Recommendations for stick shift driving lessons in Auckland, preferably westgate / central.

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › Recommendations for stick shift driving lessons in Auckland, preferably westgate / central.

Nikras

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#304622 21-May-2023 20:27

Hi all,

I'm a seasoned driver with 9+ years of driving experience on a full driver's license. While I actually learned to drive a manual to start off with, I've driven an auto for 99% of my time on the roads.

It's been so long that when I went to test drive a manual car, I kept stalling. I just got out of the car after 5 minutes and gave up. I felt extremely embarrassed. But I really want to learn to drive a stick shift again.

I'm looking for the best ways to get a refresher, whether to just rent a car and practice or actually hire a tutor.

Will be good to get some recommendations as to any good teachers you would recommend in Auckland or preferably around Westgate.

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#3078370 21-May-2023 20:37

Given nearly all cars are auto these days, do you need to? unless you are specifically looking at buying a manual? I learned to drive manual 25 years ago, never owned a manual car in that time. I think i've needed to drive one twice and after a few mins of figuring the clutch out on the particular car i got the hang of it

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Nikras

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#3078375 21-May-2023 20:40

dpf81nz:

Given nearly all cars are auto these days, do you need to? unless you are specifically looking at buying a manual?

Yeap! Looking at buying a car I really want that comes only in a manual :)

cddt

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#3078377 21-May-2023 20:43

Probably easier if you have a friend with a manual car who would let you get the hang of it again.

Technofreak

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#3078378 21-May-2023 20:46

Do you have any friends with a manual?

If you've driven one in the past it shouldn't take much time re learning to start moving by going to a parking lot at a quiet time and having a go. If you lived close by I'd happily help.

Edit: I see I was beaten to it with my suggestion.

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cddt

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#3078379 21-May-2023 20:49

But it is a useful skill to have, you never know when you'll need to jump in a furniture truck or something (speaking from experience)...

Nikras

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#3078380 21-May-2023 20:54

Technofreak: Do you have any friends with a manual?

If you've driven one in the past it shouldn't take much time re-learning to start moving by going to a parking lot at a quiet time and having a go. If you lived close by I'd happily help.

Edit: I see I was beaten to it with my suggestion.

Unfortunately, the only friend I know who drives a manual lives in Dunedin haha.

Otherwise, everyone else drives an auto.

Thanks for the offer though! I live out northwest and I would prefer not to put wear on someone else's clutch unless It's rented or a driver ed's car.

Nikras

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#3078381 21-May-2023 20:57

cddt:

But it is a useful skill to have, you never know when you'll need to jump in a furniture truck or something (speaking from experience)...

Absolutely! If anything, the last time I drove a manual was a van when I was visiting Thailand. Literally rented one and just drove around ourselves.

tweake

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#3078406 21-May-2023 21:37

most of stick driving is just practising. just doing it until its instinct. even better if you can use a lot of different vehicles. that forces you do it correctly rather than just do the same old motion over and over, as each one is a bit different and you have to adjust to each one.

Technofreak

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#3078432 21-May-2023 23:28

Nikras:

Technofreak: Do you have any friends with a manual?

If you've driven one in the past it shouldn't take much time re-learning to start moving by going to a parking lot at a quiet time and having a go. If you lived close by I'd happily help.

Edit: I see I was beaten to it with my suggestion.

Unfortunately, the only friend I know who drives a manual lives in Dunedin haha.

Otherwise, everyone else drives an auto.

Thanks for the offer though! I live out northwest and I would prefer not to put wear on someone else's clutch unless It's rented or a driver ed's car.

In the big scheme of things the wear and tear would be unnoticed.

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Handle9

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#3078434 21-May-2023 23:52

Nikras:
cddt:

But it is a useful skill to have, you never know when you'll need to jump in a furniture truck or something (speaking from experience)...

Absolutely! If anything, the last time I drove a manual was a van when I was visiting Thailand. Literally rented one and just drove around ourselves.

At least Thailand is RHD. I’ve got to drive a LHD drive manual in August. That’ll be a first for me, even though I drive a LHD car normally.

roobarb

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#3078439 22-May-2023 00:46

Find someone with a 1970s LandRover and then you can go through the whole double-clutching experience.

Dynamic

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#3078447 22-May-2023 07:06

Unless something has changed, Sylvia at TDS has a manual and operates around the Westgate area. Home - The Driving School

Note this is not a recommendation.

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wellygary

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#3078482 22-May-2023 08:58

You don't need an instructor,

You just need to find someone with a junker with a stick you can have for a couple of days to get back the muscle memory of using the third pedal.....

Nikras

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#3078485 22-May-2023 09:32

Dynamic:

Unless something has changed, Sylvia at TDS has a manual and operates around the Westgate area. Home - The Driving School

Note this is not a recommendation.

Thanks! The link is flagged on Google Chrome as deceptive for some reason. I have gotten some pms for recommendations and someone has been really kind in letting me practice on their car on some days.

Scott3

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#3078486 22-May-2023 09:32

Given you have a full license and just need to practice manual driving skills that have subsided over time, I would just rent a manual car for the day, and spend several hours in traffic / urban conditions.

An instructor might be able to flag bad behaviors you have formed, but much of the skill is clutch control which is largely practice.

Manual rental cars aren't super common these days, but as an example the single cab hilux at the below link is manual.

https://www.metropolitan.co.nz/our-vehicles/utes-and-vans/

Obviously this depends on you backing yourself to get the rental car off the rental lot without upsetting the staff, but I bet the staff see people struggle with the manual's all the time. And I suspect you will be willing to be a bit more agressive with RPM etc on an older rental use, than a nice manual only performance car (I assume). Also performance cars sometimes have clutches that are more difficult to handle than other vehicle types.

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