Just got my new fairlady!!!
 

Hey all I just got my 2010 smurf-mobile sports package today and I must say I am pumped!!! Its my first brand new car as well as my first stick shift and first time learning how to drive one lol. I notice the gas is really sensitive, just a slight press and the engine roar like a beast and the clutch is really resistive. I stalled the car several times :D

You fairlady owners have any starter tips for a stick noob like me to get the car running smoothly from stop?? I always seem to have trouble getting the car to start running smoothly and also when i approach a stop my mind gets confuzzled and I panick lol :icon14:

congrats on the new z and welcome to the forum. Practice makes perfect, release the clutch slowly til u feel it catch and start moving then apply the gas and it should be pretty smooth. Find an empty parking lot with no curbs or wheel stops and just practice all day! enjoy your Z!

Welcome and Congrats! :hello:

Welcome post pics or BAN




DAN

I find the Z's clutch to be both difficult (in the sense that it does not allow for much slippage with a precise grab point...a good thing in a sports car), and easy (because the power of the engine means just a little gas gets you moving). Learning that grab point will get you moving stall free in no time!

Good luck with the car!

around what RPM do you guys begin to shift for the car? Is 3000 is a good time to shift or 2000?

Until you get used to the clutch shift at higher RPM's, especially in the lower gears. The 1-2 shift is easier with more gas.

I seem to have trouble/anxiety when coming to a stop sign or stop light for that matter from fear of stalling the engine. What is the proper way to approach this because i want to learn the proper techniques so I dont repeatedly do things so much that it becomes a habit

Welcome!

Yah, the grab point when starting from a stop is pretty early, but you'll get used to it pretty quick.

For coming to a stop, just exercise that SRM! If you don't want to make a scene, just wait until the RPMs drop below 2k, and down shift. Start braking when you normally would with an auto. Once you get to 2/3rd gear, so you can probably slide it into neutral and brake to a complete stop.

I learned to drive a manual in my Z too! My shift indicator light is set to start blinking at 3500 rpm.

Go to an empty flat parking lot, slowly let out the clutch until the car moves. Practice over and over, you'll get used to the engagement point that way. I learned this from Rudy(ilivetowin), and I've been slowly getting better (thanks Rudy!). Don't think about it at stop signs and red lights, just drive with confidence. If you stall, it's no big deal. I've had the car for a month now and still have a bit of trouble with downshift rev-matching (non-sport), but you've got SRM to take care of that for you :).

Great advice thx :) out of curiosity, how long did it take you Rui Z and hdskull to learn to drive stick relatively well? Others can chime in too. Btw its a great idea to set the indicator light to help remind you when to shift. I gotta read through the manual and figure out how to do that

I can't say that I'm driving well, but it took a couple of weeks of commuting to school and from school (20ish miles/day) to get used to driving manual.

I probably stalled about 56 times total (poor GiZelle) since I got the car. I pretty much stopped stalling before I hit 1000 miles. I live in a hilly area, so I'm pretty decent at starting on a hill. Now that I have about 4000 miles under my belt, the only time I ever stall is when I'm backing up (blind spot scares me when backing up in this car) or parallel parking on a hill. I'm still not very smooth with the transmission (I tend to release the clutch too fast) cuz I'm always worried about riding/burning the clutch. Hopefully by the time I hit 10,000 miles I'll be smooth as a baby's butt. Just don't get discouraged. I am having a blast now and am totally glad I opted for a manual transmission. Good luck!!

Hdskull has some good advice there . U gotta practise on an empty parking lot 1st then an empty street with a slight incline to get used to starting up and go. IMO doesn't have to be too sticky about what rpm you need to get to to shift gears. Clutch modulation is the most important part in the beginning and after a few practises you will get a hang of it. Don't be afraid to use the hand brake to help you start on an incline. The place where Nissan put the handbrake is esp useful for this.
I do find the 370Z manual is more difficult than other manual car/trucks I've owned.
With regards to stopping, shouldn't be too difficult once you are used to the brake in then clutch in to neutral. I do use my handbrake too on any incline.
Hope this helps.

Hah yeah.. i have 10k miles on my Z, have driven manuals all my life. And if I ride my R1 for a week or so, i start having sketchy shifts in the Z. Its not the easiest of clutches to work. In fact its one of the most difficult i have come across to operate smoothly. My father, brother, best friends all drive sports cars. And not a single one was able to just jump in and drive smoothly. All I'm saying is don't feel to bad about having a hard time! and enjoy your new car :tup: