Comments on: 10 Skills Every Driver Should Have

By: Kurt

Kurt — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 20:50:51 +0000

SSmaro00, the Scandanavian Flick also works nicely but requires a more delicate touch than a handbrake turn.

By: SSmaro00

SSmaro00 — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 20:39:02 +0000

Old fashioned way and internet article do not belong in the same sentence. lol J-turns are easy to perform if you have a FWD car and a handbrake. They get a little bit more difficult with a powerful RWD car there are other ways to execute the 180 besides how listed here.

By: 68SportFury

68SportFury — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 14:32:53 +0000

I had to learn to drive a stick twice! The first time was in a friend’s car: ’68 Plymouth Road Runner, built 440, Hemi 4-speed. I spun the wheels the first time I let the clutch out! I did eventually get used to that one.

Then, about a year later, I went to work for a dealership as a lot man. I quickly discovered that driving a stick in a 4-cylinder Horizon or a slant-six pickup is very different from driving one in a 440 Road Runner–primarily in how fast you let the clutch out when going into First from a stop. After repeatedly stalling a lot of new cars, I developed the right touch and no longer had any trouble. My first brand-new car, four years later, had a five-speed and so did my second. I bought the first one because it was $500 cheaper than an automatic and the second because I liked driving a stick.

It’s a shame that manual transmissions are getting harder and harder to find in new cars, but if the take rate is low, the option’s going away.

By: LazyLemming

LazyLemming — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 08:22:45 +0000

I’ll argue the “You won’t learn how to drive a stick without someone teaching you!” I learned the old fashioned way, an internet article and about 20k miles burned off a clutch!

By: Kurt

Kurt — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 12:50:15 +0000

Jake, the real problem is that most drivers today don’t WANT to learn how to drive a manual transmission. In my opinion, you can’t be an enthusiast unless you can properly row a manual gearbox.

By: Jake

Jake — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 04:07:39 +0000

I can’t believe how many people can’t change a tire. One time I was reading something about changing a tire, and there were intructions- the last step was to throw the flat tire into the ditch and drive off. Seriously.

Also, I learned how to drive a standard when I was about 13. It’s not that hard, so I don’t see why people have such trouble with it.

By: Schyleen

Schyleen — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 14:51:44 +0000

As a woman I am glad I know how to do all except the handbrake turn. I think my Dad didn’t want to teach me that one- LOL

By: sam

sam — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 05:38:39 +0000

glad i can do them all…. except for the handbrake turn
ive got a footbrake instead

By: Kurt

Kurt — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 12:07:18 +0000

Eddie, they’re aka a smuggler’s turn, bootlegger’s turn, etc.

By: Eddie V

Eddie V — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 03:06:09 +0000

I’ve never even heard of a “handbrake turn”.

I’ve got to check it out!