I stalled my 350 AND my 370 on the test drives and I've been driving stick for 30 years. :eekdance:

Good info in this thread. I think one of the other things to keep in mind is when people say it just takes time I think it includes learning the throttle response of the 370. I had manuals before but after a 7yr hiatus I felt like I was starting all over again when I got my 370. I knew the fundamentals and found the sweet spot pretty fast. But learning how much gas to give and being able to retain the muscle memory in your right leg so that you could apply the correct amount of gas took time. You just gotta keep driving and paying attention to what you're doing. If you are simply driving around buckin' n stallin' and not understanding what you're doing wrong then it's going to take you longer to get it right. Have fun!

Ahha thx Kyle i actually go to school in Riverside but live in LA :D. I play competitive Golf so I actually have a pretty built lower body, but i guess im not just used to the clutch motion. Hopefully with practice everything will make sense to me.

I was thinking of swapping out my manual clutch for an AT just like I did in my Miata.

I used to plant my heel on the floor, but when I got a 350Z the clutch was too heavy to do that. And now that I got a 370(which has a lighter clutch) I find I cannot go back to planting my heel. You should experiment and find what works best for you. But I find launching the car is easier with the heel planted.

i dont plant my heel.. however i have stalled a few times mainly when I am nervous or think someone is too close behind me... I have had the car about a month now... learned to drive a stick last year on my wife's car... dont stall her Jetta anymore...
hopefully soon I will feel as comfy with the z.

Hello,
I read your post. I want to express some words. The first stage in a full 'heel and toe' gear change is the simple use of double clutching.
Thanks
Addie
Recover data

^^ reported as SPAM.

:vuvuzela:

my heel is off the ground when i press the clutch in. When i release the pedal, like shifting from n-1, my whole leg moves up until a tiny bit before the friction point and then i plant my heel and use my ankle for the rest, i feel like i have more control that way. As far as i know, its ok to ride the clutch for a second or 2 while you engage 1st or second gear to get a smooth shift. The clutch isn't just this ON/OFF Switch, it has a middle ground for a reason. If you treat it like an on/off switch you won't be able to drive smoothly. Yes, when you are flooring your car, press and release quickly, but for regular every day driving, you can still use some finesse. once you have your motion down, you can do it quickly, but smoothly. I think the best advise that helped me was that its OK to ride the clutch for a second when engaging the lower gears. It will make you not have that fear of burning up your clutch if its not totally in or out.

Awesome information, I just read through this whole thread and it made a huge difference in the car. I am finally getting the 1 -> 2 shift smoothed out as it was the hardest part. Other than that, my own advice as a beginner for a beginner is to take your time and not to feel rushed and in time, it becomes second nature.

Big thing is just to get out and drive which is what I have been trying to do, not that I am looking for an excuse with the Z!