Teaching manual in an NSX

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4 September 2008
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Has anyone here taught someone stick in an NSX? I want to teach my brother manual but I don't have any other car but the nsx in manual. Thoughts? Should I just wait for another car to teach him in?
 
I'd wait to find another car. Teaching someone how to drive a manual usually results in a lot of riding the clutch. Not so good. If your brother really wants to learn have him buy a car with a manual transmission and learn by doing.
 
Has anyone here taught someone stick in an NSX? I want to teach my brother manual but I don't have any other car but the nsx in manual. Thoughts? Should I just wait for another car to teach him in?

I would try to find another car. While the NSX is one of the sweetest shifters out there, if your bro has issues, that's a pricey clutch to replace. Not to mention what might happen if he messes up and rolls backward when he has to stop on a hill and get going again. I remember that I had that issue when I was learning.
 
Find another car that is not as expensive to repair, think worn clutch, gear box that isn't so close together, less stiff clutch pedal etc.

I have let several of my friends drive my car, the first question though is can they drive stick. If they say no, then my car is not going to be the car they learn on. I'll teach them...on another car, used to in my Integra teach people.

Carl
 
depending on what year NSX you have.

if you have a dual clutch you can teach someone with out worry,

now if you have the single clutch you will burn it out.

but like others have said I would NOT do it in the NSX.

what you need to do it go rent a manual transmission UHAUL truck,

do you know how much fun this is??

rent it for the day and let you Brother burn that clutch out.
if he can learn to drive a UHAUL manual transmission then he can move on to your NSX.

or go rent a car from budget rentals request a manual and let him learn.

but I say dont use the NSX
 
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Have him buy a cheap manual car if "he" really wants to learn. That's what I did when I bought my first car. Nobody would teach me so I said F**k it, went to the dealership bought the car. Asked them to leave me and the car in an empty parking lot and spent about 2 hours practicing before I hit the road.
 
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Not the question you asked, but if you are teaching how to learn a manual, use this tip: Until the clutch 'sweet spot' (engagement point) is recognized, have your student practice moving the car from dead stop without using the throttle. Once he/she can get away smoothly, then he/she can start feeding throttle and perform clutch pedal commensurately more quickly.

It's not the best technique for wear on the clutch, but overall might teach a student more quickly and may even result in overall less wear on the clutch trying to learn to be smooth.

I've used this technique with a number of clutch newbies and this has never failed me.

Best of luck.
 
depending on what year NSX you have.

if you have a dual clutch you can teach someone with out worry,

now if you have the single clutch you will burn it out.

but like others have said I would NOT do it in the NSX.

what you need to do it go rent a manual transmission UHAUL truck,

do you know how much fun this is??

rent it for the day and let you Brother burn that clutch out.
if he can learn to drive a UHAUL manual transmission then he can move on to your NSX.

or go rent a car from budget rentals request a manual and let him learn.

but I say dont use the NSX

+1 :smile:
 
Has anyone here taught someone stick in an NSX? I want to teach my brother manual but I don't have any other car but the nsx in manual. Thoughts? Should I just wait for another car to teach him in?

All the time. NSX and S2k are the two easier cars to teach people how to drive stick.
 
Not the question you asked, but if you are teaching how to learn a manual, use this tip: Until the clutch 'sweet spot' (engagement point) is recognized, have your student practice moving the car from dead stop without using the throttle. Once he/she can get away smoothly, then he/she can start feeding throttle and perform clutch pedal commensurately more quickly.

It's not the best technique for wear on the clutch, but overall might teach a student more quickly and may even result in overall less wear on the clutch trying to learn to be smooth.

I've used this technique with a number of clutch newbies and this has never failed me.

Best of luck.

+1 on this method. A dirt road helps also as it is more forgiving than a paved road when the person lets engages the clutch too quickly. A good bit of the jerking/bucking is replaced with wheelspin. I also agree on using another vehicle.
 
How do you feel about damage to your rear bumper? When learning stick, rolling back on a hill and bumping into that annoying guy behind you who pulled up too close is really easy to do
 
I would lean towards a rental car also just to be safe on your wallet. But it is possible to do it though. When I purchased my NSX 3 years ago, I was looking for an automatic but my friend convinced me to get a manual. My friend who used to work in his dad's automotive shop taught me correctly on how to drive a manual and I followed exactly his instructions. I had a major service done last year on my car, and my mechanic inspected my clutch and said it was still like new.
 
Have him buy a cheap manual car if "he" really wants to learn. That's what I did when I bought my first car. Nobody would teach me so I said F**k it, went to the dealership bought the car. Asked them to leave me and the car in an empty parking lot and spent about 2 hours practicing before I hit the road.

Just buy him like a $500 beater with manual transmission =) As long as he get the slightest hang of it, he'll be fine. Afterwards go to random dealers and test drive their lower model cars (civics, corollas, hyundais etc etc) because there clutch is so dead there is absolutely no feel to it and could be easy (or for some people quite hard) to learn from haha.

I luckily worked for a vw dealership and self taught myself on brand new cars lol but man, are those old vw hard to drive without abusing it a little bit
 
When I still had a manual trans four wheel drive, I would take people to an offroad area or parking lot. In low range they're almost impossible to stall the engine and it gave people a chance to get the feel of releasing the clutch.

I taught my daughter in my Audi S4 and it survived. It was probably a bad idea, since she left the Jetta in my drive and I haven't seen the S4 since.

I probably wouldn't use my NSX, but if that's all you have available, you might try it. If your student is abusing the clutch too much after a couple tries, just call it off.

Also have them practice the sequence of using the clutch and shifting while you're sitting still with the engine off. People get overwhelmed trying to drive and using their feet and hands with the shifting. Use an empty parking lot or someplace without distractions so they can concentrate on learning.

Sulley
 
I bought my first NSX in Florida and drove it to California to ship it to Hawaii. When we got to Texas I taught my 16 year old son co-pilot to drive it. First in country roads, then cross country. He did well and we all survived.
I think a lot depends on the student and how well he/she follows instructions and understands the mechanical workings of the clutch.
Just be ready to pull on the parking brake when starting from a stop at an uphill grade with cars behind you. That goes for any car you teach in.
 
Contrary to most of the advice given in this thread, years ago, I did teach my brother on an NSX, with little ill effect to the clutch. Maybe he was a fast learner.
 
I learned on my first ITR and looking back I just want to hang my head in shame. I don't recommend this. It's very unlikely to find a rental car in standard. Just get a $500 beater like the other poster suggested.
 
Not the question you asked, but if you are teaching how to learn a manual, use this tip: Until the clutch 'sweet spot' (engagement point) is recognized, have your student practice moving the car from dead stop without using the throttle. Once he/she can get away smoothly, then he/she can start feeding throttle and perform clutch pedal commensurately more quickly.

It's not the best technique for wear on the clutch, but overall might teach a student more quickly and may even result in overall less wear on the clutch trying to learn to be smooth.

I've used this technique with a number of clutch newbies and this has never failed me.

Best of luck.

+2. Then again, this is the way I drive my car. Get the clutch engaged at idle and then ramp up the throttle. Works great as long as I'm on flat ground.
I remember being stopped on 1st Ave in Seattle in my 89 Legend, one of the steepest intersections one will ever find. I had to really slip the clutch to get the car going and the smell of clutch was worrisome for a few days. I never changed the clutch when I sold it at 175,000 miles.

Miner


Miner
 
I taught an x how to drive mine but fortunately, I waited until the clutch was almost gone and was right before new one was going to be installed.
 
Not the question you asked, but if you are teaching how to learn a manual, use this tip: Until the clutch 'sweet spot' (engagement point) is recognized, have your student practice moving the car from dead stop without using the throttle. Once he/she can get away smoothly, then he/she can start feeding throttle and perform clutch pedal commensurately more quickly.

It's not the best technique for wear on the clutch, but overall might teach a student more quickly and may even result in overall less wear on the clutch trying to learn to be smooth.

I've used this technique with a number of clutch newbies and this has never failed me.

Best of luck.

+3. This is the exact same technique I've used to teach people to drive stick. I have them driving a stick car within the hour usually, probably even in 30 minutes.

It's an excellent technique because you really don't want to overburden them with too many things to think about at once. Once they are understand the fact that the car can get rolling without the throttle, they pretty much lose the fear of stalling.
 


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