah, kids don't
know how lucky they are. In my day we would drink acid for breakfast,
work 25 hours a day.......
Alternatively you would be wise to do some running in before he gets
to the car but any harm he does probably won't surface until it is in
the hands of the third or fourth owner.

[Z1GZAG N]

Quote: Originally Posted by SteveM3

Alternatively you would be wise to do some running in before he gets
to the car but any harm he does probably won't surface until it is in
the hands of the third or fourth owner.

Won't surface until it is in the hands of the third or fourth owner? Steve you've got to be dreaming. This is a teenager we're talking about here. I new how to drive a stick very well when I got my 68 Camaro. But burnouts and catching rubber in all four gears will do a clutch in after very few miles. Only after I bought three clutch sets and had to install each one myself did I settle down. Err, waite a minute. I didn't settle down. No, I went out and bought a dual disc clutch set.

As for your original concern X, check around the rental places for a car or truck with a stick. Take your son to a large empty parking lot and let him learn on someone elses vehicle.

[RustyPaint]

Before I started driveing stick, I had expearence with driving a small tractor with a very unforgiving tranny and a sticky cluch (wait 2-3 seconds to change gears or you hear crunch). Now with the car (wow I have sincros ) I picked it up rather quickly but 1st 2nd was ruff and kept stalling (must downshift at stops!!!)

It took me a week to learn to drive stick and a month to get comfortable.

The bigest hurdal is to learn where the clutch engages and not have burning clutch smell on hills .

There is going to be significant clutch ware on a learner car. A broken in clutch will probly take the abuse better than one that is new. Prevous expearence will help greatly as well.

[Johnny225]

Yup, well, my first ride was an 85 AMC Pacer. My dad gave that to me. It was a manual, but surprisingly, Ilearned quite easily, but as soon as I did, the damn thing broke down. AMC quality all the way!

[Scargo]

let him get his basics of a manual on some other car, atleast a few different outings about 1-2 hours each. on a friends car or heck by a 500$ beater for the job. THEN after hes got some idea what hes doing let him on the mini. my first manual was my mini but i learned on a friends subaru for about a week , im soooo glad that week of awful driving was not on my poor mini, now i can really drive her!

[Z1GZAG N]

Learning to drive a car with a stick was pretty simple for me. I'd been riding motorcycles for 3 or 4 years before I ever had a chance to drive a car with a stick. By then I new what was happening when I let the clutch out and I'd already learned to drive a car. Learning to drive a car was mutch simpler too as I had been racing go carts for several years. Everyone should have to learn how to drive a go cart before they ever get into a car to learn to drive. This way they're having fun and learning the basics at the same time. It helps take a lot of the tention out of getting behind the wheel of a car the first time. The first stick car I ever got to drive was my sisters 64 Corvette. She took me to a big empty parking lot and after getting behind the wheel, my sis told me I had to learn how to get the car moving with out touching the gas peddle. Yes, I had to learn slowly let the clutch out and then the car would be creeping along in first gear. This taught me a couple thing. First, I had to learn to be smooth with the clutch. I also learned to listen to the sound of the motor as the clutch was taking hold. I also learned the feel the car as the clutch took hold. There was no pressure from worrying about stalling it in traffic. Just an open lot where I could practice. Once I got the clutch and foot working together to start the car moving with out any gas pedal, I then worked at learning to give the car a little gas as the clutch came out. Putting a kid out in traffic to learn a clutch and stick when they know nothing about manual shifting is the worst thing to do in my opinion.

[azimmerm]

i agree. you should break it in yourself. My fiance' wants to learn to drive stick, but she is happy to wait until the break in period is over. No sense in having to spend thousands on repairs later in the car's life just so your son (or my fiance') can drive it a month earlier.

[Dave]

Most driving schools offer "stick" driving classes for a very reasonable fee (like a series for < $200). Wouldn't that be better on your pocket book and your frayed nerves? Alternately, rent a car and drive it to a vacant parking lot ~

Dave

IMO the MCS is an easy car to learn stick in, I don't think it will be a problem.

-Andrew

[X-Man]

thanks everyone for your input. i think ill just attempt to borrow a car for my son to learn on. the more i think about it the more i dont want any problems down the road, cause i know i will be keeping this one for awhile. thanks again.