where can I go to learn to drive a manual transmission car around here?

thanks!

Just go out to an office complex and practice in the parking lot on a weekend or at night.

Don't forget the Metro/commuter and church parking lots; that's where I took my kids. But I think you're asking where can you find a stick shift car? There's some irony in that my kids learned with automatic shift. Now one of them drives a manual with six gears forward! And to think that my ol' Chevy had only three forward gears and the gear shift was on the steering wheel! Maybe one of the driving schools offers shift cars to drive.

I was taught in the Wolftrap Farm Park parking lot (across the street from main area). Its big enough, not too many cars are there generally (obviously depending on time and date that you go) and for obvious reasons, dont go when there are events there.

I learned on the Oval parking lot at Poplar Tree park. It was ideal because it was build on a slope and is not flat. One straight away is slightly uphill so it forces you to find that sweet spot in the shifting, while the other side is slightly down hill so that you can roll forward enough that you won't stall while you are still trying to find your clutch's engaging point.

Not many driving schools give instruction in manual anymore, but I believe Keith's Driving School has a guy who does this. This is what I did. Took one 2 hour lesson, which is all I needed to get me started. Didn't cost too much. Then I just drove around uncongested areas and parking lots at night to get comfortable. Hope this helps.

Go to the shopping center parking lot at 13820 Lee Hwy right in front of Bombay Spice and the Asian Cash & Carry, no one in that parking lot knows how to drive at all!

Take 50 West out to Chantilly, and right after you pass 28 hang a right onto Avion Parkway. That's a good place to cruise around after hours and get a feel for how the clutch works. Parking lots are OK if you have to, but it's so much fucking easier to do it in a "real driving" sort of situation. You'll catch on quicker.

Nextel over on Sunrise Valley and Reston Pkwy - lots of open spaces....

Whatever you do....don't do it in Vienna.....

weekend driving school can give you lessons on driving stickshift. They provide the car.

http://www.weekenddrivingschoolva-dc.com/

it costs $55 an hour with 2 hour minimum. I say just take the minimum, if you can't learn how to shift into 1st by then you're screwed anyway. 2 hours will teach you enough to start getting better on your own car

go to the nearest 7-11. Ask an illegal to teach you to drive a stick for 300 dollars an hour.

JOSE"S Driving School will teach you how to operate a manual in exchange for your Social Security number so he can bring up more "cousins". He also does a wonderful job instructing you on the "JUMP AND RUN" if you get in a crash....NO INSURANCE, "ITEETS NO PROBLEEMO GRINGO"

bought my first car at 18 and could not drive stick. had the guy deliver the car to my house and took it out in a parking lot all weekend by myself. read up first, i am sure the internet has some tips. kind of trial and error. try not to burn up the clutch. go easy. practice hills/incline a must. good luck.

Anyone who pays a driving school to teach them how to drive stick is a fucking lunkhead. The hardest part about driving stick is figuring out first gear...once you've got that nailed the rest is easy.

Hills are not as bad as they seem...in fact, a little trick you can use is when you're on a hill at a stop pull up the parking brake. When you get yourself going a little bit, drop the parking brake and start driving. But even without the parking brake you don't roll as far as you think you've rolled.

Seriously, once you get the hang of of where the different gears and how to go from a standing stop into first gear and then into second, the rest takes care of itself. A couple hours practice on a deserted back road should be enough for some of even barely-average intelligence. After a week or two you'll be driving stick without even thinking about it.

Just take the car and drive around 7 Corners for real world experience, chances are if you hit someone they won't have a license or insurance so you'll be good.

BR Wrote:
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> Anyone who pays a driving school to teach them how
> to drive stick is a fucking lunkhead. The hardest
> part about driving stick is figuring out first
> gear...once you've got that nailed the rest is
> easy.

That's what I was going to say - once you get into second, the rest is easy.

> Hills are not as bad as they seem...in fact, a
> little trick you can use is when you're on a hill
> at a stop pull up the parking brake. When you get
> yourself going a little bit, drop the parking
> brake and start driving. But even without the
> parking brake you don't roll as far as you think
> you've rolled.

I don't do the parking brake thing, I just pull off the clutch only a little and end up revving as I go up the hill. But my dad taught me my first time going up a hill, in traffic, while I was test driving a car (he made me go past our turn when I wasn't prepared for it). I didn't roll back a bit, so I guess I've been doing ok. ;)

> Seriously, once you get the hang of of where the
> different gears and how to go from a standing stop
> into first gear and then into second, the rest
> takes care of itself. A couple hours practice on a
> deserted back road should be enough for some of
> even barely-average intelligence. After a week or
> two you'll be driving stick without even thinking
> about it.

I taught my roommate in a tiny deserted parking lot that had a decent enough slope so if she needed to drive on our road trip she'd be ok. Just as long as she was comfortable enough getting as far as second, she would be fine going up to highway speeds as it's all the same and easier at higher speeds as you don't have to worry about stalling.

Try the beltway during rush hour

For a little more of a challenge, try the COSTCO parking lot in Fairfax. Learning to dodge Koreans is skill that will serve you for years.

Incubus Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Go to the shopping center parking lot at 13820 Lee
> Hwy right in front of Bombay Spice and the Asian
> Cash & Carry, no one in that parking lot knows how
> to drive at all!

LOL! Try the Super H-Mart parking lot across from Paul VI. I've thought about having air horns installed on my Jeep to scare the shit out of assholes who will
block traffic for 20 minutes waiting for a close in parking spot.

Mike huntt Wrote:
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> Try the beltway during rush hour

Especially at the I-66 Interchange.

Lake Fairfax Park. It has parking lots, stop signs, hills, curves, gravel and paved roads. A couple of runs around that place you should be good to go.

HanaDool Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Incubus Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Go to the shopping center parking lot at 13820
> Lee
> > Hwy right in front of Bombay Spice and the
> Asian
> > Cash & Carry, no one in that parking lot knows
> how
> > to drive at all!
>
> LOL! Try the Super H-Mart parking lot across from
> Paul VI. I've thought about having air horns
> installed on my Jeep to scare the shit out of
> assholes who will
> block traffic for 20 minutes waiting for a close
> in parking spot.
All H-Marts, worldwide, would be perfect