A somewhat step by step instructions on how to get you going with a manual car.

The Pedal

Let’s admit it, not everyone that becomes interested in drifting has experience in driving a manual car. If you want to learn how to drive a manual car, then you came to the right place. Before we get to the basics of drifting the car, let’s start off by learning how to actually drive the car. It’s not difficult, don’t feel intimidated by the extra pedal you’re seeing in the driver seat.

That extra pedal you’re seeing is a clutch pedal, by depressing the pedal, it engages the pressure plate that gets pressed on the clutch disc, releasing the disc from the flywheel to allow engagement into the next gear, and when you lift the clutch pedal, the disc engages with the flywheel and gives power to the transmission therefore spinning the driveshaft.

this is a clutch disc, you must treat it well, it will keep you and the car happy.

Now we understand what a clutch pedal and clutch disc is. We can move to the next step.

Starting your car

Finally, we are sitting in the car. I hope it is rear wheel drive, because if you’re looking to progress in your drifting “career” you should be driving a rear wheel drive car. If you’re in a front wheel drive, or in an all wheel drive, that’s fine as well, since we are here to learn how to just drive a manual car.

Now, we can start the car by depressing the clutch pedal and turning the key to start. Make sure not to lift the clutch pedal until you have put your transmission into neutral gear, which is the middle area of the shifter, it will feel free and wobbly.

Lift off the clutch pedal, and now you can relax, as your car is not going anywhere because it’s not in any gear, it is in neutral gear.

Moving your car

You gave your car a minute or two to warm up, now let’s make it move. Depress the clutch pedal all the way to the floor, and put your shifter into first gear, do not lift off the clutch pedal until you’re ready to move as this would engage the first gear in the transmission by applying the clutch disc to the flywheel, and most likely stall your engine.

Begin lifting the clutch pedal slowly until you feel you begin to gradually roll, don’t expect it to drive right away, as it would stall the engine if you lift off the pedal quickly. Awesome, you’re moving your car, give yourself or whoever is with you, morally supporting you a high five.

Before you attempt to drive it, depress the clutch pedal, and stop the car. Begin to slowly lift the clutch pedal until you feel you’re moving again. Repeat this small exercise until you find the “sweet spot” or the engagement spot.

Once you have mastered the engagement spot, you can begin driving the car by slowly lifting the clutch pedal and simultaneously pressing the gas pedal bringing up the engine to enough RPM to make your engine start moving the car and not stall. This will take some practice, you will begin having rough starts, causing the car to shake aggressively, if you’re in such error, depress the clutch pedal and start your car again, if stalled, and start over.

After some practice, you will begin to feel comfortable going into first gear, and starting smoothly from stop. Now you can begin shifting into second gear the same exact way as you would starting, but you are already moving in first gear, begin depressing the clutch pedal completely to the floor, putting the shifter into second gear, and quickly lifting the clutch pedal, but still in a smooth manner to prevent the car from shifting into gear aggressively and causing the drive to be rough.

Congratulations, you can now drive your manual car! After some practice, this skill will be just like riding a bicycle. You are no longer intimidated by that extra foot pedal, but actually look forward to it. I hope you enjoyed this read, and it helped you achieve your dream goal. Pursuit of happyness does not start without a pursuit, and a set of wheels.